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Understanding the relationships between urban expansion and social/environmental features is fundamental to managing watershed and urban expansion. However, such relationships remain unclear, especially across multiple scales of watersheds. Here, we quantified the correlation between urban expansion measures and 255 socioenvironmental indicators across three scales of watersheds running through China (20, 103, and 349 watersheds) during 1992–2016 and analyzed their scaling relations. The results showed that the number of indicators showing a significant correlation with the area and speed of urban expansion increased from 132 and 153 to 234 and 237, respectively, from level 1 to level 3 watersheds. Among these indicators, urban expansion was significantly correlated with indicators of climate and anthropogenic impact. From a large scale (level 1 watershed) to a small scale (level 3 watershed), 104 and 84 socioenvironmental indicators shifted from uncorrelated to significantly correlated with urban expansion area and speed. The constraint line analysis further confirmed that some relationships were nonlinear, which suggested that the drivers and impacts of urban expansion have scaling effects. We argue that it is crucial to consider the scaling effects of urban expansion when we formulate urban or watershed management plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperspectral Images, which are high-dimensional in nature and capture bands over hundreds of wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. These images have piqued researchers' curiosity in the last two decades. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how researchers segmented and classified Hyperspectral Images with unbalanced data and few labelled training examples. For the sake of comprehension, the background of Hyperspectral Images and segmentation techniques is briefly discussed at first. The study is organised around different Hyperspectral Image processing techniques such as thresholding, clustering, watershed, deep learning, and other methods. The recent trends and developments in HSI segmentation have been reviewed and compiled using benchmark datasets such as Indian Pines, Salinas Valley, Pavia University, and others. Finally, it is intended that the readers will gain a thorough understanding of existing segmentation techniques, their performance, and fresh research areas for HSI that need to be studied or explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moyamoya is a disease with progressive cerebral arterial stenosis leading to stroke and silent infarct. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) studies show that adults with moyamoya have significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) and higher mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) compared with controls, which raises concern for unrecognized white matter injury. Children with moyamoya have significantly lower FA and higher MD in their white matter compared with controls. However, it is unknown which white matter tracts are affected in children with moyamoya. We present a cohort of 15 children with moyamoya with 24 affected hemispheres without stroke or silent infarct compared with 25 controls. We analyzed dMRI data using unscented Kalman filter tractography and extracted major white matter pathways with a fiber clustering method. We compared the FA, MD, AD, and RD in each segmented white matter tract and combined white matter tracts found within the watershed region using analysis of variance. Age and sex were not significantly different between children with moyamoya and controls. Specific white matter tracts affected included inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, thalamofrontal, uncinate fasciculus, and arcuate fasciculus. Combined watershed region white matter tracts in children with moyamoya had significantly lower FA (−7.7% ± 3.2%, P = 0.02) and higher MD (4.8% ± 1.9%, P = 0.01) and RD (8.7% ± 2.8%, P = 0.002). Lower FA with higher MD and RD is concerning for unrecognized white matter injury. Affected tracts were located in watershed regions suggesting that the findings may be due to chronic hypoperfusion. These findings support the concern that children with moyamoya without overt stroke or silent infarction are sustaining ongoing injury to their white matter microstructure and provide practitioners with a noninvasive method of more accurately assessing disease burden in children with moyamoya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the response of runoff changes to extreme climate evolution was of great scientific significance for the rational regulation of watershed water resources and the prevention of hydrological disasters. However, the time–frequency response relationships were not clear. The Yinjiang River watershed, a typical watershed with karst trough valley areas, was chosen to identify the impact of different climatic driving factors on runoff changes from 1984 to 2015. Continuous wavelet transform (CWT), cross-wavelet transform (XWT), and wavelet coherence transform (WTC) were performed to study the response relationship and time–frequency effect between runoff changes and extreme climate change at different time scales. The main results showed that: (1) Twelve extreme climate indices (ECIs) were detected to have a significant impact on runoff changes, mainly on a 6-year time scale; (2) The R10 and Rx1day in extreme precipitation index and SU34.4 and TNx in the extreme temperature index were the main driving factors of runoff changes, which had relatively large impacts on runoff changes in high and low energy vibration regions. However, the remaining eight ECIs that passed the 0.05 confidence level showed relatively large impacts on runoff changes only in low energy vibration regions; (3) The transition of the interaction between ECIs and runoff changes in high and low time–frequency scales was related to the abrupt change characteristics of the ECIs. The correlation of abrupt change was an important reason for the emergence of highly correlated regions that trigger high and low energy vibrations; (4) As a whole, the extreme precipitation events were ahead of runoff changes at the high time–frequency scale and exhibited small lag effects at the low time–frequency scale, while extreme temperature events were mainly ahead of runoff changes. This study has effectively revealed the impact of climate factors at different scales on runoff changes, and provides a theoretical understanding for regulating and managing water resources in karst basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem services (ES) have complex flow dynamics that operate across distances. However, ES assessments have focused more on their supply. Few studies consider the impacts of interregional flows on ES provision and the spatial and temporal changes of interregional flows are little known. Here, we quantified interregional flows and analyzed their variations by evaluating the interregional dependency of four water-related ES (water yield, flood mitigation, water purification, and soil retention) in the Yellow River Basin, China. The results showed that about one-third of the basin area had 51.3%–98.9% of the ES sourced from interregional flows, and these areas increased by 2.6%–11.9% during 2000–2015. Generally, the upstream regions with contributions of 64.0%–79.7% of water yield, 93.2%–96.9% of flood mitigation, 89.0%–95.3% of water purification, and 53.7%–97.4% of soil retention played an important role in sustaining the human well-being in downstream regions. Our approach offers a reference for building a telecoupled decision-making for other regions based on interregional flows. Moreover, the results of this study provide insights into interregional dependency on and responsibility for the transboundary ES impacts, and can help in sustainable development of watersheds by achieving environmental equality through guiding transboundary management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Watershed morphometry refers to the connections between systems of a watershed, such as hydrology, geology, vegetation, and topographic structure. The topographic and hydrological characteristics of the watershed have a great impact on vegetation, retention of rainwater in the soil, and its transformation into runoff, flood, and landslide occurring in the watershed. In this study, watershed morphometric analysis of the Altindere, Zigana and Catak subwatersheds located upstream of the Degirmendere watershed in Turkey was conducted, and the potential of producing floods related to these features was investigated. As the study area, Trabzon Degirmendere subwatersheds were chosen due to flood and landslide events that have occurred in the past and caused loss of life and property damage. By considering the linear, areal, and relief morphometric properties of each subwatershed, their flood effect levels and potentials are revealed. ArcGIS software was used in the analysis. