| Title: | Modelling the hydrologic response of a mesoscale Andean watershed to changes in land use patterns for environmental planning |
| Authors: | Stehr, A., M. Aguayo, O. Link, O. Parra, F. Romero and H. Alcayaga |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Journal: | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| Volume (Issue): | 14 |
| Pages: | 1963-1977 |
| Article ID: | |
| DOI: | 10.5194/hess-14-1963-2010 |
| URL (non-DOI journals): | |
| Model: | SWAT |
| Broad Application Category: | hydrologic only |
| Primary Application Category: | land use change |
| Secondary Application Category: | hydrologic assessment |
| Watershed Description: | 9340 km^2 Vergara River in south central Chile |
| Calibration Summary: | |
| Validation Summary: | |
| General Comments: | |
| Abstract: | A multidisciplinary approach is followed for analysis
of the effect of changes in land use patterns on the hydrologic
response of the Vergara watershed (4340 km^2) located
in central Chile. Probable future land use scenarios were generated
using heuristic rules and logistic regression models, in
order to identify and represent the main pressure on the watershed,
namely forestation of extensive areas used for agriculture
with rapid growing exotic species. The hydrologic
response of the watershed was computed with a physically
based distributed precipitation-runoff model, which was calibrated
and validated for the current period. Results show that
mean annual discharge increase with agricultural land use
and diminish with introduced forest coverage. Thus, forestation
of areas with introduced species like Pinus radiata and
Eucalyptus globulus might be regulated in order to protect
the water resources of the watershed. |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | |