The influence of land cover changes on landscape hydric potential and river flows: upper Vistula, Western Carpathians
Authors:
- Jakub Wojkowski,
- Andrzej Wałęga,
- Artur Radecki-Pawlik,
- Dariusz Młyński,
- Tomáš Lepeška
Abstract
This paper presents an approach for mitigating water-related problems, that relates the retention of precipitation and use of ecosystems, as a tool for improving the quality, quantity and availability of water resources throughout the region. One approach is the determination of the landscape’s hydric potential (LHP). Land cover changes can influence ecosystems in different ways depending on crucial factors that depend on water resources. Thus-far, many studies describe the influence of land cover changes on individual features of catchments and hydrological regime, but few have made an attempt to analysis how changes in land cover can holistically influence processes in catchments. In this context the innovative aspect of this work presents the consequence of land cover changes on water retention expressed by LHP — a general descriptor that is linked with many composite influence factors on water retention. A study was carried out on 33 catchments located in central Europe. Results show increased forest cover having a positive trend in the context of LHP. Conversely, increased urban and industrial areas negatively impact LHP. The presented analysis reveals that a few land cover changes had direct and clearly positive effects on LHP. The LHP had decreased in 21 catchments and increased in 12 catchments. Decreased LHP was generally observed in catchments located on the left side of the Vistula basin where there are more advantageous conditions for agriculture, rising industry and urban areas. The study showed that during the analyzed period, obtained changes of LHP values did not strongly affect hydrological regimes in studied catchments. Our results show that LHP is a very good and useful descriptor that includes many characteristics of catchment and could be used for river catchment management purposes. The landscape’s hydric potential can be used in any catchment in the world.
- Record ID
- CUT4a88948863e84648b2e870a2aa5c8294
- Publication categories
- ;
- Author
- Journal series
- Catena, ISSN 0341-8162, e-ISSN 1872-6887, Monthly
- Issue year
- 2022
- Vol
- 210
- Pages
- [1-17]
- Article number
- 105878
- Other elements of collation
- fot.; rys.; tab.; wykr.; Bibliografia (na s.) - 16-17; Oznaczenie streszczenia - Abstr.; Numeracja w czasopiśmie - Vol. 210
- Keywords in English
- water retention, landscape hydric potential, flows, land cover, catchments characteristics
- ASJC Classification
- DOI
- DOI:10.1016/j.catena.2021.105878 Opening in a new tab
- URL
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0341816221007360 Opening in a new tab
- Language
- eng (en) English
- Score (nominal)
- 140
- Score source
- journalList
- Score
- Publication indicators
- Additional fields
- Indeksowana w: Web of Science, Scopus
- Uniform Resource Identifier
- https://cris.pk.edu.pl/info/article/CUT4a88948863e84648b2e870a2aa5c8294/
- URN
urn:pkr-prod:CUT4a88948863e84648b2e870a2aa5c8294
* presented citation count is obtained through Internet information analysis, and it is close to the number calculated by the Publish or PerishOpening in a new tab system.