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with a resolution of 10 m produced from 1:25,000 scale topographic maps was used as a base for the evaluation of these parameters. As a result of this study, when evaluated in terms of the morphometric properties of the watersheds, it was determined that the Zigana subwatershed has the greatest impact on flood production. This study is intended to guide decision-makers to anticipate floods and flood events that will occur in the watersheds in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drylands of China are extensive, and they are home to more than one-third of the country's population. However, the watershed territories of the drylands, where the majority of human activities are concentrated have long experienced strained human-land relationships, culminating in ecological security concerns. Correspondingly, it is essential to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the ecological security of dryland watersheds and to identify the key factors influencing ecological security in order to formulate strategies that ensure the sustainability of drylands. Premised on the Driving-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model, this study developed an ecological security index and applied it to the Irtysh River Basin of Xinjiang, China, from 2000 to 2020. The obstacle degree model was applied to reveal the obstacles in two dimensions: criterion level and indicator level. The findings suggested that the ecological security comprehensive index in the Irtysh River Basin has increased significantly from 2000 to 2020, irrespective of the fact that it decreased during the study period and then increased. The ecological security level changed from 'critically safe' in 2000 to 'general safety' in 2020, with the state subsystem and pressure subsystem becoming ecological security weaknesses. The primary factors influencing the ecological security of the study area were water consumption, the area of high-efficiency water-saving irrigation, the proportion of wetland area, vegetation coverage, and livestock population. The ecological security of different counties in the basin varies greatly, whereas the factors that influence ecological security showed both similarities and differences among the counties. In light of on the findings, we proposed that future strategies for ecological security enhancement should concentrate on enacting the policy of localizing spatial differentiation, optimizing industrial structure, strengthening scientific and technological support in the field of water conservation, bolstering the treatment capacity of environmental facilities, and implementing the Mountains-Rivers-Forests-Farmlands-Lakes-Grasslands System to support the sustainable development of dryland watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we recognize the need to diversify knowledge systems in freshwater quality monitoring. We acknowledge the importance of Canadian-Indigenous reconciliation and build on two recommendations from past work: (1) to recognize different forms of knowledge (including Indigenous and non-Indigenous community knowledge) and (2) to facilitate action by managers and decision-makers. Using a co-creative process, an artistic (i.e., art-based) research method was used to engage Indigenous youth in conversations about their relationships with the Grand River watershed (Ontario, Canada). We present six lessons learned from co-creating our process and six recommendations for those who hope to implement a similar approach. A list of 10 principles and values to guide water quality monitoring demonstrates how the collective perspectives of Indigenous youth and current water monitoring and management practitioners may be applied. Finally, we highlight three important factors for implementing such an approach as: relationship-building, capacity building, and reciprocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lines between natural areas and human habitats have blurred as urbanization continues, creating a need for the study of ecosystems at all levels of development. This need is particularly acute for exurban environments, which have low population density but are rapidly changing and have a dynamic mix of natural and human-dominated features. We examined long-term (1998–2018) trends in nitrate and chloride concentrations and fluxes in forested and exurban streams in Baltimore County, Md USA. Concentrations and fluxes of nitrate and chloride were an order of magnitude higher in the exurban stream than the forested stream and were increasing even though snowfall and road salt use did not increase over the study period. In the forested stream, concentrations and fluxes of chloride increased from 1998 to 2008, but decreased from 2008 to 2018 due to unquantified factors. Concentrations of nitrate decreased in the forested stream, likely due to decreases in atmospheric deposition. These decreases in atmospheric deposition, and efforts to reduce fertilizer use by county governments, do not appear to have affected nitrate concentrations and fluxes in the exurban watershed. Any efforts to reduce the concentrations and fluxes of chloride and nitrate in exurban streams will likely benefit substantially from further understanding of the mechanisms underlying the temporal patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although rivers are known to promote diversification and shape phylogeographic patterns, they can also be permeable and facilitate the dispersal of species. Using multiple molecular methodological approaches, we conducted a phylogeographic investigation of two semiaquatic snake species with continental distributions across South America, testing how environmental and historical factors (e.g., potential allopatric divergence across rivers) have affected their evolutionary history. Our results show that Hydrodynastes gigas and H. bicinctus have a recent divergence time (~1.5 mya) and that both species have low genetic diversity with no geographic structure. Population genetic divergence in H. gigas is explained by geographic distance (isolation-by-distance), climate (isolation-by-environment), and hydrographic basin. Paleo-niche models suggest that historically stable regions of habitat suitability for both taxa are largely restricted to the La Plata basin. We suggest that life history traits of these species, for example high dispersal capabilities and generalist ecologies, have allowed for their extensive geographic distributions and population connectivity resulting in no geographic structure and low genetic variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River water was sampled at 105 locations in the Ottawa River watershed and analysed for microplastics. Sampling techniques were standardised and replicated at each sample location to give an indication of the spatial extent of microplastics at the watershed scale. Microplastic concentrations remained largely uniform, with no clear accumulation of microplastics towards the lower reaches of the watershed. An ANCOVA analysis determined that the only significant relationships to microplastic concentration were distance downstream on the main channel and tributaries and an increase of microplastic concentrations at boat launch locations. However, these relationships were not strong (R2 value of 0.15) and suggest a more complex interaction of microplastics in large watersheds. It is recommended that further research on microplastic pollution in rivers needs to also focus on temporal factors in addition to considering sinks as an important element in the distribution of microplastics at the watershed scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) changes represent anthropogenic transformation of natural landscape. These changes are an important tool in developing strategies for the management of natural resources as well as monitoring environmental changes. LULC mapping and monitoring is required to understand the causes and consequences of over exploitation of natural resources such as land, soil, forest and water. By assessing the uses and misuses of resources and identifying the reasons for misuses, the measures for sustainable development of resources in the fragile Himalayan watersheds can be identified and implemented. The main objective of the present study is to assess the land use/land cover changes in the Sarbari Khad watershed of Kullu Valley. The Sarbari Khad watershed is part of Beas River basin. The changes in LULC have been detected by using remote sensing and