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The Role of Water Management: Feedback between Water and Land Degradation

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A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil-Sediment-Water Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 8785

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Javier Lozano-Parra

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Guest Editor

Instituto de Geografía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avda. Vicuña Mackenna, Santiago de Chile 4860, Chile
Interests: hydrology; ecohydrology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Susanne Schnabel

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Guest Editor

Research Institute for Sustainable Land Development, Universidad de Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain
Interests: hydrology; soil water erosion; land degradation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Manuel Pulido Fernádez

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor

GeoEnvironmental Research Group, University of Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain
Interests: sustainable grazing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water management is a major factor that controls the organization and functioning of most ecosystems, especially those where water requirements and availability can drive land degradation and desertification. Knowing how climate, geomorphology, soil, or vegetation regulate the provision of hydrological services and maintain the ecosystems is very important because it improves decision-making and helps avoid land damage and, in some cases, to restore it.

Water management is a critical issue because it is an underlying factor in many of the land degradation problems experienced globally. In humid areas, overexploitation of water resources and water misuse can impair or pollute the aquifers and rivers, negatively affecting farm management. In the driest regions, people are usually aware of their limited water resources. However, this knowledge is not always reflected by avoiding overexploitation of water and land, so soils tend to be degraded. Therefore, there is a critical amount of water required by land users and when this is not available, for example, during droughts or because of groundwater level decline, land degradation can occur.

This Special Issue explores the role of water management in the silvopastoral ecosystems where misuse of water can lead to soil degradation. Studies focusing on the relation between water and land degradation are welcome, particularly those that propose strategies to manage water and land.

Dr. Javier Lozano-Parra
Prof. Dr. Susanne Schnabel
Dr. Manuel Pulido Fernández
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

water
silvopastoral systems
soil erosion
land degradation
management strategies

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 2781 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relative Contribution of the Xiaolangdi Dam to Runoff Changes in the Lower Yellow River

by Qinghe Zhao, Shengyan Ding, Xiaoyu Ji, Zhendong Hong, Mengwen Lu and Peng Wang

Land 2021, 10(5), 521; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10050521 - 13 May 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2193

Abstract

Human activities are increasingly recognized as having a critical influence on hydrological processes under the warming of the climate, particularly for dam-regulated rivers. To ensure the sustainable management of water resources, it is important to evaluate how dam construction may affect surface runoff. In this study, using Mann–Kendall tests, the double mass curve method, and the Budyko-based elasticity method, the effects of climate change and human activities on annual and seasonal runoff were quantified for the Yellow River basin from 1961–2018; additionally, effects on runoff were assessed after the construction of the Xiaolangdi Dam (XLD, started operation in 2001) on the Yellow River. Both annual and seasonal runoff decreased over time (p < 0.01), due to the combined effects of climate change and human activities. Abrupt changes in annual, flood season, and non-flood season runoff occurred in 1986, 1989, and 1986, respectively. However, no abrupt changes were seen after the construction of the XLD. Human activities accounted for much of the reduction in runoff, approximately 75–72% annually, 81–86% for the flood season, and 86–90% for the non-flood season. Climate change approximately accounted for the remainder: 18–25% (annually), 14–19% (flood season), and 10–14% (non-flood season). The XLD construction mitigated runoff increases induced by heightened precipitation and reduced potential evapotranspiration during the post-dam period; the XLD accounted for approximately 52% of the runoff reduction both annually and in the non-flood season, and accounted for approximately −32% of the runoff increase in the flood season. In conclusion, this study provides a basic understanding of how dam construction contributes to runoff changes in the context of climate change; this information will be beneficial for the sustainable management of water resources in regulated rivers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Water Management: Feedback between Water and Land Degradation)

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28 pages, 14309 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamics of Erosion and Deposition in a Partially Restored Valley-Bottom Gully

by Alberto Alfonso-Torreño, Álvaro Gómez-Gutiérrez and Susanne Schnabel

Land 2021, 10(1), 62; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10010062 - 13 Jan 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2875

Abstract

Gullies are sources and reservoirs of sediments and perform as efficient transfers of runoff and sediments. In recent years, several techniques and technologies emerged to facilitate monitoring of gully dynamics at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions. Here we present a detailed study of a valley-bottom gully in a Mediterranean rangeland with a savannah-like vegetation cover that was partially restored in 2017. Restoration activities included check dams (gabion weirs and fascines) and livestock exclosure by fencing. The specific objectives of this work were: (1) to analyze the effectiveness of the restoration activities, (2) to study erosion and deposition dynamics before and after the restoration activities using high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs), (3) to examine the role of micro-morphology on the observed topographic changes, and (4) to compare the current and recent channel dynamics with previous studies conducted in the same study area through different methods and spatio-temporal scales, quantifying medium-term changes. Topographic changes were estimated using multi-temporal, high-resolution DEMs produced using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry and aerial images acquired by a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The performance of the restoration activities was satisfactory to control gully erosion. Check dams were effective favoring sediment deposition and reducing lateral bank erosion. Livestock exclosure promoted the stabilization of bank headcuts. The implemented restoration measures increased notably sediment deposition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Water Management: Feedback between Water and Land Degradation)

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Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 4581 KiB

Open AccessReview

Analyzing Regional Geographic Challenges: The Resilience of Chinese Vineyards to Land Degradation Using a Societal and Biophysical Approach

by Yang Yu and Jesús Rodrigo-Comino

Land 2021, 10(2), 227; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10020227 - 23 Feb 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2860

Abstract

Land degradation, especially soil erosion, is a societal issue that affects vineyards worldwide, but there are no current investigations that inform specifically about soil erosion rates in Chinese vineyards. In this review, we analyze this problem and the need to avoid irreversible damage to soil and their use from a regional point of view. Information about soil erosion in vineyards has often failed to reach farmers, and we can affirm that to this time, soil erosion in Chinese vineyards has been more of a scientific hypothesis than an agronomic or environmental concern. Two hypotheses can be presented to justify this review: (i) there are no official and scientific investigations on vineyard soil erosion in China as the main topic, and it may be understood that stakeholders do not care about this or (ii) there is a significant lack of information and motivation among farmers, policymakers and wineries concerning the consequences of soil erosion. Therefore, this review proposes a plan to study vineyard soil erosion processes for the first time in China and develop a structured scientific proposal considering different techniques and strategies. To achieve these goals, we present a plan considering previous research on other viticultural regions. We hypothesize that the results of a project from a regional geographic point of view would provide the necessary scientific support to facilitate deriving guidelines for sustainable vineyard development in China. We concluded that after completing this review, we cannot affirm why vine plantations have not received the same attention as other crops or land uses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Water Management: Feedback between Water and Land Degradation)

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