Orographic Factors Research Articles

Total Carbon Storage in Uneven-Aged Pure Beech Stands in the Western Part of the Balkans

Forest ecosystems represent one of the largest and most important ecosystems on Earth, containing close to 80% of the biomass of our planet. As such, they play a significant role in the global carbon cycle because through photosynthesis, forests absorb more carbon than they emit and thus accumulate it. The most important species in deciduous forests in Europe, European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), is of exceptional importance from the aspect of carbon storage. Considering that the state of carbon in pure beech forests is poorly investigated in the western part of the Balkans, the need for total carbon research was imposed to complete the picture of its stocks and factors that impact it. Research on total carbon (TC) storage in uneven-aged pure beech stands in the western part of the Balkans was carried out in three regions located approximately at the same latitude, but different longitude, imposing different macro-habitat characteristics. This research aimed to determine the TC stock and to examine the effects of orographic factors, stand canopy, and macroclimate on its values. TC stock in forest biomass was determined using appropriate regression equations and formulas, while soil organic carbon stock was determined using ICP forests methodology. Effects of different factors on carbon stock were examined using ANOVA (Type II Sums of Squares), General Linear Hypothesis Test (GLHT), and regression analyses. It was found that the largest TC stock is located in the region of Eastern Serbia (SRB) where its macroclimate is classified as suitable for hornbeam and sessile oak or mixed beech-oak stands. It was found that anthropogenic activity plays a significant role in the size of the carbon stock stored in above-ground biomass via alteration of forest canopy. The results also indicate that Aboveground Carbon (AGC) stocks are approximately proportional to Belowground Carbon (BGC; C in belowground biomass + soil C) stocks. What makes the difference is the structure of BGC, as the share of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) is higher in the regions of Eastern Republic of Srpska (ERS) and Western Republic of Srpska (WRS), which are climatically classified as highly suitable for beech. Further analysis has shown that the amount of SOC decreases with increasing aridity levels. Given the results, management goals should be aimed at increasing the stock of biomass for the sake of carbon sequestration and for reducing the adverse effects of climate change, as a large amount of carbon can be stored in the above-ground and belowground biomass.

Influence of Orographic Factors on the Distribution of Lichens in the Franz Josef Land Archipelago.

During a geobotanical study of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, 111 lichen species were recorded on 130 sample plots. The significance of orographic factors in the distribution of lichens was assessed using principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple regression analysis. It was found that the absolute altitude and distance from the glacier are of the greatest importance for crustose lichens, while for fruticose lichens, the most critical factors were the slope exposure and steepness. Along the altitudinal gradient, the number of species decreased (from 88 to 25). The highest number of species (90) was recorded at distances of 0.1 to 1.0 km from the glacier edge, which is explained by the unstable species composition of areas recently released from under the glacier. The number of species in all groups generally decreased (from 81 to 52) with increasing slope steepness. With an increasing heat supply of slopes (on a gradient from northern to southern), the number of species steadily increased in all groups (from 39 to 75). The low sum of the explained variance values for the first two PCA components (21%) characterizes the specificity of the natural environment of polar deserts, where there is no leading environmental factor.

Spatial extreme model for rainfall depth: application to the estimation of IDF curves in the Basque country

Intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves are commonly used in engineering practice for the hydraulic design of flood protection infrastructures and flood risk management. IDF curves are simple functions between the rainfall intensity, the timescale at which the rainfall process is studied, and the return period. This work proposes and tests a new methodological framework for the spatial analysis of extreme rainfall depth at different timescales, taking advantage of two different precipitation datasets: local observational and gridded products. On the one hand, the proposed method overcomes or reduces known issues related to observational datasets (missing data and short temporal coverage, outliers, systematic biases and inhomogeneities, etc.). On the other hand, it allows incorporating appropriately terrain dependencies on the spatial distribution of the extreme precipitation regime. Finally, it allows to estimate the IDF curves at regional level overcoming the deficiencies of the classical regional approaches commonly used in practice. The method has been tested to compute IDF curves all over the Basque Country, contrasting results with respect to local analyses. Results show the method robustness against outliers, missing data, systematic biases and short length time series. Moreover, since generalized extreme value (GEV)-parameters from daily gridded dataset are used as covariates, the proposed approach allows coherent spatial interpolation/extrapolation of IDF curves properly accounting for the influence of orographic factors. In addition, due to the current coexistence of local observations and gridded datasets at regional (e.g. The Alps), national (e.g. Spain, France, etc.) or international scale (e.g. E-OBS for Europe or Daymet for the United States of America), the proposed methodology has a wide range of applicability in order to fulfill the known gaps of the observational datasets and reduce the uncertainty related to analysis and characterization of the extreme precipitation regime.