GIS (Geographical Information System) techniques for a period of twenty-one years (2000–2021). The satellite images of the National European Space Agency Sentinal-2 of November, 2021 and LandSat-7 image of November 2000 were processed with the help of ERDAS Imagine (2015) and Arc View (3.2a) software. This study reveals that substantial amount of deforestation and snow cover retreat has occurred during this period of two decades due to anthropogenic activities such as expansion of agriculture, especially horticulture, tourism and infrastructure development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an innovative digital twin dam and watershed management platform, K-Twin SJ, that utilizes real-time data and simulation models to support decision-making for flood response and water resource management. The platform includes a GIS-based geospatial digital twin of the entire Sumjin dam and river water system in Korea, with high-precision geospatial topography and facility information for dams and rivers (watershed area 4913 km2, river length 173 km, and 91 water infrastructures). The platform synchronizes real-time data such as rainfall, dam and river water levels, flow rate, and closed-circuit television (CCTV), and incorporates three hydraulic and hydrological simulation models for efficient dam operation considering the river conditions. AI technology is also used to predict the river water level and suggest optimal dam discharge scenarios. Additionally, the platform includes a geotechnical safety evaluation module for river levees, advanced drone monitoring for dams and rivers, and an AI CCTV video surveillance function. The digital-twin-based platform supports efficient decision-making for smart flood responses and contributes to reducing flooding damage and optimal operation through better smart water management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved image segmentation algorithm with boundary-to-pixel direction and magnitude (IS-BPDM) is proposed to deal with small regions segmentation while keeping the accuracy of edge segmentation. First, we develop a BPDM network embedded with watershed and attention module and use an adaptive loss function to learn each pixel's robust and accurate BPDM which is defined as a two-dimensional vector, including direction and magnitude, and pointing from its nearest boundary pixel to itself. Then, we use the learned BPDMs to obtain the refined initial segmented regions by considering the pixels near boundary have shorter magnitude and near root pixels have longer magnitude, meanwhile adjacent pixels in different regions or nearby pixels on both sides of root pixel in same region have opposite directions and nearby pixels in same region have similar directions. Last, we utilize a fast grouping method according to direction similarity to combine these initial segmented regions into final segmentation. The experimental results show that compared with the state-of-the-art segmentation methods, the IS-BPDM approach proposed in this paper achieves better segmentation accuracy and high computational efficiency and outperforms in small regions segmentation on public datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of climate change are widespread, making watershed areas and watershed-dependent communities particularly vulnerable. The impact is more significant in developing countries where locals rely on watershed resources for their livelihoods. We examine the impacts of climate change and local peoples' adaptation strategies in Begnas and Rupa watersheds in western Nepal. Using a mixed method approach we collect primary data including questionnaire surveys, field observations, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Our results reveal that the temperature around Begnas and Rupa watersheds has been increasing for the last 30 years while precipitation has both been decreasing and becoming more erratic. These fluctuations and anthropogenic activities impact agricultural productivity, degrade ecosystems, and reduce socioeconomic status. Local people use several adaptation strategies in response, including improved seeds, changing cropping patterns, cleaning invasive species in wetlands, constructing irrigation canals, diversifying income-generating activities, and launching sensitization and awareness campaigns. To support climate change adaptation, we recommend that the local government focus on participatory-based planning as well as mainstreaming climate change adaptation in the planning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Ethiopia, watershed management interventions have been implemented since the 1980s to curve land degradation and improve the agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers. However, little effort has been made to investigate the impacts of watershed management on land use/cover changes and landscape greenness. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the long-term impacts of watershed management on land use/cover changes and landscape greenness in the Yezat watershed. Landsat images for 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2021 were employed and analyzed to produce maps of the respective years using GIS and remote sensing techniques. Data from satellite images, coupled with field observation and the socio-economic survey, revealed an effective approach for analyzing the extent, rate, and spatial patterns of land use/cover changes. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was also employed to detect vegetation greenness. The results of the study show that between 1990 and 2021, the built-up area, plantation, natural forest, shrubland, and grasslands were increased by + 254 ha, + 712.3 ha, 196.3 ha, + 1070.8, and + 425.3 ha respectively due to watershed management interventions. Conversely, cultivated land was decreased with a rate of − 2658.7 ha, in the study area. However, the reverse is true between 1990 and 2000 due to large-scale land degradation. Besides, the result of the study also shows that a low landscape greenness value (− 0.11) was observed between 1990 and 2000, and a high landscape greenness value (+ 0.2) was observed between 1990 and 2021. The observed change in landscape greenness in the watershed was due to the change in shrubland (+ 1070.8 ha), grassland (+ 425.3 ha), plantation (+ 712.3 ha), and forestland (+ 196.3 ha) covers between 1990 and 2021 years. Such observed changes in land use land covers, landscape greenness, and cultivated land in the study watershed have important implications for the improvement of soil moisture, soil fertility, biodiversity, groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, soil erosion land, crop yield, and ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In geography, studies on vulnerability have an important role in relation to natural disasters, especially in places where the volume of data is scarce, such as the northern Amazon. Based on this principle, the research sought to analyze and define the areas of socioeconomic vulnerability in the Caranã Watershed (BHC), Boa Vista-RR. The methodology of this study was divided into three stages: (I) Survey of secondary data such as articles, books, magazines, dissertations, theses, electronic journals and satellite images; (II) survey of primary data that consisted of various field activities in order to collect geographical coordinates, digital images and panoramic images; (III) laboratory stage that consisted of synthesizing field data to create the geographic and statistical database. The delimitation of vulnerable socioeconomic areas was processed using Arcgis 10.3 software, based on the procedure for weighting socioeconomic variables. The results showed that the areas with the highest degree of socioeconomic vulnerability are located in the low course of the Caranã stream, BHC's main watercourse, being observed in the neighborhoods Caranã, Jardim Caranã, União and Cauamé. To reverse this process, structural and non-structural measures are needed to reduce these vulnerable areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural practices and water availability are highly correlated with sustainable watershed management. The Sebuku and Sesayap watersheds have a role to play for water conservation and support for agricultural practices. The research aimed to investigate, assess and map the carrying capacity of the environment in the supply of fresh water and food. The method is carried out using a mathematical model, Simple Additive Weighting to calculate the area of each carrying capacity category using ArcGIS 10.7 programs. This ecosystem service approach is used to measure carrying capacity. The approach is based on the assumption that the higher the performance of ecosystem services, the higher the carrying capacity of