Increased Water Availability Research Articles

Soil water distribution and water productivity in red cabbage crop using superabsorbent polymeric hydrogels under different drip irrigation regimes

The water issue has emerged as a significant barrier to agricultural productivity, particularly in dry and semiarid agro-ecologies, particularly during the winter season. Superabsorbent hydrogels have been identified as effective tools for improving crop and water productivity in arid locations by enhancing moisture retention. The application of hydrogel to soil is commonly done as a basal application, and its effectiveness is heavily influenced by the moisture level present in the soil. Therefore, a two-year field study was carried out to study the effects of various hydrogels and their application techniques and to assess the efficacy of recently developed cross–linked hydrogels (SPG 1118 and Pusa hydrogel) on soil water distribution (both spatial and temporal), water productivity and profitability of red cabbage. The experiment consisted of two irrigation regimes [full irrigation (100% ETc) and limited irrigation (75% ETc)] assisted in main plots, with two type of hydrogels (Pusa Hydrogel and SPG 1118) and two methods of application [root dipping and soil application of hydrogels and Control with no application of hydrogel] assisted in sub plots. The field experiment was conducted using spilt plot design with three replications. The analysis of soil water distribution patterns reveals that the utilization of hydrogels has resulted in a notable increase of 3–6% in soil water content (SWC) under full irrigation conditions, as compared to plots subjected to limited water conditions. In comparison to plots without hydrogel application, the plots treated with SPG 1118 and Pusa hydrogel exhibited enhanced soil water content of 5–6% and 2–4%, respectively. Additionally, the application of hydrogels in the root dipping showed increased water availability in the crop's root zone compared to soil application in throughout the crop season. Thus, hydrogels with reduced irrigation application resulted in significantly higher crop water productivity (14%) and irrigation water productivity (8 – 14%) compared to full irrigation levels. Likewise, root dipping of SPG 1118 led in considerable improvement in CWP (12–14%) and IWP (11–12%) over no hydrogel applied plots. In relation to profitability, the adoption of full irrigation in conjunction with SPG 1118 hydrogel resulted in an 8% increase in the benefit cost ratio compared to the control plots. Hence, the use of the unique SPG 1118 hydrogel through direct application to the roots, whether under conditions of full or limited irrigation, presents an inventive approach to address the growing issues of water shortages and sustainability in countries experiencing water stress.

Spatiotemporal assessment of rainfall and drought projection for integrated dam management in Benut River Basin, Malaysia under CMIP6 scenarios

This study assesses the influence of climate change on rainfall and drought in the Benut River Basin (BRB) to support the integrated management of Machap dam. The study seeks to reshape dam safety components in the near future through a technical focus group discussion (FGD) with key stakeholders. Utilizing the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) dataset for the immediate future (2020–2040) under various scenarios (SSP1–2.6, SSP2–4.5, SSP3–7.0, and SSP5–8.5), historical Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) rainfall datasets (1981 to 2021) are employed. A multi-filtration process ranks twenty-three Global Climate Models (GCMs) using seven relative importance metrics (RIMs). This work's novelty lies in a focused GCM evaluation through individual contributions quantified with RIMs, providing a refined ranking that address the limitations of traditional metrics. Then, the Compromise Programming Index (CPI) aggregates the ranked models, with the top subset selected through Jenks Optimised Classification (JOC), identifying ACCESS-ESM1–5 and CMCC-ESM2 as top models. The selected GCMs were bias-corrected using the linear scaling method and validated before ensembled, effectively replicating the probability distribution function (PDF) of CHIRPS data, as confirmed by a Taylor diagram indicating the closest agreement. The study reveals a generally wetter tendency in the northernmost area of Machap dam under all SSPs, with 5–9 % maximum increasing percentages. Conversely, downstream areas anticipate decreasing rainfall. June (6–22 %) and July (7–22 %) project higher rainfall, indicating increased water availability in a relatively dry period, while December (3–11 %) suggests increasing flood risk. The South West monsoon (SWM) anticipates lower rainfall in early March (3–7 %) and more severe dry periods in August (8–11 %). Future drought occurrences are projected homogeneously across scenarios, with drought months ranging from 15 % to 19 % of the 252 months under all severity classifications. In particular, the study enhances myDAMS by proposing continuous development of the guideline under diverse scenario for Machap dam's overall management and sustainability. Projected scenarios, coupled with outcomes from FGD, can inform basin-scale dam management, aiding risk mitigation for critical dam infrastructure.