MORPHOLOGY OF THE RELIEF OF THE INTRAGLACIAL PALEOVOLCANO DERBY-TAIGA AND THE ADJACENT PART OF THE AZASS PLATEAU (TODZHA BASIN, NORTH-EASTERN TUVA)<a href="#FN1"><sup>1</sup></a>

The Azass Plateau in the Altai-Sayan mountain region is the only known territory in the continental Eurasia know for distribution of intraglacial volcanoes formed by the interaction of erupting lava with ice and melt waters. The orographic factor in the Todzha Basin caused the development of thick shield glaciers covering the area of approximately 13 000 km2 during cold epochs.The variety of geomorphological units reflecting the history of neotectonic evolution, volcanism and Quarternary glaciations creates a unique opportunity to perform paleogeographic reconstructions. The geomorphological map is constructed based on the selection of genetically homogeneous surfaces. Morphometrical indicators, paragenesis and time series were obtained for the later. A special attention was paid to the relief of intraglacial volcanoes and traces of glaciations of different ages.The lower level of intraglacial volcanoes formed in the second half of the Late Pleistocene was subdivided into three levels. These volcanoes formed under a few hundreds of meters of ice. The glacial-exaration genesis of microrelief under the influence of the inland ice was established as appose to the previously accepted water-glacial (catafluvial) genesis. The age of the upper slopes of volcanoes (except the Derbi-Taiga volcano) is the Late Pleistocene. Consequently, glacial valleys and kars complicating them are rejuvenated .The study of the rockfall bodies triggered by an earthquake and rockfalls rupture surfaces in glacial valleys of the Derbi-Taiga mountain massif and their comparison with the traces of the Chuya earthquake (2003) allowed to estimate the Ms = 7.5 magnitude of the Holocene earthquake that caused them.Presented results of the geomorphological investigation contradict the paleogeographic reconstructions performed earlier on the basis of absolute dating.

A new phenology-based method for mapping wheat and barley using time-series of Sentinel-2 images

In recent years, various techniques have been developed to generate crop-type maps based on remote sensing data. Wheat and barley are two major cereal crops cultivated as the first and fourth largest grain crops across the globe. The variations in spectral temporal profile of both crops are generally insignificant at small scales and therefore the two crops are phenologically fairly clearly separated; however, at large scale areas the variance of phenological parameters increases for both crops due to the effects of various climatic and orographic factors which adversely influences discrimination of wheat and barley. Additionally, wheat and barley are usually cultivated as both spring and winter or early and late season crops in some areas, making it more difficult to distinguish them. Therefore, developing a new method based on remote sensing data for effective discrimination of wheat and barley is an important necessity in the field of precision agriculture. To this end, this research presents a new phenology-based method to discriminate barley from wheat. In this study, Sentinel-2 (S2) time-series data of a study site in Iran (Markazi) and two sites in the USA (Idaho and North California), are employed. Spectral reflectance values of wheat and barley are examined during the growing season and a new spectral-temporal feature is successfully developed for automatic identification of the barley heading date. The Relief-f algorithm is then employed to select appropriate spectral features of S2 to distinguish wheat from barley at the heading date. Finally, generated spectral features at the heading date are used as input to Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) to produce barley and wheat maps. The Kappa coefficient and overall accuracy (OA) obtained for the three study sites are more than 0.67 and 76%, respectively. The findings of this study demonstrate the potential of remote sensing data to identify the phenological growth stages of barley and distinguish it successfully from wheat.

Influence of abiotic environmental factors on the growth of shoots of Juniperus excelsa M.-Bieb. in the Crimean Mountains

The article presents the results of studying the seasonal growth of Juniperus excelsa shoots according to abiotic factors, including features of weather and orographic conditions of growth. It has been established that the growth of juniper vegetative organs is most significantly affected by the amount of precipitation in the period from February to June. The maximum growth of shoots (5.29 cm) was noted in 2021, which was characterized by an increased amount of precipitation, the amount of which ranged from 322 mm to 437 mm. In the western part of the plantations of the Crimean Mountains, the annual increase is higher in comparison with the central and eastern ones. The degree of influence of orographic factors was determined. It has been established that influence of elevation is 43 %; in dry years, the intensity of the influence of this factor decreases. The relationship between the annual increase in shoots of J. excelsa and the indicators of soil conditions and slope exposure was revealed. The maximum growth (3.6 cm) was noted on the trial plots with B1 edatope, the minimum (2.3 cm) on B0 and C1. On slopes with eastern and southwestern exposures, the increase is higher compared to other exposures.

