Effects Of Land Cover Change Research Articles

Automatization and evaluation of a remote sensing-based indicator for wetland health assessment in East Africa on national and local scales

To avoid wetland degradation and promote sustainable wetlands use, decision-makers and managing institutions need quantified and spatially explicit information on wetland ecosystem condition for policy development and wetland management. Remote sensing holds a significant potential for wetland mapping, inventorying, and monitoring. The Wetland Use Intensity (WUI) indicator, which is not specific to a particular crop and which requires little ancillary data, is based on the Mean Absolute Spectral Dynamics (MASD), which is a cumulative measure of reflectance change across a time series of optical satellite images. It is sensitive to the compound effects of land cover changes caused by different agricultural practices, flooding or burning. The more frequent and intrusive management practices are on the land cover, the stronger the WUI signal. WUI thus serves as a surrogate indicator to measure pressure on wetland ecosystems.We developed a new and automated approach for WUI calculation that is implemented in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing environment. Its automatic calculation, use of regular Sentinel-2 derived time series, and automatic cloud and cloud shadow masking renders WUI applicable for wetland management and produces high quality results with minimal user requirements, even under cloudy conditions. For the first time, we quantitatively tested the capacity of WUI to contribute to wetland health assessment in Rwanda on the national and local scale. On the national scale, we analyzed the discriminative power of WUI between different wetland management categories. On the local scale, we evaluated the possible contribution of WUI to a wetland ecosystem health scoring system. The results suggest that the adapted WUI indicator is informative, does not overlap with existing indicators, and is applicable for wetland management. The possibility to measure use intensity reliably and consistently over time with satellite data is useful to stakeholders in wetland management and wetland health monitoring, and can complement established field-based wetland health assessment frameworks.

Assessing and monitoring the effects of land cover changes in biodiversity. Case study: Mediterranean coastal region, Sousse, Tunisia

In the Mediterranean regions, habitat degradation, alteration, and even destruction were major causes of the rarefaction of species in their natural environment. In the last decade, these phenomena are further amplified by the reduction of natural vegetation cover, urban sprawl, and climate change. In addition, the degradation of plant cover through cropping, and intensive agricultural practices causes soil erosion, habitat destruction, and loss of biodiversity. While to reduce these risks, it is necessary to assess and monitor Land Use Land Cover changes that will be crucial information for managing natural resources and guiding decision-making processes in their development plans. This is the case of a Mediterranean coastal region, Sousse, Tunisia which is characterized by its landscape diversity and the richness enhanced by the coastal and marine fauna and flora. The methodology is based on the use of Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System where different tools and functions have been employed such as Maximum Likelihood classification validated with field truth, thematic changes using classification change matrix, etc.The establishment of a multi-scalar landscape approach revealed changes in land use on a regional scale between 2007 and 2017. The landscape of Sousse region has been strongly modified by the action of Man where we note a significant growth of built-up areas and a regression of cultivated areas.From 11.84 % to 14.14 %, and from 28.83 % to 21.70 %; respectively. Hence, the growing risk of fragmentation of natural habitats, forests and agricultural areas.The development plan proposed in favor of biodiversity conservation offers a concrete example and can be useful for developing appropriate land use policy for sustainable region in Tunisia and similar Mediterranean regions. This is an essential study for all land use planning proposals as a guide to landscape conservation, enhancement and protection.

Rapid urbanization and global warming significantly impact tidal dynamics in the Pearl River Estuary, China

Due to the dual impacts of anthropogenic disturbances and climate change, tidal hydrodynamics of estuaries have been intensively investigated for their potential to increase flood risk and devastate coastal habitats and human communities. Climate change leads to rises in sea levels, which can amplify regional tides and increase tidal ranges. This study takes the estuarine area of the Pearl River (PRE), one of the fastest-developed estuaries in China, as an example to explore the effects of land cover changes and sea level rise on tidal dynamics. Annual mean tidal levels were collected at 26 major hydrological stations from five major rivers/waterways. To better understand the temporal changes in tidal levels, we analyzed the trends and periodic patterns through linear regression and Complex Morlet wavelet analyses. For the main Pearl River outlet, where conversion of agricultural land to urban use had been primarily taking place, the tidal level changes were significantly affected by increased built-up areas and decreased cultivated land areas. On the other hand, in the middle to upper reaches of the Xi River and Shunde-Hengmen Waterway, we observed decreased tidal levels with decreases in the agricultural lands. No significant correlations were found between annual mean tidal levels and land cover changes downstream of the main rivers. Instead, the tidal level changes at locations close to the coastline were more related to sea level rise, with an average of 0.002 m per year increase. This study highlighted the importance of human activity and sea level rise impacts on tidal dynamics. A systematic understanding of the tidal changes in the estuary is expected to help enhance mechanisms of estuarine hydrology, which could serve as the basis for improving the management and practice of coastal regions in coping with climate change and estuary protection.

