1. SWAT Model Adaptability to a Small Mountainous Forested Watershed in Central Romania
- Author
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Oana Nicoleta Tudose, Nicu Constantin Tudose, Sorin Cheval, Adriana Agafia Davidescu, Cezar Ungurean, Alin Lucian Mihalache, Serban Octavian Davidescu, and Mirabela Marin
- Subjects
Watershed ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Soil and Water Assessment Tool ,0207 environmental engineering ,Drainage basin ,02 engineering and technology ,01 natural sciences ,sensitivity analysis ,SWAT ,SWAT model ,QK900-989 ,020701 environmental engineering ,Plant ecology ,hydrological model ,calibration ,validation ,small forested watershed ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Discharge ,Forestry ,15. Life on land ,6. Clean water ,Watershed management ,13. Climate action ,Environmental science ,Stage (hydrology) ,Surface runoff ,Water resource management - Abstract
This study aims to build and test the adaptability and reliability of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool hydrological model in a small mountain forested watershed. This ungauged watershed covers 184 km2 and supplies 90% of blue water for the Brașov metropolitan area, the second largest metropolitan area of Romania. After building a custom database at the forest management compartment level, the SWAT model was run. Further, using the SWAT-CUP software under the SUFI2 algorithm, we identified the most sensitive parameters required in the calibration and validation stage. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis revealed that the surface runoff is mainly influenced by soil, groundwater and vegetation condition parameters. The calibration was carried out for 2001–2010, while the 1996–1999 period was used for model validation. Both procedures have indicated satisfactory performance and a lower uncertainty of model results in replicating river discharge compared with observed discharge. This research demonstrates that the SWAT model can be applied in small ungauged watersheds after an appropriate parameterisation of its databases. Furthermore, this tool is appropriate to support decision-makers in conceiving sustainable watershed management. It also guides prioritising the most suitable measures to increase the river basin resilience and ensure the water demand under climate change.
- Published
- 2021