Land use change impacts

Land surface and river systems are often exposed to natural changes and anthropogenic interventions (e.g. river development, forest damages, surface sealing). Since there are so many and so complex physical processes involved, the impacts of such changes and interventions on the overall water balance and on the runoff regime of large river systems can often only be estimated by using hydrologic models which work in a high spatial and temporal resolution.

The existing WaSiM applications on impact assessment of land use changes demonstrate the suitability of the model for such types of questions.

Selected references:

Krause, S., J. Jacobs, A. Bronstert (2007)

Modelling the impacts of land-use and drainage density on the water balance of a lowland–floodplain landscape in northeast Germany.

Ecol. Modelling 200(3-4): 475-492 [Link]

Verbunt, M., M. Groot Zwaaftink, J. Gurtz (2005)

The hydrologic impact of land cover changes and hydropower stations in the Alpine Rhine basin.

Ecol. Modelling 187(1): 71-84 [Link]

Niehoff, D. (2002)

Modellierung des Einflusses der Landnutzung auf die Hochwasserentstehung in der Mesoskala.

Brandenburgische Umwelt Berichte (BUB) Band 11, Schriftenreihe der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Univ. Potsdam, 143 S.

Rode, M., B. Klaer, P. Krause, K.-E. Lindenschmidt (2002)

Quantifizierung des Einflusses von Landnutzung und dezentraler Versickerung auf die Hochwasserentstehung.

In Sieker et. al.: Quantifizierung des Einflusses von Landnutzung und Flussausbau auf Hochwasser im Einzugsgebiet des Rheins (Projektstudie LAHoR). Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, 29 S.

Niehoff, D., A. Bronstert (2001)

Influences of Land Use and Land Cover Conditions on Flood Generation: A Simulation Study.

In J. Marsalek et al.(eds): Advances in Urban Stormwater and Agricultural Runoff Source Controls. Kluwer Academic Publishers 267-278