Effects of Land Cover Change and Deforestation on Rainfall and Surface Temperature in New Capital City of Indonesia

Land cover change and deforestation have a significant impact on climate change. This study investigates the effect of land cover change and deforestation on surface temperatures and extreme rainfall in the New Capital City of Indonesia (IKN), particularly in Samboja and Sepaku Subdistricts, East Kalimantan Province. Land cover change and deforestation were analyzed from Landsat 5 TM, 7 ETM+, and 8 OLI satellite data during 2001-2020. Land cover is divided into four classes: built-up land, water bodies, vegetation, and agricultural area. Rainfall data were obtained from the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) version 6 satellite, and extreme temperatures were taken from fifth-generation ECMWF reanalysis (ERA5) data. A significant decrease in vegetated land area is observed every year, followed by an increase in residential land and buildings (built-up area) and agricultural land. The highest rate of increase was observed in the area of ​​agricultural land. Such change is correlated with an increase in surface temperature in the IKN. The strongest correlation is shown by increased built-up area and agricultural land. The relationship between rainfall and land cover is weak, and the body of water shows a relatively strong relationship. The extreme number of very wet days (R95p), ​​consecutive dry days (CDD), and max 1-day precipitation (RX1day) rain index showed a decreasing trend during 2001-2020. However, the consecutive wet days (CWDs) index showed an increase. This needs to be a concern because consecutive precipitation extremes may cause more catastrophability than occasional extreme events.

Assessment of long-term land use and land cover change effects on soil erosion and soil organic carbon stock in humid ecosystem condition

This study examined the consequences of land use and cover (LULC) changes on soil erosion and soil organic carbon in the Ünye district of Ordu province in the Central Black Sea Region where humid conditions prevailed in 1999, 2009, and 2019. GIS-based Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) modeling approach, geostatistics and remote sensing techniques were employed in the study. According to the results considering the long years in the study area, the most relative change among LULC species was hazelnut fields with an increase of 167%. In this process, it has been determined that there are few spatial changes that occurred in artificial areas and pasture lands. In addition, in the classes of soil erosion rates defined by RUSLE, the areas classified as Very Low–Low (< 5 tons ha−1 year−1) for many years inhabit the largest area in the study area. The loss in the amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) is determined to have occurred mostly in areas with Very Low and Low erosion rates. However, it has been determined that SOC loss ensues in areas with Very High (> 20 tons ha−1 year−1) erosion rates, albeit slightly. Therefore, even in the areas with very slight erosion, soil conservation practices should be expanded to secure the long-term sustainability of the production system, especially in agriculture and hazelnut areas.

Flood Vulnerability Evaluation and Prediction Using Multi-temporal Data: A Case in Tangerang, Indonesia

Land-use change has an impact on growing physical flood vulnerability. Geographic Information System (GIS) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) approaches are increasingly being used for flood vulnerability assessments. However, none has used time-series land cover data for evaluation and rainfall over various return periods for prediction simultaneously, especially in Indonesia. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate and predict physical flood vulnerability using time-series land cover data and rainfall data over various return periods. Eight criteria were considered in the assessment: elevation, topographic wetness index, slope, distance to the river, distance downstream, soil type, rainfall, and land cover. The criteria weights were determined using the AHP method based on expert judgment. The multi-criteria model was built and validated using flood inundation data. Based on the validated model, the effect of land cover changes on flood vulnerability was evaluated. The flood vulnerability changes were also predicted based on rainfall over various return periods. The evaluation and prediction models have shown reliable findings. The criterion elevation and distance to the river significantly influenced the physical flood vulnerability by 41% and 20%. The evaluation model showed a strong correlation between the built-up area and the area with high flood vulnerability (r2 = 0.96). Furthermore, the model predicted an inundation area expansion for rainfall over various return periods. Further research using spatial data with higher resolution and more advanced validation techniques is needed to improve the model accuracy.