EVALUATION OF THE HYDROLOGICAL RESPONSE TO CLIMATE AND LAND USE CHANGE IN A WATERSHED

Climate change and land-use change influence hydrological processes in a basin, thereby affecting water production. The Cañar River basin originates in the Andean moors and flows into the Pacific Ocean, covering areas of great importance for conservation and agriculture. The basin exhibits a high degree of climatic and ecosystem variability. Two scenarios were proposed and studied using a semi-distributed hydrological model: a) a future climate scenario based on the projection of historical precipitation and temperature trends observed from 1985 to 2010 at 9 stations distributed throughout the basin, and b) a future soil use scenario derived from a multi-temporal analysis of land use, explanatory variables, and transition models. The analysis revealed an increase in precipitation during the rainy season and a decrease in precipitation during the dry season, resulting in a slight reduction in annual precipitation. During the study period, an increase in temperatures is observed in the low and high zones, while in the middle zone, there is a slight reduction in temperatures. The most significant land use changes were observed in natural vegetation, which experienced a significant reduction in area. If the observed climatic trends persist, precipitation would be expected to be concentrated mainly in the rainy season, leading to increased water availability during that period and a significant decrease during the dry season.

Potential impacts of climate change on the sudan-sahel region in West Africa – Insights from Burkina Faso

The Sudan-Sahel region has long been vulnerable to environmental change. However, the intensification of global warming has led to unprecedented challenges that require a detailed understanding of climate change for this region. This study analyzes the impacts of climate change for Burkina Faso using eleven climate indices that are highly relevant to Sudan-Sahelian societies. The full ensemble of statistically downscaled NEX-GDDP-CMIP6 models (25 km) is used to determine the projected changes for the near (2031–2060) and far future (2071–2100) compared to the reference period (1985–2014) for different SSPs. Validation of the climate models against state-of-the-art reference data (CHIRPS (Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data) and ERA5 (ECMWF Reanalysis v5)) shows reasonable performance for the main climate variables with some biases. Under the SSP5–8.5, Burkina Faso is projected to experience a substantial temperature increase of more than 4.3 °C by the end of the century. Rainfall amount is projected to increase by 30 % under the SSP5–8.5, with the rainy season starting earlier and lasting longer. This could increase water availability for rainfed agriculture but is offset by a 20 % increase in evapotranspiration. The country could be at increased risk of flooding and heavy rainfall in all SSPs and future periods. Due to the pronounced temperature increase, heat stress, and cooling degree days are expected to strongly increase under the SSP8.5 scenarios, especially in the western and northern parts. Under the SSP1–2.6 and SSP2–4.5, the projected changes are much lower for the country. Thus, timely implementation of climate change mitigation measures can significantly reduce climate change impacts for this vulnerable region and strengthen population resilience for a sustainable future.

Perceptions of Acacia dealbata invasion and clearing in Upper Tsitsana villages in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

ABSTRACT Tree holdings provide important socio-economic and environmental benefits, but invasive alien trees can constrain these benefits. However, some invasive alien plants provide both costs and benefits, making management complex due to varied stakeholder perceptions. Using household surveys, the study explored local people’s perceptions of Acacia dealbata invasion and clearing in six villages located in upper Tsitsana communal areas, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The results suggest that most respondents are aware of A. dealbata invasion but not its invasion status. The respondents valued A. dealbata for its service provision including firewood, construction poles and shade but also cited negative impacts such as loss of grazing land and water. The respondents were aware of the Working for Water clearing programme and reported employment, income, and are awareness of restored grazing land and increased water availability as key clearing benefits. Although some respondents cleared A. dealbata in their homesteads, a small percentage were opposed to clearing due to the perceived loss of benefits. Overall, the study shows conflicting perceptions on the impacts of A. dealbata invasion and clearing, highlighting the value of considering the social dimensions of invasive alien plant species management to avoid conflict generation.

