Hydrological heterogeneity in Mediterranean reclaimed slopes: runoff and sediment yield at the patch and slope scales along a gradient of overland flow

Merino-Martín, L.; Moreno-de las Heras, M.; Pérez-Domingo, S.; Espigares, T.; Nicolau, J.M.

Abstract

Hydrological heterogeneity is recognized as a fundamental ecosystem attribute in drylands controlling the flux of water and energy through landscapes. Therefore, mosaics of runoff and sediment source patches and sinks are frequently identified in these dry environments. There is a remarkable scarcity of studies about hydrological spatial heterogeneity in restored slopes, where ecological succession and overland flow are interacting. We conducted field research to study the hydrological role of patches and slopes along an "overland flow gradient" (gradient of overland flow routing through the slopes caused by different amounts of run-on coming from upslope) in three reclaimed mining slopes of Mediterranean-continental climate. We found that runoff generation and routing in non-rilled slopes showed a pattern of source and sink areas of runoff. Such hydrological microenvironments were associated with seven vegetation patches (characterized by plant community types and cover). Two types of sink patches were identified: shrub Genista scorpius patches could be considered as "deep sinks", while patches where the graminoids Brachypodium retusum and Lolium perenne dominate were classified as "surface sinks" or "runoff splays". A variety of source patches were also identified spanning from "extreme sources" (Medicago sativa patches; equivalent to bare soil) to "poor sources" (areas scattered by dwarf-shrubs of Thymus vulgaris or herbaceous tussocks of Dactylis glomerata). Finally, we identified the volume of overland flow routing along the slope as a major controlling factor of "hydrological diversity" (heterogeneity of hydrological behaviours quantified as Shannon diversity index): when overland flow increases at the slope scale hydrological diversity diminishes.

Citation

Merino-Martín, L., Moreno-de las Heras, M., Pérez-Domingo, S., Espigares, T., & Nicolau, J. (2012). Hydrological heterogeneity in Mediterranean reclaimed slopes: runoff and sediment yield at the patch and slope scales along a gradient of overland flow. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 16(5), 1305-1320. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1305-2012

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 9, 2012
• Publication Date: May 8, 2012
• Deposit Date: Nov 28, 2013
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 9, 2015
• Journal: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
• Print ISSN: 1027-5606
• Electronic ISSN: 1607-7938
• Publisher: Copernicus Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 1305-1320
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1305-2012
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1446577