the environment. Carrying capacity is the maximum number of populations that can be sustainably supported by a local ecosystem, meaning that it has a carrying capacity and assimilation capacity. The results show that the application of the Simple Additive Weighting model has advantages over the expert-based valuation method which has been widely used, which proves convenience in the investigation and assessment process. Investigations and assessments show that the function of the Sebuku and Sesayap watersheds as a food providers is dominated by high category areas (Iecc 3.41 - 4.20) with an area of 1,178,843.93 ha. Meanwhile, the Sebuku watershed is dominated by the medium category area (Iecc 2.61 - 3.40) with an area of 850,633.60 ha. In addition, the environmental carrying capacity of the downstream watershed area in providing fresh water tends to be low (Iecc 1.81 - 2.60) even though the environmental carrying capacity of the downstream area as a food provider is high (Iecc 3.41 - 4.20), because these areas are generally fluvial plains and coastal plains which are used as pond cultivation areas. Overall, watershed conditions tend to experience a decrease in carrying capacity, both in terms of providing food and fresh water. Therefore, to achieve sustainable watershed management, it is necessary to use a food commodity-based water conservation approach with the application of dry land agroforestry practices in the middle region, and silvofishery in the downstream area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a heterogeneous mixture of organic compounds that is produced through both microbial degradation and abiotic leaching of solid phase organic matter, and by a wide range of metabolic processes in algae and higher plants. DOM is ubiquitous throughout the hydrologic cycle and plays an important role in watershed management for drinking water supply as well as many aspects of aquatic ecology and geochemistry. Due to its wide-ranging effects in natural waters and analytical challenges, the focal research questions regarding DOM have varied since the 1920s. A standard catchment-scale model has emerged to describe the environmental controls on DOM concentrations. Modest concentrations of DOM are found in atmospheric deposition, large increases occur in throughfall and shallow soil flow paths, and variable concentrations in surface waters occur largely as a result of the extent to which hydrologic flow paths encounter deeper mineral soils, wetlands or shallow organic-rich riparian soils. Both production and consumption of DOM occur in surface waters but appear to frequently balance, resulting in relatively constant concentrations with distance downstream in most streams and rivers. Across biomes the concentration and composition of DOM in flowing waters is driven largely by soil processes or direct inputs to channels, but high levels can be found in streams and rivers from the tropics to the poles. Seven central challenges and opportunities in the study of DOM should frame ongoing research. These include maintaining or establishing long-term records of changes in concentrations and fluxes over time, capitalizing on the use of sensors to describe short-term DOM dynamics in aquatic systems, integrating the full carbon cycle into understanding of watershed and aquatic DOM dynamics, understanding the role of DOM in evasion of greenhouse gases from inland waters, unraveling the enigma of dissolved organic nitrogen, documenting gross versus net DOM fluxes, and moving beyond an emphasis on functional ecological significance to understanding the evolutionary significance of DOM in a wide range of environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Southwestern community of Gilbert, Ariz., chose a proactive approach to addressing dramatic changes in its watershed and resulting treatment challenges. Comprehensive analysis showed that building a new treatment plant was the best way to go. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-scalar climate hazards in watersheds and growing consideration regarding equity call for innovation in how agencies evaluate and prioritize mitigation and adaptation projects. Benefit–Cost Analysis (BCA) is one approach that is increasingly being applied to decision-making (i.e., FEMA BCA toolkit), but that has not been applied to watershed and equity-based flood management initiatives. This paper addresses this topic and presents a case study evaluating projects for watershed flood and climate mitigation projects by the Louisiana Watershed Initiative (Louisiana, USA). Through semi-structured interviews with stakeholders and practitioners, we found that BCA tool design must be embedded in the program and policy in order to be successfully applied and that equity has not traditionally been a core value of mitigation practice. Even though many stakeholders understand the need for incorporating environmental and social project consequences at a watershed scale, challenges to doing so include inequitable barriers to project design in competitive processes, the complexity of integrating modeling and environmental outcomes data, jurisdictional interests, and the need for better science communication with local decision-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water, energy, and food security are essential for maintenance and human survival. This research applied an approach for the water–energy–food system to a watershed in the Atlantic Rainforest in Southern Brazil. It is based on a WEAP system that was developed and evaluated future water demand scenarios for the 2020–2050 timespan. The Sustainability Index (SI) was used to assess the scenarios to propose an alternative to compare the current development trend. The results indicated that by 2050, the necessary flow for different water uses would be 78.75% greater than in 2020 while maintaining the present scenario (C_REF). Substituting part of the hydroelectric energy by photovoltaic solar energy (C_EAL), implementing watershed action masterplans as a water resource instrument (C_GES), and integrating these scenarios (C_INT) will reduce the current demand ranging from 8.96% to 24.59%. The average flow would decrease by 28.44% and 29.07%, respectively, by evaluating water availability in climatic change scenarios (C_MCL) for the RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. Compared with the reference scenario C_REF, C_INT presented an improved SI (0.1231), while C_MCL 8.5 presented the worse (−0.0047). Therefore, resources must be generated holistically so that one segment does not negatively impact the others. The findings highlight the pressing need for Santa Catarina State to implement effective management strategies targeting specific sectors, particularly the industrial and human consumption supply sectors. It is imperative to propose adaptation plans and implement actions that foster the reduction in water demands while also providing subsidies and guidance to the industrial sector on responsible water usage to prevent any negative impact on their productivity in the future. Comprehensive plans and policies should be formulated to ensure integration and coherence among various sectors involved in water resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evapotranspiration (ET) is an important factor used in hydrological models as well as in the management of irrigation projects and water balance estimations. An essential instrument for the effective management of water resources is the hydrological model. An important factor in linking the energy, water, and carbon cycle in terrestrial ecosystems on a local to a global scale is ET, which creates dynamic interfaces between the ground surface and the lower atmosphere. The performance of the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model for the performance evaluation and comparison of potential evapotranspiration (PET) and actual evapotranspiration (AET) of the sub-Ping watershed (SPW) in Thailand. The MapWindow SWAT model was created using spatial and meteorological data. Using soil, topography, land use and land cover (LULC), and meteorological data as input factors, the three existing methods Penman-Monteith (PM), Priestly-Taylor (PT), and Hargreaves (HA) were utilized for the evaluation of PET and AET. The results showed that the predicted average PET values for PM, PT, and HA methods were 1,146.43, 1,124.69, and 1,200.20 mm/year with corresponding standard deviation values of 106.58, 53.27, and 105.90 mm/year, respectively. Furthermore, the average AET values for PM, PT, and HA methods were 652.97, 655.13, and 669.85 mm/year with corresponding standard deviation values of 76.95, 81.28, and 73.24 mm/year, respectively. In conclusion, the analysis indicated that PM and HA methods yielded similar results, while the