• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.30 no.3B
• /
• pp.285-293
• /
• 2010

Soil moisture is a key factor to control the exchange of water and energy between the surface and the atmosphere. In recent, many researches for spatial and temporal variability analyses of soil moisture have been conducted. In this study, we analyzed the spatio-temporal variability of soil moisture in Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, Arizona, U.S. during the Soil Moisture Experiment 2004 (SMEX04). The spatio-temporal variability analyses were performed to understand sensitivity of five observation sites with precipitation and relationship between mean soil moisture, and its standard deviation and coefficient of variation at the sites, respectively. It was identified that log-normal distribution was superior to replicate soil moisture spatial patterns. In addition, precipitation was identified as a key physical factor to understand spatio-temporal variability of soil moisure based on the temporal stability analysis. Based on current results, higher spatial variability was also observed which was agreed with the results of previous studies. The results from this study should be essential for improvement of the remotely sensed soil moisture retrieval algorithm.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.29-64
• /
• 1973

A land resources survey in the semi-arid area, Mula in S. E. Spain, of $400km^2$ is compiled. The basic aim of the project is to investigate the intrinsic qualities of the land resources of the area by means of applying an integrated method of natural resources survey mainly concerning with analysis and synthesis of land complexes, each of them represents an area or a group of areas with similar patterns of landforms, soils and vegetation, based on a geomorphological approach. The area is characterized by a linear arrangement of relief pattern with an asymmetric homoclinal repetition of slope attitudes elongating WSW-ENE, dipping steeply on the NW sides and gently on the SE sides, which have been resulted from the post-Alpine folding of the Triassic to Cretaceous limestone, the Eocene limestone, the Oligocene sandstone and the lower Miocene limestone and marl, and the post-lower Miocene faulting, tilting and subsequent differential erosion of the Miocene sedimentary formations. An integrated body of information in geology, landforms, soils and vegetation, which are significantry interrelated as an environmental complex, has been obtained. Using this data, 26 land complexes developing on the various situations of landforms, such as folded mountain ranges, tilted tablelands, bevelled cuestas, degraded hill-lands associating with enormous foots lopes, undulating terrains and terraced or flat plains, have been differentiated, mapped and described. The soils of the area are mostly light colored calcic lithosols which have been derived dominantly from the marly parent materials and developed into remarkable slope catenas in some places depending on the relief conditions. The land uses of the area are mainly characterized by the perennially irrigated cultivation of citrus orchards along the terraced alluvial deposits fringing the Segura and Mula River, and the dry-land cereal cultivation on gentler slopes. Pioneer dry-land cultivations within the shrubs on steeper slopes are restricted to the unchannelled tributary drainage floors. The availability of water is a fundamental controlling factor for existence of native and cultivated vegetation as a whole, and a number of active processes including sheet wash and gully erosion, especially on the scarp slopes, are the other important factors to be considered in conservation and management of the land in the area.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.139-147
• /
• 2012

Mongolia's solar-meteorological resources map has been developed using satellite data and reanalysis data. Solar radiation was calculated using solar radiation model, in which the input data were satellite data from SRTM, TERA, AQUA, AURA and MTSAT-1R satellites and the reanalysis data from NCEP/NCAR. The calculated results are validated by the DSWRF (Downward Short-Wave Radiation Flux) from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis. Mongolia is composed of mountainous region in the western area and desert or semi-arid region in middle and southern parts of the country. South-central area comprises inside the continent with a clear day and less rainfall, and irradiation is higher than other regions on the same latitude. The western mountain region is reached a lot of solar energy due to high elevation but the area is covered with snow (high albedo) throughout the year. The snow cover is a cause of false detection from the cloud detection algorithm of satellite data. Eventually clearness index and solar radiation are underestimated. And southern region has high total precipitable water and aerosol optical depth, but high solar radiation reaches the surface as it is located on the relatively lower latitude. When calculated solar radiation is validated by DSWRF from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis, monthly mean solar radiation is 547.59 MJ which is approximately 2.89 MJ higher than DSWRF. The correlation coefficient between calculation and reanalysis data is 0.99 and the RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) is 6.17 MJ. It turned out to be highest correlation (r=0.94) in October, and lowest correlation (r=0.62) in March considering the error of cloud detection with melting and yellow sand.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.87-111
• /
• 2013

