Microscale influence on runoff

Description:

Forests and urban trees are among the key elements of the water cycle and have been recognized as an important component in climate change mitigation. Forests perform important buffering functions, such as interception of precipitation, water retention, and photosynthesis. In the future, changes in hydrological processes and land use driven by climate change and urbanization are expected. Climate projections are in some areas predicting more intense rainfall events as well as longer dry periods. In addition, urbanization and, on the other hand, reforestation considerably change the hydrological properties and responses of an area. To be able to successfully mitigate those changes, an in-depth knowledge about various influences on the water balance, e.g., runoff and related hydrological processes is needed. Runoff is the result of complex interactions between various processes, usually described using the transformation of rainfall into runoff. Vegetation plays an important role in the runoff generation processes, especially by reducing and delaying the peak discharge values.

Main goals:

The proposed project aims to investigate how the runoff and related hydrological processes (HP) (infiltration, interception etc.) are impacted by land use under different climate conditions. Measurement networks with good spatial and temporal coverage will be established in seven plots and small catchments in Slovenia and Hungary. Database of obtained data will provide an insight into individual runoff characteristics and related HP as response to precipitation events. In the research project we aim to harmonize the data collection and preprocessing, as well as exchange of the data and knowledge among the participating research organisations. These are also the emphasized objectives of the Experimental and Representative Basins association, where associated research organisations are actively involved. By establishing similar measurements in urban and natural areas, differences and similarities of hydrological responses will be evaluated.

The main research question of the proposed project is how rainfall interception and transpiration influence the runoff and related hydrological processes, both quantitatively and temporally.

Project work packages:

WP1 – project management,
WP2 – measurements and database,
WP3 – data analysis,
WP4 – synthesis and dissemination

Project meetings:

Kick-off meeting was organized in Sopron on the 13^th of June 2023

Regular monthly online meetings were organized in years 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Second meeting was organized in Ljubljana on the 27th of June 2024.

Project dissemination:

2023:

Several outputs were prepared in the scope of the project:

-EGU 2023 conference abstract (https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8643).

-EGU 2023 conference abstract (https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3140).

-Danube conference 2023 conference abstract (https://rivers.boku.ac.at/timetable/event/dc-1-4-flood-drought-water-cycle-and-climate-change/).

-Several conference papers were prepared for the Hydrocarpath conference (https://hydrocarpath.nyme.hu/index.php/21986/?&L=4)

-Paper about urban soil water content (https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2023-0007).

-Paper about kinetic energy of raindrops (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2023.127971).

-Paper about impact of urban trees on runoff and rainfall intensitiy (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109727).

-Paper about August 2023 flood in Slovenia and flood mitigation (https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-3885-2023). 

-Paper about role of vegetation in regulating nitrate flushing (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162475).

-Paper about infiltration in urban park (https://doi.org/10.3390/w15203635).

-Interview about flood mitigation (https://znanost.sta.si/3202609/na-ekstremne-vremenske-dogodke-se-bo-moralo-prilagoditi-tudi-vodarstvo-in-okoljsko-inzenirstvo).

-Interview about flood mitigation ( https://www.delo.si/novice/obnavljamo-slovenijo/take-vode-niti-protipoplavni-ukrepi-ne-zadrzijo/).

-Round-table about rebuilding after floods (https://znanost.sta.si/3211146/na-okrogli-mizi-sta-za-premisljeno-obnovo-po-ujmi).

-IWRA webinar about floods (https://iwrmactionhub.org/node/3201). 

2024:

-Local proceeding about impact of meteorological variables on rainfall drop characteristics (https://fgg-web.fgg.uni-lj.si/SUGG/referati/2024/SZGG_2024_Zabret_in_dr.pdf).   

-Local proceeding about dynamics of soil moisture related to rainfall interception process (http://fgg-web.fgg.uni-lj.si/SUGG/referati/2023/SZGG_2023_Lebar_et_al.pdf).

-EGU 2024 conference abstract about black pine impact on water balance in Sopron (https://dx.doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11762).  

-EGU 2024 conference abstract about runoff coefficient estimation of different type of catchments (https://dx.doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-3073).

-EGU 2024 conference abstract about factors influencing throughfall drops (https://dx.doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-8204).

-EGU 2024 conference abstract about holistic solutions for water security (https://dx.doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-22254).

-TV show about water cycle in one of the catchments in Slovenia (https://kult-tv.si/slovenski-vodni-krog-potok-reka/).

-Paper about impact of different parameters on surface runoff (https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.132135).

-Paper about impact of vegetation on rainfall micro-structure and rainfall erosivity (https://dx.doi.org/10.15292/acta.hydro.2023.04).

-Paper impact of land-use on surface runoff and flood risk (https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2024.107185).

-Paper about historical runoff patterns in Sava River (https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/hydrology10070138).

-Paper about historical precipitation patterns in Slovenia (https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/hydrology10110207).