PT method slightly differs. The study could be beneficial to watershed managers in addressing water-related problems and for sustainable water resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of one of the hydrological models, the InVEST "Annual Water Yield" (InVEST–AWY), applied to the Meta River basin in Colombia, which covers an area of 113,981 km². The study evaluates the performance of the model in different subbasins of the Meta River basin. The model's accuracy was assessed using different statistical measures, including Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) coefficient, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), correlation coefficients for the calibration (rcal) and validation (rval) periods. The overall performance of the model in the Meta River basin is relatively poor as indicated by the low NSE value of 0.07 and high RMSE value of 1071.61. In addition, the model explains only a 7% of the variance in the observed data. The sensitivity analysis revealed that a 30% reduction in crop coefficient (Kc) values would result in a 10.7% decrease in water yield. The model estimated, for example, the annual average water yield of the river in 2018 as 1.98 × 1011 m3/year or 6273.4 m3/s, which is 1.3% lower than the reported value. The upper Meta River subbasin shows the highest NSE value (0.49), indicating a good result between observed and simulated water discharge. In contrast, the South Cravo River subbasin shows a negative NSE value of −1.29, indicating poor model performance. The Yucao River subbasin and the upper Casanare River subbasin also show lower NSE values compared to the upper Meta River subbasin, indicating less accurate model performance in these subbasins. The correlation coefficients in calibration (rcal) and validation (rval) for the upper Meta River, Yucao River, South Cravo River, and upper Casanare River subbasins were 0.79 and 0.83, 0.4 and 0.22, 0.5 and −0.25, and 0 and 0.18, respectively. These results provide useful insights into the limitations for the proper use of the InVEST–AWY model in Colombia. This study is the first to use the InVEST–AWY model on a large scale in the territory of Colombia, allowing to evaluate its effectiveness in hydrological modeling for water management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural disasters in Indonesia have become an annual cycle, an example is flooding. This study aims to determine the flood risk potential in the Mempawah watershed and the places likely to be flooded. The method used was a survey and interpretation of secondary data from topographic maps, Sentinel-2A images, and Digital Elevation Model images. Furthermore, the secondary data analysis used includes the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW). The result showed that the Mempawah watershed has high, medium, and low flood risk potential. Areas with high flood potential have an area of 1,511,967 ha, those with medium potential were 2,606,778 ha, and the places with low potential were 12,644,034 ha. The changes in class user's accuracy results reached 90.909%, while those with no change were 83.333%. It was also discovered that when the satellite analysis was > 70%, it was regarded as good. This means that the accuracy of the interpretation results and flood change detection approach was also good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suspension flow into the upstream of volcano watershed is sensitive to land use. In Indonesia, a settlement is a form of land use in several volcanic landscapes. There is currently no detailed study on the suspension flow sediment from the settlement land use. The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of the relationship between water and suspension flow discharge. The study was conducted through the measurements at a gully outlet that produced 747 suspension load data. For each rainfall event, suspension load measurements were made in the field, followed by laboratory analysis. Additionally, field surveys were used to determine the characteristics of settlement land use and the water flow into the gully system. According to the findings, the peak flow discharge corresponds to the peak suspension discharge, the peak flow discharge comes before the peak suspension discharge, and the peak flow discharge happens after the peak suspension discharge. The average time lag between initial rainfall events and suspension flow was 10.36 minutes, and the suspension peak content varied by an average of 2.22 gl-1. The grain size was also dominated by the clay fraction, averaging 67.86% on the ascending branch and 67.82% on the descending branch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land Use Land Cover (LULC) Change has emerged as a significant environmental issue and a worry for the sustainable use of natural resources. This study was performed to determine the rate in change of land cover and its significant impact on springs water in the Ritung Khola sub-watershed of Myagdi district, Nepal, between 2010 and 2020. This study analyzes LULC dynamics and it’s impact on springs water using satellite imageries (Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS) and focus group discussions with the inhabitants. We used Supervised Maximum Likelihood Classification algorithm to classify attributes of the LULC changes. The results demonstrated a significant change in LULC during those ten years (2010- 2020). The area covered by agricultural land and human settlements significantly increased by 313.54% and 367.14%, respectively. On the contrary, barren land, water bodies and forest cover have been reduced by 37.52%, 13.16% and 5.26%, respectively. The number of active springs followed decreasing trend as many of them were completely displaced or dried due to erosions and frequent landslides. The findings from this study are expected to facilitate the planning process adopted to prevent springs under the threat of extension and mitigate the water scarcity problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing reliable regional models to predict the maximum discharge of floods using characteristics of sub-basins has special importance in terms of flood management and designing hydraulic structures in basins that have no hydrometric station. The present study has tried to provide appropriate regional flood models using generalized linear models (GLMs) to estimate 2-, 10-, 50-, and 100-year maximum daily discharges of 62 sub-basins in Great-Karoon and Karkhe basins. According to the results, the sub-basins were categorized into four sub-regions based on some physiographic and climatic characteristics of the study sub-basins. The results showed that regional flood modeling was successful in all sub-regions except sub-region II, which includes very large basins (A̅≈17300 km2). The adjusted R2 of the best models in sub-regions I, III, and IV were estimated at around 82.4, 91.3, and 90.6 percent, and these models have a relative error (RRMSE) of around 9.5, 9.23, and 6.7 percent, respectively. Also, it was found that more frequent floods with 2- and 10-year return periods are influenced by properties such as basin’s length, perimeter, and area, while rare floods with 50- and 100-year return periods are mostly influenced by the river systems characteristics such as the main river length, total lengths of the river system, and slope of the main river. According to the research, it can be stated that the behavior of maximum daily discharges in the study area is extremely influenced by the different climatic and physiographic characteristics of the watersheds. Therefore, the maximum daily discharges can be estimated accurately at ungauged sites by appropriate modeling in gauged catchments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus is manually counted to estimate the yield. By using some innovative agricultural techniques yield and production can be increased. Numerous agricultural innovations have been introduced in recent years. Higher agricultural production, prediction, and reliable crop status information are more important than ever due to the expected growth of the human population. Agriculture has always been the foundation of human society. Current study was aimed to develop a reliable and meaningful information-gathering agricultural field based on image processing during 2020. Citrus yield can be increased in the initial stages by counting it with RGB and HSV-based images taken from an Android phone from various angles using machine learning techniques. Fertilizers such as potash, phosphorus, and nitrogen can then be utilized to boost yield. According to the findings, farmers can control and monitor citrus health production more efficiently and effectively by integrating machine learning with agriculture. The citrus calculation