The effect of land cover changes on the 2021 flood in the Barito watershed, South Kalimantan

Floods that occurred in early 2021 in the Barito watershed, South Kalimantan Province, were reported as a result of land cover changes that caused land degradation. This research is a literature study and aims to see how much land cover changes influenced the flood events. The method used is to overlap land cover maps and land system maps and add maximum rainfall data obtained from CHIRPS satellite data. The results showed that the rain that occurred in January 2021 was classified as very heavy and above the daily maximum average rain; therefore, it became flooding. When comparing the 1990 land cover to 2019, there has been a change in land cover within the Barito watershed. Forest land areas decreased, especially primary mangrove forest (92.1%), primary swamp forest (64.6%), and primary swamp forest (64.6%). On the other hand, the plantation areas increased by 1,113.3%. These changes resulted in a shift in the flood potential vulnerability, from moderately vulnerable into vulnerable, which occurred in 8 out of 10 districts in South Kalimantan that were flooded. Meanwhile, from the land system itself, three sub-districts almost 100% are floodplains, two sub-districts are more than 50% of the areas are floodplains, and all them are inundated during the January 2021 flood.

Spatio-temporal variations of land surface temperature using Landsat and MODIS: case study of the City of Tshwane, South Africa

Urbanisation is accelerating urban land use dynamics and this has a significant impact on land surface temperature (LST). Impervious surfaces and increase in air pollution has led to the increase in land surface temperature. This study reports on the use of geospatial technologies to monitor and quantify changes in LST using remotely sensed data in the City of Tshwane. Land surface temperature was retrieved using the winter and summer Landsat datasets for 1997 and 2015 and the MODIS data from 2000 to 2015. Land surface temperature was extracted using emissivity and satellite temperature as input parameters. The spatial and temporal variations in the LST were retrieved to show the effects of land cover change on LST. Change in LST was also analysed on different land cover types using transects across the study area. The study revealed an increase in land surface temperature between the years. It also showed that impervious surfaces had a higher LST compared to the non-impervious surfaces. The results revealed variations in LST between non-cropped and cropped agricultural areas, where the former had higher LST than the latter. Temporal trends revealed a notable increase in LST in the urban areas and there were some seasonal variations in LST with high LST values in summer and low values in winter. Cross-section analysis along transects revealed spatio-temporal thermal variations across different land cover types.

Predicting Potential Change in Land Cover and Its Effect on the Temperature of the Land Surface: A Case Study of Khulna City Corporation, Bangladesh

Khulna City Corporation (KCC) has undergone rapid urban development and expansion in recent times. These changes, including the change in land surface temperature (LST) throughout the area, have significant long-term effects. This research analysed the effects of land cover changes on KCC’s LST. By using the maximum likelihood classification method, Landsat imagery investigation identified the land cover chart and determined the LST for the years 1999, 2009 and 2019. It was modelled for the simulation of land cover for the year 2029 by using the classification results and applying the multi-layer perceptron Markov (MLPM) models together. It then also modelled the LST for the year 2029 by using three thematic indices and multiple regression analysis. As a result, the KCC urban area grew by 49% between 1999 and 2019. Simulation results have shown that the KCC could possibly experience a temperature range of more than or equal to 26°C in 2029 if the recent pattern persists. For KCC, the average LST for the urban area is projected to be 27°C in 2029. The scenario shown in this article will assist urban planners in quantifying the impact of various LST change-related issues and, thus, in preparing proper strategic measures.

Is forest location more important than forest fragmentation for flood regulation?

Native forest deforestation has been identified as one of the main land cover changes affecting flood risk specially during small and moderate storm events. In this regard, forest protection and reforestation are considered a nature-based solution (NbS) for flood regulation. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the effects of different deforestation spatial patterns over floods. Effects of land cover changes on floods in a humid tropical basin within the Ecuadorian Amazon are assessed distinguishing forest location and forest fragmentation. The hydrological distributed model TETIS was applied to simulate the hydrological response of a basin to extreme storms having return periods of 1, 10 and 100 years, considering five land cover scenarios. The model was calibrated and validated using nine storm samples collected at a gauge station during the years 2018 and 2020. The simulated overland flow in hillslopes and stormflows within the river channel were analyzed to i) assess the statistical differences among all land use scenarios with the Kruskal-Wallis test; ii) assess the statistical differences among pairs of both location and fragmentation scenarios through the post-hoc evaluation Dunn test; iii) assess the statistical differences in relation to the baseline. Obtained results indicate that stormflow is less sensitive than overland flow to land cover changes. Forest location have more influence than forest fragmentation over both, overland flow and storm flows. Deforestation of the upper basin represents the worst scenario for flood regulation, thus protection of existing forest, as well as reforestation of deforested areas located in the upper watersheds is a priority for flood risk mitigation and forest conservation. The results enhance our understanding of ecosystem services provided by tropical Andean foothills forests.