ECOLOGICAL NICHE MODELING OF <i>GALINSOGA </i>RUIZ ET PAV. SPECIES IN THE NATIVE AND CAUCASIAN PART OF THE INVASIVE RANGES

Adaptations of and developed in the tropical climate of the Mexican mountain region determine largely the predicted distribution of the species in the Caucasus. The complex factor of humidity is the main factor determining the potential distribution of and in the Caucasus (82 and 48% of the contribution in the Maxent models). Temperature and orographic ENVIREM predictors also play a significant role in the distribution of . The predicted range center of is located in the humid climate of the Black Sea coast, - in the relatively moisture foothill and mid-mountain regions of the Western Caucasus. The lowest probability of finding both species is predicted in the lowland (steppe) regions and in the arid climate of the Eastern Caucasus. The invasive potential of and in the Caucasus is similar: a high degree of overlapping (Schoener's D = 0.76) and the same width (Levins' B - 0.91 and 0.92) of ecological niches, their visual overlapping in the orthogonal space of the analyzed ecological factors. Differences in the potential spatial distribution of the species in the Caucasus are due to their biological characteristics (greater or lesser sensitivity to water regime and orographic factors).

Vulnerability and Adaptation to Flood Hazards in Rural Settlements of Limpopo Province, South Africa

Climate change has increased the frequency of extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall leading to floods in several regions. In Africa, rural communities are more vulnerable to flooding, particularly those that dwell in low altitude areas or near rivers and those regions affected by tropical storms. This study examined flood vulnerability in three rural villages in South Africa’s northern Limpopo Province and how communities are building resilience and coping with the hazard. These villages lie at the foot of the north-eastern escarpment, and are often exposed to frequent rainfall enhanced by orographic factors. Although extreme rainfall events are rare in the study area, we analyzed daily rainfall and showed how heavy rainfall of short duration can lead to flooding using case studies. Historical floods were also mapped using remote sensing via the topographical approach and two types of flooding were identified, i.e., those due to extreme rainfall and those due to poor drainage or blocked drainage channels. A field survey was also conducted using questionnaires administered to samples of affected households to identify flood vulnerability indicators and adaptation strategies. Key informant interviews were held with disaster management authorities to provide additional information on flood indicators. Subsequently, a flood vulnerability index was computed to measure the extent of flood vulnerability of the selected communities and it was found that all three villages have a ‘vulnerability to floods’ level, considered a medium level vulnerability. The study also details temporary and long-term adaptation strategies/actions employed by respondents and interventions by local authorities to mitigate the impacts of flooding. Adaptation strategies range from digging furrows to divert water and temporary relocations, to constructing a raised patio around the house. Key recommendations include the need for public awareness; implementation of a raft of improvements and a sustainable infrastructure maintenance regime; integration of modern mitigations with local indigenous knowledge; and development of programs to ensure resilience through incorporation of Integrated Development Planning.

A 10-year study on the lightning activity in Italy using data from the SIRF network

Lightning is one of the most dangerous natural phenomena, able to produce high impacts and damage on human beings and infrastructures (civil, electric, telecommunications, etc..) even though perception of it as a hazard is low. The aim of this study is to provide a detailed analysis of lightning occurrence throughout the Italian territory to support the work of different operators and researchers (physicists, meteorologists and electric/ITC engineers) improving knowledge about the main properties of lightning. Thus, an in-depth study of the statistics of lightning activity across the Italian territory for the period 2010–2019 is performed in detail using the data collected by the Italian Lightning Detection Network SIRF (Sistema Italiano Rilevamento Fulmini), part of the European network EUCLID (European Cooperation for Lightning Detection). This analysis presents general properties such as Ground Stroke Density (GSD) and the positive to negative strokes ratio by highlighting how seasonal, geographical and orographic factors influence their values. Then, attention is focused on lightning peak current, on flash multiplicity and on the distance between the points of impact of different strokes within a flash. Comparison made with other articles available in the literature reveals good agreement with studies conducted with other LLS data in Mediterranean regions. On the other hand, some differences appear with direct current measurements that can be partly ascribed to Lightning Location System (LLS) detection contamination (confirming other comparative studies of LLS and instrumented tower findings), to differences between tower and ground measures, and to the presence of regional differences.

