Abstract
The streamflow elasticity concept based on the Budyko framework is widely used in hydrological impact assessment studies. However, in landscapes transformed by human activities, identification of climate contributions to runoff change is difficult due to changing surface properties of river basins. Here, a method is proposed to quantify the effects of changing vegetation cover and included them in the calculus. The simplified scheme to incorporate improved evapotranspiration estimates into the streamflow elasticity framework is introduced and named as “SSII-Evap” method. SSII-Evap allows for calculating runoff changes induced by climate taking into account: 1) changes in two climatic variables (precipitation and potential evapotranspiration) and 2) changes in land surface conditions responsible for varying actual evapotranspiration. The six-step procedure provides a focused guide for enhancing the original method.•The SSII-Evap method introduces a bias correction to the original bivariate framework of streamflow elasticity to climate change.•In contrast to the original method, SSII-Evap accounts for the influence of vegetation changes on actual evapotranspiration that is estimated from satellite-derived data.•The elaborated customization is helpful for discriminating between climatic and human induced changes in mean annual runoff and is applicable to heavily modified river basins.
Highlights
In contrast to the original method, SSII-Evap accounts for the influence of vegetation changes on actual evapotranspiration that is estimated from satellite-derived data
The main objective is to include the effect of long-term changes in vegetation on mean annual runoff, and to isolate them from other temporally variable properties of a river basin
Satellite-derived evapotranspiration estimates are assimilated into the calculus for adjusting the contribution of a varying climate to runoff change
Summary
The SSII-Evap method introduces a bias correction to the original bivariate framework of streamflow elasticity to climate change. In contrast to the original method, SSII-Evap accounts for the influence of vegetation changes on actual evapotranspiration that is estimated from satellite-derived data. The SSII-Evap method helps to discriminate between climatic and human-induced changes to mean annual runoff.
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