Land Cover Change Effects on Stormflow Characteristics across Broad Hydroclimate Representative Urban Watersheds in the United States

Urban development alters stormflow characteristics and is associated with increasing flood risks. The long-term evaluation of stormflow characteristics that exacerbate floods, such as peak stormflow and time-to-peak stormflow at varying levels of urbanization across different hydroclimates, is limited. This study investigated the long-term (1980s to 2010s) effects of increasing urbanization on key stormflow characteristics using observed 15 min streamflow data across six broad hydroclimate representative urban watersheds in the conterminous United States. The results indicate upward trends in peak stormflow and downward trends in time-to-peak stormflow at four out of six watersheds. The watershed in the Great Plains region had the largest annual increasing (decreasing) percent change in peak stormflow (time-to-peak stormflow). With the current change rates, peak stormflow in the Great Plains region watershed is expected to increase by 55.4% and have a 2.71 h faster time-to-peak stormflow in the next decade.

History of Land Cover Change on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos

Islands are particularly vulnerable to the effects of land cover change due to their limited size and remoteness. This study analyzes vegetation cover change in the agricultural area of Santa Cruz (Galapagos Archipelago) between 1961 and 2018. To reconstruct multitemporal land cover change from existing land cover products, a multisource data integration procedure was followed to reduce imprecision and inconsistencies that may result from the comparison of heterogeneous datasets. The conversion of native forests and grasslands into agricultural land was the principal land cover change in the non-protected area. In 1961, about 94% of the non-protected area was still covered by native vegetation, whereas this had decreased to only 7% in 2018. Most of the agricultural expansion took place in the 1960s and 1970s, and it created an anthropogenic landscape where 67% of the area is covered by agricultural land and 26% by invasive species. Early clearance of native vegetation took place in the more accessible—less rugged—areas with deeper-than-average and well-drained soils. The first wave of settlement consisted of large and isolated farmsteads, with 19% of the farms being larger than 100 ha and specializing in diary and meat production. Over the period of 1961–1987, the number of farms doubled from less than 100 to more than 200, while the average farm size decreased from 90 to 60 ha/farmstead. Due to labor constraints in the agricultural sector, these farms opted for less labor-intensive activities such as livestock farming. New farms (popping up in the 1990s and 2000s) are generally small in size, with &lt;5 ha per farmstead, and settled in areas with less favorable biophysical conditions and lower accessibility to markets. From the 1990s onwards, the surge of alternative income opportunities in the tourism and travel-related sector reduced pressure on the natural resources in the non-protected area.

Empirical measure of cultural sustainability

In developing countries like Ghana, there is an urgency for focusing development on social, environmental and economic issues without a critical assessment of the sustainability of culture which is undergoing acculturation and assimilation. This limited focus is because of the non-existence of a clear measure for cultural sustainability. Consequently, this study sought to develop a measure for cultural sustainability by using the Ga/Dangme culture of Ghana as a reference since it has been one of the most threatened cultures from pre-colonisation to the present. The study employed a questionnaire for data collection and adopted exploratory, confirmatory, compositing and path analysis techniques to measure and assess the interaction between the indicators of cultural sustainability and spatial techniques to assess the effects of land cover change on cultural sustainability. Areas with high land cover change saw high cultural change which negatively affected all the seven indicators of cultural sustainability. Locality negatively affected diversity and eco-cultural resilience. High diversity was observed because of chieftaincy disputes which affected the eco-cultural civilisation of the younger generation. The Ghana Cultural Commission and the Ga/Dangme Traditional Council should, therefore, embark on programs to stimulate vitality and resolve chieftaincy disputes to promote the eco-cultural civilisation of the Ga/Dangme for a sustainable culture.