Non-revenue Water Reduction

SCADA systems are essential for water management in smart cities. They provide real-time monitoring, control, early detection of issues, efficiency improvements, enhanced resilience, and data-driven decision support. By leveraging SCADA technology, water utilities can optimize operations, reduce water losses, ensure a reliable supply, and contribute to sustainable water management in smart cities. Non Revenue Water (NRW) refers to water that is produced and lost before it reaches consumers or generates revenue for water service companies (WSCs). The summary highlights the importance of reducing non-potable water as it leads to increased water availability and revenues for WSCs. This is done by installing flow meters and water pressure measuring devices on the water sources or the entrances and exits of the isolated area, then calculating the amount of water feeding the area and the amount of water accounted for, and from it the amount of non-accountable water can be calculated, and work to reduce it by detecting leakage - Detecting stealth connections and installing water meters that work efficiently. The reduction of commercial losses, which includes issues like inaccurate billing or theft, can significantly improve revenue generation. Similarly, reducing physical/real losses, such as leaks or inefficient distribution systems, allows WSCs to postpone capital investments needed for water source development. To address this issue, departments such as Network Operations, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Hydraulic Analysis, and the commercial sector must collaborate to estimate and identify the different components contributing to NRW and water loss reduction.

Training environment and sponsorship dynamics in Hungarian artistic swimming.

The present study examines the training environment and sponsorship dynamics in Hungarian artistic swimming, with a particular focus on competitiveness. Through the utilization of a linear regression method ample aspects were identified, such as coach qualifications, funding sources, and facilities, that positively impact the number of qualified competitors. The availability of funding sources, when coupled with governmental assistance, has a favorable effect on the number of competitors, whereas membership fees have a deleterious impact. Furthermore, the findings indicate that increased water availability and increased publicity enhance artistic swimming recognition, whereas improved land-based training conditions may lead to a decline in the number of competitors. This paper discusses how different aspects of training programs can be integrated to improve overall athleticism, prevent injury, and enhance the competitive ability of artistic swimmers.

Treated waste water reuse in agriculture: An Overview

The reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture is a promising solution to the water scarcity challenge faced by many regions worldwide. This review paper provides an overview of the current state of knowledge on treated wastewater reuse in agriculture, highlighting its potential benefits and challenges. The paper begins by discussing the importance of treating wastewater before reuse and the potential it offers. The benefits of using treated wastewater in agriculture are discussed, including increased water availability, improved soil fertility and reduced fertilizer use. The risks associated with the use of treated wastewater, such as the accumulation of pollutants and the potential for pathogen transmission, are also discussed. The review paper then presents some examples of reuse projects for irrigation and their success criteria. The current regulations governing the use of treated wastewater in agriculture are examined, and their evolution presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of future research needed to address the remaining challenges surrounding the use of treated wastewater in agriculture. Overall, the review paper emphasizes the importance of careful management and regulation of treated wastewater reuse in agriculture to ensure safety and sustainability to meet the growing demand for water in agriculture.

Modeling Hydrologic–Economic Interactions for Sustainable Development: A Case Study in Inner Mongolia, China

Water shortages are major constraints on economic development in water-deficient regions such as Inner Mongolia, China. Moreover, macroscale interactions between water resources and the regional economy remain unclear. This study addresses this problem by building a network-based hydro-economic model that integrates ecological, economic, social, and environmental data into a coherent framework. We assessed the relationship between water resources and economic performance under different water-saving and climate change scenarios. The results showed that both water-saving policies and increased water availability due to climate change can increase economic productivity. Water saving can also mitigate the negative impact of climate change-driven decreased rainfall by restoring the gross domestic product (GDP) to 97.3% of its former level. The interaction between water resources and economic productivity depends on specific factors that affect water availability. A trade-off relationship exists between economic development and water protection and was more discernible when the total GDP reached 10,250 billion CNY. When the trade-off ratio reaches 6:1, economic output decreases because of a lack of ecological water resources, even if further stress is placed on the objective. Thus, this study demonstrates the effect of water resources on economic growth and highlights the need for improved water management in water-deficient regions.