Orographic Factors as a Predictor of the Spread of the Siberian Silk Moth Outbreak in the Mountainous Southern Taiga Forests of Siberia

This research is dedicated to solving an urgent problem associated with the large-scale destruction of taiga forests by Siberian silk moth (Dendrolimus sibiricus) outbreaks. The dynamics of the damage to dark coniferous forest stands induced by the Siberian silk moth outbreaks in mid-altitude mountains were studied. A hypothesis was formulated based on the fundamental influence of the orography on the phytophage’s dispersal within the landscape, along with the climate, which acts as a secondary predictor—a catalyst for outbreaks. The study was carried out using Landsat−8 satellite imagery time-series (from 2018 to 2020). The data were verified using a field forest pathological survey of the territory. An assessment of the defoliated forest area and damage association with the landscape was carried out using an Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) digital elevation model. The assessment was aimed to detail the forecast parameters for an outbreak development in mid-altitude mountains using the orographic features—altitude, terrain slope, and slope aspect. Early warnings of phytophagous insect outbreaks in mountain southern taiga should be focused on the permanent monitoring of dark coniferous stands of the mossy group of forest types, covering altitude levels from 400 to 600 m, located on gentle terrains and slopes of up to 15 degrees. The greatest vulnerability to phytophage impacts was characterized as areas located at altitudes from 400 to 600 m. The upper limit of D. sibiricus distribution was 900 m above sea level. The results obtained provide comprehensive information on the Siberian silk moth potential reserves within the study area with the possibility of extrapolation to similar territories. The data will make it possible to model pest outbreaks based on orography and improve the forest pathological monitoring methods at the regional level.

Production potential of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic pasture ecosystems

The pasture digression of meadows followed by soil deflation is one of the pressing environmental problems. This problem is typical for mountain pastures that are constantly in economic circulation. The article presents the results of a geobotanical survey of the Zolsky pastures on the territory of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic in 2018-2020. The results of a geobotanical survey show that the pasture phytocenoses are characterized by high floristic diversity due to the heterogeneity of edaphic and orographic factors. The flora of the pastures is represented by postwood moist sedgy-and-tussock-grass, mesophilic woodreed-and-agrostidinic grass, cereal forb, forbs cereal mesophilic and subalpine meadows, low sedgy meadow steppes. The average yield for the pasture period varies from 7.2 to 16.6 centners/ha of dry eaten mass. The consequence of prolonged pasturage and excessive pasture load was a decrease in alpha and beta diversity, the formation of low-productive secondary plant communities of non-food, poisonous and weed grasses, the destruction of sod and soil outcropping. Restoration of degraded pasture ecosystems is possible on the basis of ecological intensification, which provides for the regulation of pasture loads, adherence to grazing terms, phytomelioration using perennial grasses, and short-term isolation of pastures from grazing. This will prevent erosion processes, increase biodiversity, productivity, forage value of grass stand and stability of pasture ecosystems.

Modeling of population dynamics of the protected lichen Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. in the Caucasus

Reduction of biological diversity of lichens, reduction of the distribution of rare species and their disappearance due to habitat disturbance are significant problems in the Caucasus. The aim was to study the main patterns of distribution of the rare lichen species Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. and included identification the main abiotic factors affecting the distribution of the species in region. We modeled the current habitats of Lobaria pulmonaria in the Caucasus by using the Maxent method (Maximum entropy modelling). The most suitable for distribution of the lichen were the wettest areas of the southern macroslope of the Greater Caucasus. The center of the predicted range of L. pulmonaria was currently located on the Black Sea coast, in the mid-mountain areas of Krasnodar region, Georgia and Abkhazia. The minimum probability of finding the species predicted in relatively arid areas with a more continental climate in the Central and, especially, Eastern Caucasus. Temperature and orographic (Topographical Ruggedness Index, topographical humidity Index) factors are also important in the distribution of the studied species.