Impact Assessment of Changing Landcover on Flood Risk in the Indus River Basin Using the Rainfall–Runoff–Inundation (RRI)

Flooding is frequent in the province of Punjab, Pakistan, because the Indus River is a confluence point of five rivers. Researchers have primarily focused on the northern parts of the Indus basin and they have reported on simulation models that can be applied to the evaluation of flood risk. However, the inundation risks in the southern parts of the basin, including the impact of urbanization in this region, require a further assessment. The severity of flood disasters in the upper and lower reaches of the Indus basin are equally important because flash floods and riverine flooding pose a threat to densely populated areas. In this work, we aim to simulate flooding and the effects of landcover changes on inundation in the upper and lower Indus basin. Inundation was determined using the Rainfall–Runoff–Inundation (RRI) model with rainfall data from the monsoon season (00:00 UTC 1 July 2015–00:00 UTC 1 September 2015) as the input. After validating the model, sensitivity experiments were conducted to analyze the effect of landcover changes on the inundation of the Indus basin. The RRI model results showed that planting in the bare and vegetated areas led to minimum inundation in the Indus basin. Based on these results, planting between the Indus River and Chenab River could prevent flood disasters downstream of the confluence point as the discharge values reduced from 15,695.2 m3/s to 12,078.3 m3/s and 4373.7 m3/s to 2934.6 m3/s in the Indus River and Chenab River, respectively, before the confluence point. In contrast, urbanization in Punjab increased the risk of inundation after the confluence point caused by an increased discharge from 12,078.3 m3/s to 14,190.4 m3/s and 2934.6 m3/s to 4229.5 m3/s in the Indus River and Chenab River, respectively, before the confluence point.

The importance of continental evaporation for precipitation in Colombia: A baseline combining observations from stable isotopes and modelling moisture trajectories

AbstractThe hydroclimatology of Northern South America responds to the coupling between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, the Amazon–Andes interactions, and the orographic barrier of the regional Andes. The relative contributions of oceanic and terrestrial moisture sources have been mostly evaluated in modelling studies, with limited observational data for validation. We combine observations from stable isotopes in precipitation and output from the Lagrangian moisture trajectory tracking model FLEXPART to characterize and contrast the relative contribution of oceanic (from the Atlantic and the Pacific) and terrestrial (from different regions in the continent) moisture sources to mean monthly precipitation in the Andes and Caribbean regions of Colombia. Our results indicate that most moisture becoming rain in the region has an atmospheric residence time that deviates from commonly assumed 10 days. These residence times vary between source and sink regions from 1 day in the case of recycling to more than 10 days in Andean precipitation originating in the Atlantic Ocean. Common integration times for both regions from all sources are commonly in the order of three to 7 days. Most precipitation in the region comes from terrestrial sources including moisture recycling from the same region (&gt;30% for all months), the Orinoco River basin (up to 28% in April), and the northern Amazon basin (up to 17% in June, July, and August); followed by individually considered oceanic sources including the Tropical South Pacific (up to 30% monthly in October, November and December) and Tropical North Atlantic (up to 30% monthly for January). The fact that a significant proportion of rainfall is recycled highlights that water availability in the Andean and Caribbean regions of Colombia could potentially be altered by current widespread and pervasive changes in vegetation cover. More generally, our results highlight the need to assess the hydrological consequences of land cover change in South America, particularly in a country like Colombia where water, food, and energy security all depend directly on precipitation.

Statistical Attribution of the Influence of Urban and Tree Cover Change on Streamflow: A Comparison of Large Sample Statistical Approaches

AbstractThe strengths and weaknesses of different statistical methodologies for attributing changes in streamflow to land cover are still poorly understood. We examine the relationships between high (Q99), mean (Qmean), and low (Q01) streamflow and urbanization or tree cover change in 729 catchments in the United States between 1992 and 2018. We apply two statistical modeling approaches and compare their performance. Panel regression models estimate the average effect of land cover changes on streamflow across all sites, and show that on average, a 1%‐point increase in catchment urban area results in a small (0.6%–0.7%), but highly significant increase in mean and high flows. Meanwhile, a 1%‐point increase in tree cover does not correspond to strongly significant changes in flow. We also fit a generalized linear model to each individual site, which results in highly varied model coefficients. The medians of the single‐site coefficients show no significant relationships between either urbanization or tree cover change and any streamflow quantile (although at individual sites, the coefficients may be statistically significant and positive or negative). On the other hand, the GLM coefficients may provide greater nuance in catchments with specific attributes. This variation is not well represented through the panel model estimates of average effect, unless moderators are carefully considered. We highlight the value of statistical approaches for large‐sample attribution of hydrological change, while cautioning that considerable variability exists.