Climatic drivers of cork growth depend on site aridity

Cork is one of the main non-timber forest products in the world. Most of its production is concentrated in the Iberian Peninsula, a climate change hotspot. Climate warming may lead to increased aridification and reduce cork production in that region. However, we still lack assessments of climate-cork relationships across ample geographical and climatic gradients explicitly considering site aridity. We quantified cork growth by measuring cork ring width and related it to climate variables and a drought index using dendrochronology. Four cork oak (Quercus suber) forests located from north eastern Spain to south western Morocco (31.5–41.5° N) and subjected to different aridity levels were sampled. Warm conditions in spring to early summer, when cork is formed, reduced cork width, whereas high precipitation in winter and spring enhanced it. The response of cork to increased water availability in summer peaked (r = 0.89, p = 0.00002) in the most arid and continental site considering 14-month long droughts. A severe drought caused a disproportionate loss of cork production in this site, where for every five-fold decrease in the drought index, the cork-width index declined by a factor of thirteen. Therefore, site aridity determines the responses of cork growth to the soil water availability resulting from accumulated precipitation during winter and spring previous to cork growth and until summer. In general, this cumulative water balance, which is very dependent on temperature and evapotranspiration rate, is critical for cork production, especially in continental, dry sites. The precipitation during the hydrological year can be used as a proxy of cork production in similar sites. Assessments of climate-cork relationships in the western Mediterranean basin could be used as analogues to forecast the impacts of aridification on future cork production.

Ground-Runoff Harvesting to Increase Water Availability in Isolated Households on Hilly Mediterranean Islands: A Case Study in a Micro-Catchment of Ibiza (Spain)

Mediterranean islands suffer from a lack of freshwater due to persistent and recursive droughts, limited groundwater availability and mass tourism. In Ibiza (Spain), private estates disconnected from the water distribution network consume about 21% of the total freshwater demand on the island. We conducted a study to evaluate the potential of ground-runoff harvesting (GRH) as a sustainable and inexpensive solution to increase freshwater availability in isolated households in Ibiza. The study involved an innovative modular tank of 40 m3 buried in the garden of a private property. The tank intercepted runoff forming in a 12,300 m2 hilly micro-catchment. We found that an extreme rainfall event with an intensity of 65 mm/h was able to create sufficient runoff to fill up the tank in one hour. A curve-number-based rainfall-runoff model was used to simulate the experimental results and to obtain a first-cut estimation of the potential of GRH at the scale of the island. The analysis indicates that, if installed in all forest areas in Ibiza with a similar slope to the study area, a volume of 1.31×106 m3 of freshwater could be harvested per year on the island just from extreme precipitation events. Such a volume of water is equivalent to about 5% of the island’s total freshwater budget. The study concludes that GRH is a highly valuable, yet still unexploited opportunity to save large freshwater volumes in dry-climate areas like Ibiza. GRH should be promoted across Mediterranean islands, and it can be easily incorporated within local water regulations.

Land use and land cover change impact on characteristics of surface evapotranspiration in semi-arid environment of Western Rajasthan, India

Abstract The development of the Indira Gandhi Nahar Pariyojana (IGNP) in western Rajasthan has significantly impacted land use and land cover (LULC) changes, which have hugely transformed the hydrologic cycle in recent decades. Hence, we investigate the surface evapotranspiration (ET) response to LULC changes in the IGNP for the period from 1990 to 2020. The Surface Energy Balance algorithm (Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land) was applied to the Landsat dataset along with local weather data obtained from the Indian Meteorological Department. A machine learning-based random forest classifier was applied to develop the LULC maps. The higher values of ET are mainly distributed in the northwest. Area covered by croplands has shown an increasing trend over the decades at a rate of 734.76 km2·a−1, urban settlements/ built-up areas increased at a rate of 14.67 km2·a−1, barren area decreased gradually at a rate of 751.67 km2·a−1, and area covered by the few water bodies showed minor fluctuations. Overall, the LULC changes have a smaller influence on ET rates but has a considerable impact on the total ET in the IGNP region due to an increase in the area covered by vegetation as a result of increased water availability.

