Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8862891 | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies | 2018 | 13 Pages |
Abstract
The results indicate that conversion from grasslands to dense pine forests led to vegetation induced changes in soil hydraulic properties, increased rooting depth, and greater leaf area index, which together altered the water budget considerably. The impacts of land use change, expressed in percent of gross precipitation, include a 7% increase in interception associated with an increase in leaf area index, a nearly 10% increase in actual evapotranspiration, and an overall reduction of groundwater recharge by nearly 17%. Simulated average annual recharge rates decreased from 9.65â¯cmâ¯yrâ1 in the grassland to 0.07â¯cmâ¯yrâ1 in the pine plot. These outcomes highlight the significance of the grassland ecology for water resources, particularly groundwater recharge, in the Nebraska Sand Hills and the overall sustainability and vitality of the High Plains Aquifer.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Earth-Surface Processes
Authors
Zablon A. Adane, Paolo Nasta, Vitaly Zlotnik, David Wedin,