using the given technique compared with manually counted citrus, having difference of up to 5 to 10 citruses for a single plant per plot in a field. The proposed method produced excellent results under varying lighting conditions, leaf occlusion, and fruit overlap on photos taken at various distances from the orange trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, Pakistan has made considerable progress in reducing absolute poverty and improving shared prosperity, but most of the population remains poor or vulnerable. A key dimension of social vulnerability in South Asia is exposure to hydrological and meteorological hazards including storms, floods, and droughts. In this review, a questionnaire from the inhabitants to assess the adequacy of existing urban plans regarding reasonable improvement in Rawalpindi has been organized. In addition, by gathering the important secondary information from the concerned divisions, the planning specialists from Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Capital Development Authority (CDA), Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) Rawalpindi and the engineers of the plans were likewise met and their opinions discussed. Furthermore, utilizing SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) to break down the essential information and to draw deductions. Similarly, the urban sustainability index, a set of indicators based on environmental, social and economic parameters was selected for development. As the result, planning issues and problems in Rawalpindi were analyzed in five separate subjects: (1) Land use planning and policy, laws and regulations, (2) Urbanization and transport system, (3) Landuse Change and Its Impact on Watershed Hydrology, (4) Site planning techniques and (5) Social and environmental impact assessment. The mitigation measures and recommendations were suggested accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Rural Water & Hydropower is the property of China Rural Water & Hydropower Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ecohydrological (EH) models have been widely applied worldwide to investigate hydrological and environmental issues. One obstacle for EH model application in China is the input data preparation, especially the soil data. This study aims to develop two sets of methods respectively for soil data preprocessing with two different soil database sources (Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD) and domestic Chinese Soil Databases (CSD)) for a typical EH model of SWAT in China. With the two sets of developed methods, we have resulted two sets of SWAT soil datasets for the study region of a real Chinese landscape respectively. Both sets of methods with different database sources can be generalized for other landscapes in China. We further compare the two sets of methods to give suggestions for the selection of the two database sources when applying SWAT in Chinese landscapes. With HWSD, soil data preprocessing requires relatively less work, while there are relatively more soil types being resulted. With CSD, although soil data preprocessing require relatively more work and there are relatively less soil types, the attribute information for each soil type is more detailed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater provision is an ecosystem service usually offered by natural watersheds but threatened by anthropogenic degradation. Pollution reduced water supply and led to high socio-economic costs. This study examined water accessibility in three wards of Morogoro Municipality in Tanzania in terms of; household sources of water supply, availability, consumption, and spending. It involved primary data collected through household questionnaire survey, key informant interviews and observation, and secondary data from water supply authority and basin offices. Quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive techniques that involved computation of maximum and minimum values, means, and percentages; and qualitative data by content analysis technique. About 80% of study respondents were not connected to the public water supply networks, they depended on sources like boreholes, wells, rainwater, and streams. Water supply was insufficient and partly unaffordable during scarcity. The study findings were linked to the UNESCO IHP-IX framework to achieve water-related SDGs, to improve water provision efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excess nitrogen from intensive agricultural production, atmospheric N deposition, and urban point sources elevates stream nitrate concentrations, leading to problems of eutrophication and ecosystem degradation in coastal waters. A major emphasis of current US‐scale analysis of water quality is to better our understanding of the relationship between changes in anthropogenic N inputs within watersheds and subsequent changes in riverine N loads. While most water quality modeling assumes a positive linear correlation between watershed N inputs and riverine N, many efforts to reduce riverine N through improved nutrient management practices result in little or no short‐term improvements in water quality. Here, we use nitrate concentration and load data from 478 US watersheds, along with developed N input trajectories for these watersheds, to quantify time‐varying relationships between N inputs and riverine N export. Our results show substantial variations in watershed N import‐export relationships over time, with quantifiable hysteresis effects. Our results show that more population‐dense urban watersheds in the northeastern U.S. more frequently show clockwise hysteresis relationships between N imports and riverine N export, with accelerated improvements in water quality being achieved through the implementation of point‐source controls. In contrast, counterclockwise hysteresis dynamics are more common in agricultural watersheds, where time lags occur between the implementation of nutrient management practices and water‐quality improvements. Finally, we find higher tile‐drainage densities to be associated with more linear relationships between N inputs and riverine N. The empirical analysis in this study is bolstered by modeled simulations to reproduce and further explain drivers behind the hysteretic relationships commonly observed in the monitored watersheds. Plain Language Summary: For decades, efforts have been made to improve nutrient management, reduce riverine N loads, and improve water quality. While measurable improvements have been achieved in some watersheds, in others, elevated N loads have persisted. To better our understanding of the time‐varying relationships between anthropogenic N inputs to watersheds and riverine N export, we analyze long‐term monitoring data from more than 478 U.S. watersheds, together with watershed N input trajectories. Our analysis shows that in the 400 watersheds in which net N inputs have decreased or plateaued, 33% demonstrate lagged responses to these changes, and another 30% show no clear response. In contrast, approximately 24% of all watersheds exhibit accelerated improvements in water quality, with riverine N reductions actually outpacing reductions in N inputs. Bettering our understanding of the relationships between watershed N management and riverine N export across the U.S. allows us to identify water quality success stories and provides critical insight into effective management scenarios for impacted watersheds. Key Points: Relationships between watershed N inputs and riverine N export frequently change over time, with quantifiable hysteresis resultsAgricultural watersheds commonly exhibit lagged relationships between N inputs and riverine N export due to legacy N accumulation within the watershedMany urban watersheds in the northeastern U.S. are exhibiting accelerated improvements in water quality due to point‐source controls [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Mid-Atlantic coastal region is experiencing higher rates of SLR than the global average, especially in Hampton Roads, Virginia, where this acceleration is primarily driven by land subsidence. The adaptation plans for coastal flooding are generally developed at the municipal level, ignoring the broader spatial implications of flooding outside the individual administrative boundaries. Flood impact assessments at the watershed scale would provide a more holistic perspective on what is needed to synchronize the adaptation efforts between the neighboring administrative units. This paper evaluates flooding impacts from sea level rise (SLR) and storm surge among watersheds in Hampton Roads to identify those most at risk of coastal flooding over different time horizons. It also explores the implications of flooding on the municipalities, the land uses, and land covers throughout this