Herbivores disrupt clinal variation in plant responses to water limitation

Abstract Plasticity in plant traits, including secondary metabolites, is critical to plant survival and competitiveness under stressful conditions. The ability of a plant to respond effectively to combined stressors can be impacted by crosstalk in biochemical pathways, resource availability and evolutionary history, but such responses remain underexplored. In particular, we know little about intraspecific variation in response to combined stressors or whether such variation is associated with the stress history of a given population. Here, we investigated the consequences of combined water and herbivory stress for plant traits, including relative growth rate, leaf morphology and various measures of phytochemistry, using a common garden of Asclepias fascicularis milkweeds. To examine how plant trait means and plasticities depend on the history of environmental stress, seeds for the experiment were collected from across a gradient of aridity in the Great Basin, United States. We then conducted a factorial experiment crossing water limitation with herbivory. Plants responded to water limitation alone by increasing the evenness of UV‐absorbent secondary metabolites and to herbivory alone by increasing the richness of metabolites. However, plants that experienced combined water and herbivory stress exhibited similar phytochemical diversity to well‐watered control plants. This lack of plasticity in phytochemical diversity in plants experiencing combined stressors was associated with a reduction in relative growth rates. Leaf chemistry means and plasticities exhibited clinal variation corresponding to seed source water deficits. The total concentration of UV‐absorbent metabolites decreased with increasing water availability among seed sources, driven by higher concentrations of flavonol glycosides, which are hypothesized to act as antioxidants, among plants from drier sites. Plants sourced from drier sites exhibited higher plasticity in flavonol glycoside concentrations in response to water limitation, which increased phytochemical evenness, but simultaneous herbivory dampened plant responses to water limitation irrespective of seed source. Synthesis. These results suggest that climatic history can affect intraspecific phytochemical plasticity, which may confer tolerance to water limitation, but that co‐occurring herbivory disrupts such patterns. Global change is increasing the frequency and intensity of stress combinations, such that understanding intraspecific responses to combined stressors is critical for predicting the persistence of plant populations.

Phenotypic plasticity: A missing element in the theory of vegetation pattern formation

Regular spatial patterns of vegetation are a common sight in drylands. Their formation is a population-level response to water stress that increases water availability for the few via partial plant mortality. At the individual level, plants can also adapt to water stress by changing their phenotype. Phenotypic plasticity of individual plants and spatial patterning of plant populations have extensively been studied independently, but the likely interplay between the two robust mechanisms has remained unexplored. In this paper, we incorporate phenotypic plasticity into a multi-level theory of vegetation pattern formation and use a fascinating ecological phenomenon, the Namibian “fairy circles,” to demonstrate the need for such a theory. We show that phenotypic changes in the root structure of plants, coupled with pattern-forming feedback within soil layers, can resolve two puzzles that the current theory fails to explain: observations of multi-scale patterns and the absence of theoretically predicted large-scale stripe and spot patterns along the rainfall gradient. Importantly, we find that multi-level responses to stress unveil a wide variety of more effective stress-relaxation pathways, compared to single-level responses, implying a previously underestimated resilience of dryland ecosystems.

Agrivoltaics mitigate drought effects in winter wheat.

Climate change is expected to decrease water availability in many agricultural production areas around the globe. At the same time renewable energy concepts such as agrivoltaics (AV) are necessary to manage the energy transition. Several studies showed that evapotranspiration can be reduced in AV systems, resulting in increased water availability for crops. However, effects on crop performance and productivity remain unclear to date. Carbon-13 isotopic composition (δ13 C and discrimination against carbon-13) can be used as a proxy for the effects of water availability on plant performance, integrating crop responses over the entire growing season. The aim of this study was to assess these effects via carbon isotopic composition in grains, as well as grain yield of winter wheat in an AV system in southwest Germany. Crops were cultivated over four seasons from 2016-2020 in the AV system and on an unshaded adjacent reference (REF) site. Across all seasons, average grain yield did not significantly differ between AV and REF (4.7 vs 5.2 t ha-1 ), with higher interannual yield stability in the AV system. However, δ13 C as well as carbon-13 isotope discrimination differed significantly across the seasons by 1‰ (AV: -29.0‰ vs REF: -28.0‰ and AV: 21.6‰ vs REF: 20.6‰) between the AV system and the REF site. These drought mitigation effects as indicated by the results of this study will become crucial for the resilience of agricultural production in the near future when drought events will become significantly more frequent and severe.

