Using SWAT Model to Investigate the Impact of Rangeland Management Practices on Water Conservation (Case Study: Gorganroud Watershed, Golestan, Iran)

Journal of Rangeland Science

مقاله 3، دوره 6، شماره 4، دی 2016، صفحه 309-319   

نوع مقاله: Research and Full Length Article

نویسندگان

Mohadeseh Zadsar¹؛ Mojgansadat Azimi^{* 2}

¹Faculty of Rangeland and Watershed Management, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran

²Assistant Professor, Faculty of Rangeland and Watershed Management, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Golestan, Iran

چکیده

Hydrological response of a watershed is a comprehensive symbol of environmental conditions and characteristics of the basin. Vegetation is one of the main factors in water resources status, erosion, and sediment of a watershed. Rangelands of Golestan province, Iran due to the geographical location, climate, and destruction of these resources as well as drastic land use changes from forests, and rangelands to agricultural lands have a high potential of run-off. Therefore, in the present study in order to determine the best management of the rangelands, we developed a rangeland improvement model using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in the Gorganroud Watershed, Golestan, Iran. Calibration and validation of model were performed using Sequential Uncertainty Fitting Program (SUFI-2) in the eco-hydrological model of SWAT. Simulating the run-off in the studied hydrometric stations, the results showed that this model performed well for the study area (P-factor 0.6-0.9; R-factor 0.85-1.5). As well, four range improvement scenarios (mechanical, biological, biomechanical and livestock grazing management) were defined in this study. On average, by applying mechanical, biological, biomechanical, and grazing management scenarios, runoff was reduced to 13.5%, 11%, 20.7% and 12.5%, respectivelyin comparison with the actual runoff. According to the obtained results, the biomechanical scenario was identified as the best one in reducing the runoff and water conserve in poor and moderate rangelands.

کلیدواژه‌ها

Rangeland improvement operations؛ SUFI-2؛ Biomechanical scenario؛ Grazing management؛ Gorganroud watershed

مراجع

Abbaspour, K.C., Yang, J., Maximov, I., Siber, R., Bogner, K., Mieleitner, J., Zobrist, J., andSrinivasan, R. 2007. Modeling hydrology and water quality in the pre-Alpine/Alpine Thurwatershed using SWAT. Jour. Hydrology. 333(1): 413–430.

Abbaspour, K.C., 2011. User Manual for SWAT-CUP, SWAT Calibration and Uncertainty Analysis Programs. Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Eawag, Duebendorf, Switzerland. 103 pp. (In Persian).

Afinowicz, J.D., Clyde, l., and Bradford, P., 2005. Modeling effect of brush management on the rangeland water budget, Edwards Plateau, Texas. Jour. the American Water Resources Association. 41(1):181-193.

Alansi, A. W., Amin, S. M., Abdul Halim, G., Shafri, H. Z. M. and Aimrun, W., 2009. Validation of SWAT model for stream flow simulation and forecasting in Upper Bernam humid tropical river basin, Malaysia. Jour. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions. 6(1): 7581–7609.

Azimi, M., Heshmati, G. A., Farahpour, M., Faramarzi, M. and Abbaspour, K. C., 2013. Modeling the impact of rangeland management on forage production of sagebrush species in arid and semi-arid regions of Iran. Jour. Ecological Modeling, 250(1): 1–14.

Barkhordari, J., and Semsar Yazdi, A.A., 2015. Assessment of the Monthly Water Balance in an Arid Region Using TM Model and GIS (Case Study: Pishkouh Watershed, Iran). Jour. Rangeland science. 5(2): 83-93

Brooks,K.N., Folliott, P.F., Gregersen H.M. andThames J.L.,1991.HydrologyandtheManagement of Watershed, vol. 1. Iowa State University, p. 220.

Corson, M.S., Skinner, R.H., Rotz, C.A., 2006. Modification of the SPUR rangeland model to simulate species composition and pasture productivity in humid temperate regions. Jour. Experimental Agriculture. 87:169–191.

Faramarzi, M., Abbaspour, K.C., Schulin, R. and Yang, H., 2009. Modeling blue and green water resources availability in Iran. Jour. Hydrological Processes. 23: 486-501

Faramarzi, M., Yang, H., Schulin, R., and Abbaspour, K.C., 2010. Modeling wheat yield and crop water productivity in Iran: Implications of agricultural water management for wheat production. Jour. Agricultural Water Management. 97:1861–1875.

Geza, M. and McCray, J.E., 2008. Effects of soil data resolution on SWAT model stream flow and water quality predictions. Jour. Environmental Management, 88: 93–406.

Gassman, P. W., Reyers, M. R., Green, C.H. and Arnold, J.G., 2007. The soil and water assessment tool: Historical development, applications and future research directions. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. 50(4):1211-1250

Khatir Namani, J., 2008. Reports of range assessment in different climate area in Golestan province. Iran. Golestan Agricultural and Natural Research Center. Research Institute of Forest and Rangelands. 89pp. (In Persian).

Luo, Yi., He, Ch., Sophocleous, M., Yin, Zh., Hongrui, R., and Ouyang, Zh., 2008. Assessment of crop growth and soil water modules in SWAT2000 using extensive field experiment data in an irrigation district of the Yellow River Basin. Jour. Hydrology. 352:139– 156.

Mapfumo, E., Chanasyk, D.S., and Willms, W.D., 2004. Simulating daily soil water under foothills fescue grazing with SWAT model, Alberta, Canada. Jour. Hydrology, 18(2):2787-2800.

MEI, 2007. Ministry of Energy of Iran. Reports of the assessment flood damage. No: 296. 95p. Tehran. (In Persian).

MEI, 2013. Ministry of Energy of Iran. Available at: http://news.moe.gov.ir/.

Moriasi, D. N., Arnold, J. G., Van Liew, M. W., Bingener, R. L., Harmel, R. D. andVeith, T.L., 2007. Model evaluation guidelines for systematic quantification ofaccuracy in watershed simulations. Transactions of the ASABE. 50 (3):885-900.

Neitsch, S.L., Arnold, J.G., Kiniry, J.R., Williams, J.R. and King, K.W., 2011. Soil and water assessment tool. Theoretical documentation: Version 2009. TWRI TR-406. College Station, Texas: Texas Water Resources Institute. 647pp.

Simonovic, P., 2002. Tow non-structural measures for sustainable management of floods, In Proceedingof the International Hydrological Workshop on Ontario, Canada. Pages 65- 81.

WSIMO, 2009. Iranian Meteorological Organization. Available at: http://www.weather.ir/.

Wang, S., Kang, S., Zhang, L. and Li, F., 2005. Modeling hydrological response to different land-use and climate change scenarios in the Zamu River basin of northwest China. Jour. Hydrological Processes. 22: 2502-2510.

Zarghami, M., Abdi, A., Babaeian, I., Hassanzadeh, Y. and Kanani, R., 2011. Impacts of climate change on runoffs in East Azerbaijan, Iran. Global and Planetary Change, 78(3-4): 137-146. (In Persian).