region within the case study watershed. The 2% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) storm surge flood hazard data and NOAA's intermediate SLR projections were used to develop flooding scenarios for 2030, 2060, and 2090 and delineate land areas at risk of combined flooding. Findings show that five out of 98 watersheds will substantially increase in inundation, with two intersecting multiple municipalities. They also indicate significant inundation of military, commercial, and industrial land uses and wetland land covers. Flooding will also impact residential land use in urban areas along the Elizabeth River and Hampton city, supporting the need for collaborative adaptation planning on hydrologically influenced spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few decades, numerous countries have invested vast sums of money and resources in addressing the effects of climate change through adaptation and mitigation measures. Part of these actions, however, resulted in maladaptation. This research investigates the adaptation response to climate change that (potentially) becomes maladaptation for both upstream and downstream watershed communities. This research uses a watershed approach located in the Saddang watershed, one of Indonesia's priority watersheds. The primary data were obtained from observation and in-depth interviews with villagers directly affected by extreme weather (droughts and floods) occurred between 2009 and 2020. The examination of satellite imagery yielded secondary data that revealed changes in land cover, sedimentation, and river flow. This study reveals that by applying a watershed approach, forms of maladaptation are found in the upstream area and have detrimental effects not only on the area itself, but also to the downstream. The upstream deforestation occurring in the period was closely related to the adaptation responses (maladaptation) to the effects of a long drought, which is likely to form a vicious circle between adaptation and exacerbating the impacts of climate change in the coming years. In addition, upstream maladaptations make downstream areas more vulnerable: they divert and create new hazards, and therefore vulnerability of other groups, although some positive examples of adaptation are also found downstream. Programs labeled "climate resilience" with increased food security are applied in both upstream and downstream regions, triggering maladaptation that has a wider impact and illustrating the non-consolidation of adaptation actions that take into account a watershed as a distinct landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate variability is emerging as a major threat to Ethiopian pastoralists. Increased vulnerability to climate variability not only wrecked pastoralists' livelihoods but also eroded scarce resource management practices. The objective of this research was to investigate the status of pastoralists' vulnerability to climate variability in the Burkitu watershed in Southern Ethiopia. The Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) was used in the study to assess household vulnerability to climate variability through direct household surveys. To select 340 sample respondents, multistage sampling techniques were used. Data on socioeconomic and biophysical attributes were collected and combined into indices, from which vulnerability scores for each watershed unit were calculated. There was some variation in the level of vulnerability across watershed units. The outlet had a higher vulnerability score (0.73) due to the pastoralists' higher level of exposure and low adaptive capacity status. The upper watershed unit was identified as having a lower level of vulnerability with a score of (0.19), whereas the middle watershed unit has an intermediate level of vulnerability (0.44). Therefore, any interventions aimed at improving pastoralists' livelihood resilience should concentrate on addressing characteristics that exacerbate households' exposure to climate variability, thereby increasing adaptive capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tikrit Journal of Engineering Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Tikrit Journal of Engineering Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Water Conservancy Science & Techonlogy & Economy is the property of Water Conservancy Science & Technology & Economy Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Despite increasing wildfires, few studies have investigated seasonal water quality responses to wildfire characteristics (e.g., burn severity) across a large number of lakes. We monitored 30 total lakes (15 burned, 15 control) monthly following the Greenwood Fire in Minnesota, USA, a lake‐rich region with historically prevalent wildfire. We found increases in median concentrations of total nitrogen (68%), total phosphorus (70%), dissolved organic carbon (127%), total suspended solids (71%), and reduced water clarity (48%) and pH (0.45) in burned lakes. Post‐wildfire responses in drainage lakes were often persistent or cumulative throughout the open‐water season, compared to isolated lakes. Total phosphorus (TP) increased linearly with watershed high‐severity burns, and shoreline high‐severity burns explained more variation in TP than lake morphometry and watershed variables. Post‐wildfire chlorophyll‐a responses were nonsignificant and inconsistent, possibly due to light limitation. Our results suggest that increasing wildfires have significant potential to affect water quality of inland lakes.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widespread and highly persistent organic chemicals with adverse health effects. The US Environmental Protection Agency has issued health advisory limits of 70 ng/L for aqueous concentrations of PFOA + PFOS. In the Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA), metro area, the Widefield Aquifer (groundwater) and Fountain Creek Watershed (surface water) have been contaminated by PFAS from aqueous film-forming foams. Here we present the concentrations of selected linear and branched isomers of legacy PFAS found in surface water (n = 95), soil (n = 83), and sediment (n = 34) samples collected from several creeks of the Fountain Creek Watershed. Collected samples were prepared for high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) analysis via liquid/liquid extraction and/or solid phase extraction (SPE). This dataset includes the geographic locations of sampled creeks, LC/MS/MS instrumental conditions, method verification data including percent recovery to assess method accuracy and background contamination of PFAS in laboratory reagents and supplies, and determined concentrations of PFAS in water, soil, and sediment samples. These locations were surveyed monthly for a full year and provide a rich dataset to assess influence of sampling location, temporal variability in concentration, and overall contaminant persistence.

Abstract Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data can provide 3D structural information of objects and are ideal for extracting individual tree parameters, and individual tree segmentation (ITS) is a vital step for this purpose. Various ITS methods have been emerging from airborne LiDAR scanning (ALS) or unmanned aerial vehicle LiDAR scanning (ULS) data. Here, we propose a new individual tree segmentation method, which couples the classical and efficient watershed algorithm (WS) and the newly developed connection center evolution (CCE) clustering algorithm in pattern recognition. The CCE is first used in ITS and comprehensively optimized by considering tree structure and point cloud characteristics. Firstly, the amount of data is greatly reduced by mean shift voxelization. Then, the optimal clustering scale is automatically determined by the shapes in the projection of three different directions. We select five forest plots in Saihanba, China and 14 public plots in Alpine region, Europe with ULS or ALS point cloud densities from 11 to 3295 pts/m2. Eleven ITS methods were used for comparison. The accuracy of tree top detection and tree height extraction is estimated by five and two metrics, respectively. The results show that the matching rate (Rmatch) of tree tops is up to 0.92, the coefficient of determination (R2) of tree height estimation is up to .94, and the minimum root mean square error (RMSE) is 0.6 m. Our method outperforms the other methods especially in the broadleaf forests plot on slopes, where the five evaluation metrics for tree top detection outperformed the other algorithms by at least 11% on average. Our ITS method is both robust and efficient and has the potential to be used especially in coniferous forests to extract the structural parameters of individual trees for forest management, carbon stock estimation, and habitat mapping.

