Forest Fires, Land Use Changes and Their Impact on Hydrological Balance in Temperate Forests of Central Mexico
Temperate forests play a fundamental role in the provision, regulation, and support of hydrological environmental services, but they are subject to constant changes in land use (clearing, overgrazing, deforestation, and forest fires) that upset the hydrological balance. Through scenarios simulated w...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI
2022
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10835/13223 |
| _version_ | 1789406335728615424 |
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| author | Ruíz-García, Víctor H. Borja de la Rosa, Ma. Amparo Gómez-Díaz, Jesús D. Asensio Grima, Carlos Manuel Matías-Ramos, Moisés Monterroso-Rivas, Alejandro I. |
| author_facet | Ruíz-García, Víctor H. Borja de la Rosa, Ma. Amparo Gómez-Díaz, Jesús D. Asensio Grima, Carlos Manuel Matías-Ramos, Moisés Monterroso-Rivas, Alejandro I. |
| author_sort | Ruíz-García, Víctor H. |
| collection | DSpace |
| description | Temperate forests play a fundamental role in the provision, regulation, and support of hydrological environmental services, but they are subject to constant changes in land use (clearing, overgrazing, deforestation, and forest fires) that upset the hydrological balance. Through scenarios simulated with the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) hydrological model, the present study analyzes the effects of forest fires and land use changes on the hydrological balance in the microwatersheds of central Mexico. The land use changes that took place between 1995 and 2021 were estimated, and projections based on the current scenario were made. Two trend scenarios were proposed for 2047: one with a positive trend (forest permanence) and the other with a negative trend (loss of cover from forest fires). The results show that with permanence or an increase in forest area, the surface runoff would decrease by 48.2%, increasing the base flow by 37% and the soil moisture by 2.3%. If forest is lost, surface runoff would increase up to 454%, and soil moisture would decrease by 27%. If the current forest decline trends continue, then there will be negative alterations in hydrological processes: a reduction in the interception of precipitation by the canopy and an increase in the velocity and flow of surface runoff, among others. The final result will be a lower amount of water being infiltrated into the soil and stored in the subsoil. The provision of hydrological environmental services depends on the maintenance of forest cover. |
| format | info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
| id | oai:repositorio.ual.es:10835-13223 |
| institution | Universidad de Cuenca |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | MDPI |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oai:repositorio.ual.es:10835-132232023-10-31T13:24:10Z Forest Fires, Land Use Changes and Their Impact on Hydrological Balance in Temperate Forests of Central Mexico Ruíz-García, Víctor H. Borja de la Rosa, Ma. Amparo Gómez-Díaz, Jesús D. Asensio Grima, Carlos Manuel Matías-Ramos, Moisés Monterroso-Rivas, Alejandro I. hydrological scenarios soil moisture WEAP runoff infiltration Temperate forests play a fundamental role in the provision, regulation, and support of hydrological environmental services, but they are subject to constant changes in land use (clearing, overgrazing, deforestation, and forest fires) that upset the hydrological balance. Through scenarios simulated with the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) hydrological model, the present study analyzes the effects of forest fires and land use changes on the hydrological balance in the microwatersheds of central Mexico. The land use changes that took place between 1995 and 2021 were estimated, and projections based on the current scenario were made. Two trend scenarios were proposed for 2047: one with a positive trend (forest permanence) and the other with a negative trend (loss of cover from forest fires). The results show that with permanence or an increase in forest area, the surface runoff would decrease by 48.2%, increasing the base flow by 37% and the soil moisture by 2.3%. If forest is lost, surface runoff would increase up to 454%, and soil moisture would decrease by 27%. If the current forest decline trends continue, then there will be negative alterations in hydrological processes: a reduction in the interception of precipitation by the canopy and an increase in the velocity and flow of surface runoff, among others. The final result will be a lower amount of water being infiltrated into the soil and stored in the subsoil. The provision of hydrological environmental services depends on the maintenance of forest cover. 2022-02-09T18:09:54Z 2022-02-09T18:09:54Z 2022-01-27 info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2073-4441 http://hdl.handle.net/10835/13223 10.3390/w14030383 en https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/3/383 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacional http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess MDPI |
| spellingShingle | hydrological scenarios soil moisture WEAP runoff infiltration Ruíz-García, Víctor H. Borja de la Rosa, Ma. Amparo Gómez-Díaz, Jesús D. Asensio Grima, Carlos Manuel Matías-Ramos, Moisés Monterroso-Rivas, Alejandro I. Forest Fires, Land Use Changes and Their Impact on Hydrological Balance in Temperate Forests of Central Mexico |
| title | Forest Fires, Land Use Changes and Their Impact on Hydrological Balance in Temperate Forests of Central Mexico |
| title_full | Forest Fires, Land Use Changes and Their Impact on Hydrological Balance in Temperate Forests of Central Mexico |
| title_fullStr | Forest Fires, Land Use Changes and Their Impact on Hydrological Balance in Temperate Forests of Central Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | Forest Fires, Land Use Changes and Their Impact on Hydrological Balance in Temperate Forests of Central Mexico |
| title_short | Forest Fires, Land Use Changes and Their Impact on Hydrological Balance in Temperate Forests of Central Mexico |
| title_sort | forest fires, land use changes and their impact on hydrological balance in temperate forests of central mexico |
| topic | hydrological scenarios soil moisture WEAP runoff infiltration |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10835/13223 |
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