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Effects of climate and land-use change on lowland stream ecosystems

Abstract

During the past decades human interference in regional hydrologic systems has intensified. These systems act as an integrating medium. They link climate, human activities and ecological processes through groundwater and surface water interactions. In this study we have examined the potential impacts of climate and land-use change on the streams Beerze and Reusel in the Netherlands. For examining the potential impacts of climate change we have followed a scheme involving predictions for: indirect effects of climate change, that are transferred to ecological subsystems through the regional hydrologic system; direct effects of climate change, through the direct influence of temperature on the growth and reproduction of plant species, and the dispersal of aquatic invertebrates. The results for the study region indicate a high sensitivity of the peak discharges to the precipitation: an increase of 17% in the winter precipitation causes a more than 50% increase of the peak discharges computed by the simulation model. The upward seepage of groundwater to the root zone of natural vegetation is especially sensitive to the evapotranspiration, and half as sensitive to the precipitation. Effects of climate changes on wet and moist river valley ecosystems are limited, and in several scenarios positive. In upland infiltration areas  More>>
Authors:
Van Walsum, P E.V.; Verdonschot, P F.M.; Runhaar, J [1] 
  1. Alterra, Wageningen (Netherlands)
Publication Date:
Jul 01, 2001
Product Type:
Technical Report
Report Number:
NOP-MLK-410-200-067
Reference Number:
EDB-01:082715
Resource Relation:
Other Information: The title study has been carried out within the framework of the Dutch National Research Programme on Global Air Pollution and Climate Change (NRP-GAPCC or NOP-MLK, abbreviated in Dutch); PBD: 2001
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; LAND USE; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; NETHERLANDS; STREAMS; GROUND WATER; HYDROLOGY; SURFACE WATERS; SIMULATION; TRANSPIRATION; PLANT GROWTH; DRAINAGE; RANGELANDS; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; DEPOSITION; PRECIPITATION; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; MOISTURE
OSTI ID:
20191625
Research Organizations:
NRP Programme Office, Bilthoven (Netherlands)
Country of Origin:
Netherlands
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ISBN 90-5851-047-6; TRN: NL01E1534
Availability:
Available from <a href="http://www.nop.nl/">NRP</a> Programme Office, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven (Netherlands)
Submitting Site:
ECN
Size:
201 pages
Announcement Date:
Sep 28, 2001

Citation Formats

Van Walsum, P E.V., Verdonschot, P F.M., and Runhaar, J. Effects of climate and land-use change on lowland stream ecosystems. Netherlands: N. p., 2001. Web.
Van Walsum, P E.V., Verdonschot, P F.M., &amp; Runhaar, J. Effects of climate and land-use change on lowland stream ecosystems. Netherlands.
Van Walsum, P E.V., Verdonschot, P F.M., and Runhaar, J. 2001. "Effects of climate and land-use change on lowland stream ecosystems." Netherlands.
@misc{etde_20191625,
title = {Effects of climate and land-use change on lowland stream ecosystems}
author = {Van Walsum, P E.V., Verdonschot, P F.M., and Runhaar, J}
abstractNote = {During the past decades human interference in regional hydrologic systems has intensified. These systems act as an integrating medium. They link climate, human activities and ecological processes through groundwater and surface water interactions. In this study we have examined the potential impacts of climate and land-use change on the streams Beerze and Reusel in the Netherlands. For examining the potential impacts of climate change we have followed a scheme involving predictions for: indirect effects of climate change, that are transferred to ecological subsystems through the regional hydrologic system; direct effects of climate change, through the direct influence of temperature on the growth and reproduction of plant species, and the dispersal of aquatic invertebrates. The results for the study region indicate a high sensitivity of the peak discharges to the precipitation: an increase of 17% in the winter precipitation causes a more than 50% increase of the peak discharges computed by the simulation model. The upward seepage of groundwater to the root zone of natural vegetation is especially sensitive to the evapotranspiration, and half as sensitive to the precipitation. Effects of climate changes on wet and moist river valley ecosystems are limited, and in several scenarios positive. In upland infiltration areas effects are much stronger. Compared to the impact of other human influences like agricultural drainage, the effects of climate change on the area of wet and moist riverine grasslands are moderate, and mostly they are positive. Under all scenarios the climate change had a significantly negative effect on the stream community of the aquatic ecosystem. The direct effect of temperature rise on the aquatic community is expected to be large. 85 refs.}
place = {Netherlands}
year = {2001}
month = {Jul}
}