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) inputs can have detrimental environmental effects, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of the nitrogen budget (NB) and its spatial correlation with the water quality. This study, utilizing a 2016 dataset, scrutinized 850 subwatersheds with diverse land covers across the Republic of Korea (ROK). Employing Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), it examined the spatial correlations between the NBs and the quality of the groundwater and river water at the watershed scale. Robust correlations (R2 = 0.87) were observed between the groundwater quality and NBs, surpassing those of the surface water (R2 = 0.48). Sensitivity analyses highlighted the importance of high-resolution spatial data in capturing nuances within complex land covers. The integration of such data led to increases in the spatial correlations between the groundwater and river water quality of approximately 0.6–0.9 and 0.3–0.5, respectively. Notably, when the agricultural land cover exceeded 10%, significant enhancements in the spatial correlations were observed, emphasizing the pivotal role of agriculture in nutrient and water quality. At a 10% cropland ratio, the spatial correlations between the watershed-scale NBs and river/groundwater quality increased by approximately 76% and 501%, respectively. This study provides novel insights into the spatial relationships among NBs, water quality, and land use, highlighting the significance of high-resolution data and the impact of agricultural practices on watershed management. These findings contribute valuable information for developing strategies to mitigate nitrogen pollution.

Soils have an important task in maintaining vegetation cover and natural resources on Earth and are indispensable to societies. However, the accelerated soil erosion has become an environmental problem related to land settlement for agricultural practices and forestry and is linked to population growth. This study aimed to evaluate soil erosion in a watershed downstream of Parnaíba river, northwest of Piauí state, in the Brazilian Cerrado using geotechnology products and tools in order to understand the soil loss and map the potential erosion and actual erosion through qualitative and quantitative results to support the management and planning of the watershed in an effective and efficient way. As a modeling tool, this research used the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The potential erosion ranged from very low to very high. The soil loss obtained by the integration of natural physical factors with land use (anthropic action) resulted in soil loss corresponding to the category slight (0–0.01 t.ha−1.year−1) to extremely high (>100 t.ha−1.year−1). The areas with the greatest soil loss were identified in land uses linked to pasture, exposed soil, and cultivated land. It was also possible to identify erosion features in the field, indicating the need to implement soil conservation practices.

The hydrological cycle is strongly affected by climate changes causing extreme weather events with long drought periods and heavy rainfall events. To predict the hydrological functioning of Tunisian catchments, modelling is an essential tool to estimate the consequences on water resources and to test the sustainability of the different land uses. Soil physical properties describing water flow are essential to feed the models and must therefore be determined all over the watershed. A simple but robust ring infiltration method combined with particle size distribution (PSD) analysis (BEST method) was used to evaluate and derive the retention properties and the hydraulic conductivities. Physically based and statistical pedotransfer functions based on PSD were compared to test their potential use for different types of Tunisian soils. The functional sensitivity of these parameters was assessed by employing the Hydrus-1D software (PC Progress, Prague, Czech Republic) for water balance computations. This evaluation process involved testing the responsiveness and accuracy of the parameters in simulating various water balance components within the model. The evaluation of soil hydraulic parameters across the three used models highlighted significant variations, demonstrating distinct characteristics in each model. While notable differences were evident overall, intriguing similarities emerged, particularly regarding saturated hydraulic conductivity between BEST and Rosetta, and the shape parameter (n) between Arya–Paris and Rosetta. These parallels indicate shared hydraulic properties among the models, underscoring areas of agreement amid their diverse results. Significant differences were shown for scale parameter α for the various methods employed. Marginal differences in evaporation and drainage were observed between the BEST and Arya–Paris methods, with Rosetta distinctly highlighting a disparity between physically based models and statistical models.

Streamflow droughts are receiving increased attention worldwide due to their impact on the environment and economy. One region of concern is the Midwestern United States, whose agricultural productivity depends on subsurface pipes known as tile drains to improve trafficability and soil conditions for crop growth. Tile drains accomplish this by rapidly transporting surplus soil moisture and shallow groundwater from fields, resulting in reduced watershed storage. However, no work has previously examined the connection between tile drainage and streamflow drought. Here, we pose the question: does the extent of watershed-level tile drainage lead to an increased susceptibly and magnitude of streamflow droughts? To answer this, we use daily streamflow data for 122 watersheds throughout the Midwestern United States to quantify streamflow drought duration, frequency, and intensity. Using spatial multiple regression models, we find that agricultural tile drainage generates statistically significant ( p < 0.05) increases in streamflow drought duration and intensity while significantly reducing drought frequency. The magnitude of the effect of tile drainage on streamflow drought characteristics is similar to that of water table depth and precipitation seasonality, both of which are known to influence streamflow droughts. Furthermore, projected changes in regional precipitation characteristics will likely drive the installation of additional tile drainage. We find that for each 10% increase in tile-drained watershed area, streamflow drought duration and intensity increase by 0.03 d and 12%, respectively, while frequency decreases by 0.10 events/year. Such increases in tile drainage may lead to more severe streamflow droughts and have a detrimental effect on the socio-environmental usage of streams throughout the Midwest.

The aim of this study was to assess positive or negative impacts of anaerobic digestion (AD) on water quality using a systemic approach. To this end, we used the agro-hydrological model Topography-based Nitrogen Transfer and Transformation (TNT2), a spatially explicit model that simulates nitrogen and water flows at the watershed scale on a daily time step. Four scenarios were constructed and analyzed: a baseline before the introduction of AD (S0), AD with adjusted fertilization (S1), AD with unadjusted fertilization (S2), and agroecological AD (S3). The results showed that, when spreading practices were similar and an equivalent amount of effective nitrogen was applied, digested pig slurry generally had a predicted amount of nitrate leaching similar to that of undigested pig slurry. In addition, replacing catch crops with energy cover crops had little impact on water quality. Scenario S3 was the most favorable one for water quality and biogas production, but not for soil organic nitrogen storage and food and feed production. This study’s strength is its systemic approach, which considered both environmental and agronomic aspects to assess the scenarios.

Soil erosion poses a significant environmental challenge in the Oued Beht watershed, Morocco, impacting local ecosystems and water quality. This study investigates the causes and effects of soil erosion in this region, utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and field techniques to analyze land use changes, agricultural practices, soil properties, and precipitation patterns. The findings establish a clear link between soil degradation and declining water quality in nearby aquatic environments. Major contributors to soil erosion include intensive agriculture, climate change, deforestation, vegetation degradation, and steep terrain. To predict future erosion rates, models were used, emphasizing the need for proactive management strategies. To address these issues, the study suggests implementing sustainable agricultural practices and soil conservation measures like agroforestry, vegetative buffer strips, and slope management. These measures can effectively reduce soil erosion and its adverse effects on water quality. The study underscores the importance of integrated management approaches to preserve biodiversity and soil fertility in the region. The findings provide crucial information for policymakers to adopt sustainable land conservation and management policies, ensuring the protection of aquatic ecosystems and environmental sustainability in the Oued Beht watershed.