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

Stefan Krause, Jörg Jacobs and Axel Bronstert

Ecological Modelling, 2007, vol. 200, issue 3, 475-492

Abstract: This study presents the modelling approach and impact assessment of different strategies for managing wetland water resources and groundwater dynamics of landscapes which are characterised by the hydrological interactions of floodplains and the adjacent lowlands. The assessment of such impacts is based on the analysis of simulation results of complex scenarios of land-use changes and changes of the density of the drainage-network. The method has been applied to the 198km2 Lower Havel River catchment as a typical example of a lowland–floodplain landscape. The model used consists of a coupled soil water and groundwater model, where the latter one is additionally coupled to the surface channel network. Thus, the hydrological processes of the variable saturated soil zone as well as lateral groundwater flow and the interactions between surface water and groundwater are simulated in an integrated manner. The model was validated for several years of significantly different meteorological conditions. The comparison of lateral and vertical water balance components showed the dominance of lateral flow processes and the importance of the interactions between surface water and groundwater for the overall water balance and the hydrological state of that type of landscape.

Keywords: Floodplain; Water balance; Modelling; Land-use change; Drainage; Scenario; Lowland (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:200:y:2007:i:3:p:475-492

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2006.08.015

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