Effect of land cover change and elevation on decadal trend of land surface temperature: a linear model with sum contrast analysis

Effect of land cover change and elevation on decadal trend of land surface temperature: a linear model with sum contrast analysis

Influence of land cover change on spatio-temporal distribution of urban heat island —a case in Wuhan main urban area

In this study, the relationship between land cover (LC) characteristics and urban heat island (UHI) intensity in the main urban area of Wuhan City are investigated. The effects of LC change on green space and land surface temperature (LST) was investigated, along with the relationship among LST, LC, and normalised differential vegetation index (NDVI). The land was divided into five categories, namely, built-up area, agricultural land, water, forest, and bare land. LST was determined using the infrared band image from the same period. The area of built-up areas accounted for only 32.81% in 2007, and it increased to 46.01% in 2020, while agricultural land decreased by 12.14%, which is the primary reason for the increase in built-up areas. The average LST in the study area increased from 25.92℃ to 31.71℃, and the range of LST moved forward to high-temperature range. The high-temperature areas (>32℃) expanded from point distribution to plane distribution and its expansion direction was consistent with the urbanisation direction. The water and forest have the strongest mitigation capacity for UHI and should be protected. Urban managers should avoid the increase of bare land due to the degradation of agricultural land and forest because the increase in LST caused by this type of LC change is obvious. LST was negatively correlated with NDVI, indicating that fewer vegetation resulted in higher LST.

Effects of Land Cover Changes on Compound Extremes over West Africa Using the Regional Climate Model RegCM4

This study aims to characterize the impacts of the Sahel–Sahara interface reforestation on compound extremes in the Sahel region during the West African monsoon season (June–July–August–September, JJAS). For this purpose, we performed a simulation with the standard version of the RegCM4 model, and another simulation with the altered version of the same model, taking into account the incorporated forest. Results show that reforestation may strongly influence the frequency of individual extreme events (dry and warm days) by decreasing them over and off the reforested zone. The reduction in these extreme dry and warm days may be due partly to the strengthening of the atmospheric moisture content over most parts of the West African domain and the weakening of the sensible heat flux south of 16° N. The analysis also shows an increase in extreme wet days over and off the reforested zone, which could be associated partly with the strengthening of evapotranspiration over most parts of the West African domain, including the reforested area. The analysis of compound extremes shows a strong occurrence of the compound dry/warm mode over the northern Sahel for both runs, probably due to the weak precipitation recorded in this zone. Both experiments also simulated a strong compound wet/warm mode occurrence over the Sahel due to a high rainfall occurrence over this region. When comparing both runs, the impact of the reforestation was to decrease (increase) the compound extreme dry/warm (wet/warm) mode over the reforested zone. The dry/warm mode decrease is consistent with that of individual extreme dry and warm days, while the compound wet/warm mode increase may be driven by that of the extreme wet days. Finally, when considering the seasonal cycle, the dry/warm mode exhibits a more substantial decrease in the beginning (June–July, JJ) than during the peak of the West African summer monsoon season (August–September, AS). Moreover, reforestation similarly affects the compound wet/warm mode in JJ and AS by increasing it in the reforested region and decreasing it over the Southern Sahel (south of 15° N). This work suggests that reforestation may be a good solution for West African policymakers to mitigate climate change over the region and to develop better strategies for water resource management.

Analyzing the Effects of Land Cover Change on the Water Balance for Case Study Watersheds in Different Forested Ecosystems in the USA

We analyzed impacts of interannual disturbance on the water balance of watersheds in different forested ecosystem case studies across the United States from 1985 to 2016 using a remotely sensed long-term land cover monitoring record (U.S. Geological Survey Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP) Collection 1.0 Science products), gridded precipitation and evaporation data, and streamgaging data using paired watersheds (high and low disturbance). LCMAP products were used to quantify the timing and degree of interannual disturbance and to gain a better understanding of how land cover change affects the water balance of disturbed watersheds. In this paper, we present how LCMAP science products can be used to improve knowledge for hydrologic modeling, climate research, and forest management. Anthropogenic influences (e.g., dams and irrigation diversions) often minimize the impacts of land cover change on water balance dynamics when compared to interannual fluctuations of hydroclimatic events (e.g., drought and flooding). Our findings show that each watershed exhibits a complex suite of influences involving climate variables and other factors that affect each of their water balances differently when land cover change occurs. In this study, forests within arid to semi-arid climates experience greater water balance effects from land cover change than watersheds where water is less limited.