Influence of nanoscale spatial architecture of seed and root mucilage on its wettability

Mucilage secreted by root-tips may alter hydraulic conditions at the root-soil interface and seed coat mucilage increases water availability for seeds. Both significantly affect the water content dynamics of the rhizosphere. Therefore, we examined the nanostructure of different types of dried mucilage (root or seed mucilage and mucilage from different species) and how it affects their wettability. We hypothesized that with increasing roughness wettability of dried mucilage decreases based on the Cassie−Baxter relation due to entrapped air in holes formed in the mucilage layer during drying. In order to visualize the nanostructure of different mucilage species, we dried root mucilage from aeroponically grown seedlings (maize, cress, flax, wheat, barley) and seed mucilage (cress and flax) as thin layers on flat mica surfaces. Spatial structures of the samples were visualized by atomic force microscopy. Variogram analysis was used to analyze the spatially resolved topography data, and the coverage of mucilage was quantified using GeoDict® software. Moreover, by the pore size distribution, the effect of hole-size dispersity on mucilage's wettability was investigated. Our results demonstrate that mucilage of different species have different nanostructures. In contrast to expectations, the wettability of dried mucilage does not follow the Cassie−Baxter relation and does not decrease with increasing roughness. We conclude that wettability of surfaces decreases with increasing mucilage coverage. The lower the coverage the more hydrophilic area of the underlying mineral surface contributes to the overall wettability.

Serengeti–Masai Mara ecosystem dynamics inferred from rainfall extremes

The Serengeti–Masai Mara Ecosystem (SMME) is an iconic ecological and biodiversity resource in East Africa with a spectacular great animal migration feature. Environmental shocks like droughts, floods, and land degradation threaten the SMME’s ecological functioning. However, the spatiotemporal ecosystem dynamics during climate extremes are inadequately examined. Here we quantified water availability and vegetation changes during extreme wet (EWE) and dry (EDE) events over the SMME for wet and dry seasons in 1982–2020. We derived extreme events from seasonal mean precipitation anomaly exceeding standard deviation and applied composite and correlation techniques to assess their dynamics with animal populations and migration prospects. Wet season EWE increases vegetative and moist conditions over southern SMME, suggesting elongating migrants’ occupancy compared to normal periods and delayed northward migration. Wet season EDE significantly suppresses these features, heightening ecosystem competition and survival threats, proposing an earlier northward migration. Dry season EWE increases vegetation and water availability over northern SMME, prompting the late southward migration. Dry season EDE significantly reduces vegetation and water availability over northern SMME, suggesting an early southward migration towards regions with more vegetation and increased water availability. The SMME also experiences multiple EDE occurring in consecutive seasons, prolonging dry conditions that aggregate wildlife survival threats. Notably, two EDE prevailed consecutively from the 1993 dry season to the 1994 wet season, coupled with a population decline of wildebeest (1.2–0.9 million), buffalo (40–20 thousand), and lion (1.3–0.9 thousand). We also note a reversal from more EDE to EWE during the study period. Prevalent EWE can lessen wet and vegetative conditions distribution gradient, which is imperative for the functioning of the SMME migratory ecosystem. Our study unveiled hotspot areas of extremes-driven ecosystem changes for the sustainable SMME migratory functioning essential for framing meaningful conservation management policies under climate change.