On the determining factors in cases of moderate to heavy precipitation in Tehran

Investigating the factors responsible for heavy precipitation events is important because of the financial and non-financial losses they often cause. Based on the ERA-Interim reanalysis and a numerical mesoscale forecasting model (WRF), the effects of four factors on significant precipitations in Tehran are studied. The four factors are upper-level potential vorticity (PV) anomalies, and mid-tropospheric PV anomalies as two meteorological factors; and the Alborz and Zagros mountains as two external factors. A factor separation analysis is applied to six days that are representative (most similar) of the six circulation types (CTs) previously identified for moderate to heavy precipitations in Tehran. The independent contribution of the upper-level PV anomaly to precipitation in each of the selected days of the second to the sixth CT is higher than 60%; hence, the upper-level tropospheric flow provided the main precipitation forcing factor, with much less contribution from the thermodynamic factor of the mid-level troposphere. Regarding the two orographic external factors, the higher positive impact on Tehran precipitation is found for the Alborz mountains. This is related to synoptic-scale weather systems that induce a northerly low-level flow towards the Alborz mountains. Moreover, in all the studied cases, except the fifth CT, the independent impact of the Zagros mountains on Tehran precipitation is positive. In all of the selected days except that of the first CT, the main factor responsible for precipitation is the intrusion of dry and cold stratospheric air associated with a large positive PV anomaly (streamer) at upper-tropospheric levels. For the first CT, further quest is necessary to find out the main factor.

Areas of syntaxons of bog vegetation in the taiga zone of European Russia and the influence of the orographic factor on them

The aim of the article is to review the geographical distribution of the main types of plant communities of mires of the boreal zone of European Russia, and to assess the impact of the orographic factor on it. The review made on the materials of 40-year study of mires vegetation of European Russia. It was found that the main botanical and geographical boundaries within the taiga zone of European Russia pass through the subzones of the northern and southern taiga, the Eastern edge of Fennoscandia and the coastal part of the North-Western region.

Identification of Rainfall Variability Using TRMM Data Analysis

Indonesian climate is characterized with abundant rainfall throughout the year. Differences the amount of rainfall are seen significantly in areas with monsoonal patterns in the event of extreme climates, both El-Nino and La-Nina. Rainfall pattern dynamic that occurs in Indonesia, even worldwide, is reflected by meteorological extrem events in several regions, i.e. extreme rainfall, season change, sea level rise, drought, and flood. Lombok Island is one small island in Indonesia with high levels of vulnerability to climate change. Regarding to the meteorological events occurred in Lombok, this research aims to identify spatiotemporal distribution of rainfall pattern changes in Lombok island during 1999-2014. TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission) data precipitation was used as the main data due to limitation of available precipitation data. Results show annual rainfall trend was decreased and most of monthly rainfall were increased. There was an anomaly during 2009-2010 when consecutive El Nino and La Nina hit Lombok. El Nino and La Nina strongly effected on rainfall amount in Lombok Island. Western part of Lombok island is wetter than the eastern part because the monsoon starts earlier in the west. The northern part has more intense rainfall due to the orographic factor.

The effect of orographic factors and soil fertility on the growth of Manglietia conifera Blume planta- tions in Tuyên Quang province of Vietnam

The effect of orographic factors and soil fertility on the growth of Manglietia conifera Blume planta- tions in Tuyên Quang province of Vietnam

Mapping Precipitation, Temperature, and Evapotranspiration in the Mkomazi River Basin, Tanzania

It is still a challenge to provide spatially explicit predictions of climate parameters in African regions of complex relief, where meteorological information is scarce. Here we predict rainfall, temperature, and reference evapotranspiration (ETo) for the southern Mkomazi River Basin in Northeastern Tanzania, East Africa, by means of regression-based, digital elevation models (DEM) at 90 m spatial-resolution and geographic information systems (GIS) techniques. We mapped rainfall for the period 1964–2010. The models accounted for orographic factors which strongly influenced the spatial variability of rainfall in the region. According to orography, the area was divided into three zones for modelling rainfall: windward, leeward, and transition zone. Rainfall indicates high spatial and temporal variability dominated by equatorial East-African climate circulation systems. Maximum and minimum temperatures were modelled for the period 1989–1994, the models accounted only for the altitude gradient. Mean temperature was calculated by arithmetic mean of maximum and minimum temperatures maps in ArcGIS. ETo was estimated in ArcGIS following the method described by Hargreaves and Samani. The maps were made on a monthly basis for rainfall, ETo, and mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures. The obtained maps are useful for the purpose of agriculture, ecological, and water resources management.