Introducing a new floodplain scheme in ORCHIDEE (version 7885): validation and evaluation over the Pantanal wetlands

Abstract. Adapting and improving the hydrological processes in land surface models are crucial given the increase in the resolution of the climate models to correctly represent the hydrological cycle. The present paper introduces a floodplain scheme adapted to the higher-resolution river routing of the Organising Carbon and Hydrology In Dynamic Ecosystems (ORCHIDEE) land surface model. The scheme is based on a sub-tile parameterisation of the hydrological units – a hydrological transfer unit (HTU) concept – based on high-resolution hydrologically coherent digital elevation models, which can be used for all types of resolutions and projections. The floodplain scheme was developed and evaluated for different atmospheric forcings and resolutions (0.5∘ and 25 km) over one of the world's largest floodplains: the Pantanal, located in central South America. The floodplain scheme is validated based on the river discharge at the outflow of the Pantanal which represents the hydrological cycle over the basin, the temporal evolution of the water mass over the region assessed by the anomaly of total water storage in the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE), and the temporal evaluation of the flooded areas compared to the Global Inundation Extent from Multi-Satellites version 2 (GIEMS-2) dataset. The hydrological cycle is satisfactorily simulated; however, the base flow may be underestimated. The temporal evolution of the flooded area is coherent with the observations, although the size of the area is underestimated in comparison to GIEMS-2. The presence of floodplains increases the soil moisture up to 50 % and decreases average temperature by 3 ∘C and by 6 ∘C during the dry season. The higher soil moisture increases the vegetation density, and, along with the presence of open-water surfaces due to the floodplains, it affects the surface energy budget by increasing the latent flux at the expense of the sensible flux. This is linked to the increase in the evapotranspiration related to the increased water availability. The effect of the floodplain scheme on the land surface conditions highlights that coupled simulations using the floodplain scheme may influence local and regional precipitation and regional circulation.

Response groups of plants from deciduous and semi-deciduous forests based on dynamic rates: evaluating impacts imposed by dams

The functional plant response groups can be useful to comprehend vegetation's reaction to an impact. The responses of tree species in seasonal forests under the influence of artificial damming were evaluated considering the hypothesis that deciduous forests may have more response groups due to their possession of species with higher tolerance to water deficit during the dry season than semi-deciduous forests, as it is an environment with greater water deficit during the dry season and possesses more species specialized in dry conditions. The hypothesis states that (1) increased water availability can hinder the maintenance and establishment of species adapted to dry environments, as they exhibit high tolerance to water deficit during dry seasons, and (2) deciduous forests will have more response groups with high demographic rates (recruitment, mortality, decrement, and increment) due to more dramatic changes in soil moisture. Response groups were detected by comparing dynamic rates of tree species near and far from the artificial lake's shore using Euclidean distance between species' dynamic rates and the Ward method. Few groups were formed away from the dams, and many groups emerged after the impact in both forests, indicating that changes resulting from damming were more prominent near the dam. More negative responses and groups affected by damming were formed in deciduous forests compared to semi-deciduous forests. Predicting the stabilization of these forests remains uncertain, necessitating long-term monitoring for obtaining robust data and additional explanations

Changes in phenological events and long‐term seasonality in response to climate change and the ecological restoration in China's Loess Plateau

AbstractPhenology is highly responsive to environmental changes, particularly in ecologically vulnerable regions that have undergone significant anthropogenic management and rapid climate change. While previous research has mainly focused on interannual variations of specific phenological events such as the start (SOS), peak (POS), and end (EOS) of growing season, little attention has been given to abrupt shifts in long‐term phenological seasonality resulting from land management. In this study, we utilized full temporal details of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer‐derived normalized difference vegetation index to investigate how phenological metrics and seasonality have changed within the Loess Plateau. Our results indicated an earlier initial phase (SOS‐POS) and a prolonged POS‐EOS phenophase. Earlier spring onset was dominated by increasing water availability from the previous autumn, and earlier SOS led to an earlier POS but no significant carryover effect on EOS. In addition, spring onset of grassland was sensitive to precipitation while forest community was strongly influenced by temperature. We also reported significant changes in phenological seasonality across the plateau, and this shift in long‐term seasonality was mainly controlled by growing season precipitation. Moreover, land use/land cover change also played a role with increasing importance after the abrupt change in seasonality. In sum, our findings highlight the importance of water availability in shaping phenological patterns across this semiarid plateau and illuminate shifts in phenological seasonality that are indispensable to a comprehensive understanding of phenology dynamics.