The Influence of Edaphic and Orographic Factors on Algal Diversity in Biological Soil Crusts on Bare Spots in the Polar and Subpolar Urals

The influence of edaphic and orographic factors on the formation of algal diversity in biological soil crusts was studied in mountain tundras of the Polar and Subpolar Urals. Bare spots developed in the soils on different parent materials and overgrown to different extents were investigated. Overall, 221 algal species from six divisions were identified. Among them, eighty-eight taxa were new for the region studied. The Stigonema minutum, S. ocellatum, Nostoc commune, Gloeocapsopsis magma, Scytonema hofmannii, Leptolyngbya foveolarum, Pseudococcomyxa simplex, Sporotetras polydermatica species and species of the Cylindrocystis, Elliptochloris, Fischerella, Leptosira, Leptolyngbya, Myrmecia, Mesotaenium, Phormidium, Schizothrix genera were permanent components of biological soil crusts. The basis of the algal cenoses in soil crusts was composed of cosmopolitan cyanoprokaryotes, multicellular green algae with thickened covers and abundant mucus. The share of nitrogen fixers was high. The physicochemical properties of primary soils forming under the crusts of spots are described. The more important factors affecting the species composition of algae in the crusts are the elevation gradient, temperature, soil moisture, and the contents of Ca, Mg, mobile phosphorus, and total nitrogen.

Estimation of Precipitation over the OLYMPEX Domain during Winter 2015/16

Abstract To provide ground validation data for satellite precipitation products derived from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, such as IMERG, in cold seasons and where orographic factors exert strong controls on precipitation, the Olympic Mountain Experiment (OLYMPEX) was conducted during winter 2015/16. By utilizing multiple observational resources from OLYMPEX, estimates of daily and finer-scale precipitation are constructed at 1/32° spatial resolution over the OLYMPEX domain. The estimates are based on NOAA WSR-88D and gauge estimates as incorporated in NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) Q3GC product, augmented with an additional 120 gauges available during OLYMPEX. Few stations are located in the interior of the Olympic Peninsula at elevations higher than about 500 m, and in this part of the domain the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrology model is used to invert the snow water equivalent (SWE) estimates, derived from two NASA JPL Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO) snow depth maps on 8–9 February 2016 and 29–30 March 2016, for precipitation through adjustment of the precipitation-weighting factor on a grid cell by grid cell basis. In comparison with this composite product, both IMERG (version 04A) and its Japanese counterpart GSMaP’s (version 04B) satellite-only products tend to underestimate winter precipitation, by 41% and 28%, respectively, over the entire domain from 1 October 2015 to 30 April 2016. The underestimation is more pronounced for the orographically enhanced mountainous interior of the OLYMPEX domain, by 57% and 48%, respectively. In contrast, IMERG and GSMaP storm interarrival time statistics are quite similar to those estimated from gridded observations.

The sensitivity of landscape evolution models to spatial and temporal rainfall resolution

Abstract. Climate is one of the main drivers for landscape evolution models (LEMs), yet its representation is often basic with values averaged over long time periods and frequently lumped to the same value for the whole basin. Clearly, this hides the heterogeneity of precipitation – but what impact does this averaging have on erosion and deposition, topography, and the final shape of LEM landscapes? This paper presents results from the first systematic investigation into how the spatial and temporal resolution of precipitation affects LEM simulations of sediment yields and patterns of erosion and deposition. This is carried out by assessing the sensitivity of the CAESAR-Lisflood LEM to different spatial and temporal precipitation resolutions – as well as how this interacts with different-size drainage basins over short and long timescales. A range of simulations were carried out, varying rainfall from 0.25 h × 5 km to 24 h × Lump resolution over three different-sized basins for 30-year durations. Results showed that there was a sensitivity to temporal and spatial resolution, with the finest leading to > 100 % increases in basin sediment yields. To look at how these interactions manifested over longer timescales, several simulations were carried out to model a 1000-year period. These showed a systematic bias towards greater erosion in uplands and deposition in valley floors with the finest spatial- and temporal-resolution data. Further tests showed that this effect was due solely to the data resolution, not orographic factors. Additional research indicated that these differences in sediment yield could be accounted for by adding a compensation factor to the model sediment transport law. However, this resulted in notable differences in the topographies generated, especially in third-order and higher streams. The implications of these findings are that uncalibrated past and present LEMs using lumped and time-averaged climate inputs may be under-predicting basin sediment yields as well as introducing spatial biases through under-predicting erosion in first-order streams but over-predicting erosion in second- and third-order streams and valley floor areas. Calibrated LEMs may give correct sediment yields, but patterns of erosion and deposition will be different and the calibration may not be correct for changing climates. This may have significant impacts on the modelled basin profile and shape from long-timescale simulations.