Regional disparities between eastern and western regions is the most of serious problem for balanced regional development in Turkey. The Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) is being implemented to eliminate these regional development disparities. The work that was initially planned as predominantly for hydraulic energy production to utilize water resources of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers more effectively was later transformed into an integrated multi-sector regional development project. This study noted that this region had very limited cash crop production because of the constraints of semi-arid climate of the southeastern region, however, later, it has changed Turkey's major cotton producing region since Southeastern Anatolia Project carried out. Therefore, this study investigated background, process, and content of the Southeastern Anatolia Project with respect to high cotton productivity in this region and examined the dynamic changes of cotton productivity in this region. In addition, Sanliurfa prefecture is one of the main development axes of the Southeastern Anatolia Project, because government investments are concentrated on this prefecture. Therefore, this study examined the background and process of cotton farming growth in this prefecture. In 2011, Sanliurfa prefecture produced 37.6% of Turkey's total cotton production. This is mainly due to agricultural infrastructure expansion such as land consolidation, irrigation, roads and farm roads. Also, it is one of the main factor that subsidies paid to farmers for cotton cultivation. The introduction of irrigation has dramatically changed the direction of seasonal migration of this area. Prior to irrigation, this area had a serious social issue about out-migration for seasonal labor to other areas. However, the introduction of irrigation made this area that changed to in-migration and intramigration for cotton cultivation. Irrigation water is supplied to farmers through the WUAs (Water User Associations) that handed over irrigation water management, operation from DSI (General Directorate of State of Hydraulic Works). However, the WUAs are under the influence of Ashiret, a traditional feudal social structure. Because of this reason, it does not have an efficient management for farmers. Also, it is one of the reasons that this area does not have autonomous farmer organization.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.1-23
• /
• 1987

To investigate the forest structure of Mt. Bukhan. ranging from Seoul to Kyongkido, twenty plots were set up by the vegetation physiognomy and vegetation analysis was carried out. According to the leading dominant tree species in canopy stratum, forest communities were classified into three large groups of natural forest communities, semi-natural forest communities and artificial forest communities, and each of them covered 82.64, 7.03, and 5.71% of Mt. Bukhan area, respectively. Pure or mixed natural forest communities of Pinus densiflora and Quercus mongolica were major forest communities and covered 70.8% of Mt. Bukhan area. The important planted tree species were Robinia pseudoacacia, Pinus rigida, and Alnus birsuta and they were mainly planted at the southern slope and roadside. The degree of human disturbance of vegetation of 8, 7, and 6 area covered 82.64, 0, and 12.74%, respectively. According to forest dimensions, most of forest communities were young aged forests of which mean DBH was 20cm and canopy height below 10m. However, a few mature forest communities of Pinus densiflora or Quercus mongolica were found in the small area. The range of Shannon's species diversity of major natural forest communities, pure or mixed forest communities of Pinus densiflora and Quercus mongolica was 1.085~1.242. According to stand dynamic analysis by DBH class distribution, the present Quercus mongolica communities arid Robinia pseudoacacia communities may last long their present forest structure and most of other communities may be succeeded to Quercus mongolica communities, however, a few communities invaded by Robinia pseudoacacia and Quercus aliena-Quercus acutissima communities may be succeeded to Robinia pseudoacacia communities and Quercus aliena communities, respectively. DCA was the most effective method of this study. DCA ordination were showed that successional trends of tree species seem to be from Pinus densiflora through Quercus serrata. Prunus sargrntii. Sorbus alnifolia to Q. mongolica. Fraxinus mandsburica, F. rhynchophylla in the upper layer and from Zanthoxylum schinifolium, Lespedeza crytobotrya trough Rhus trichocarpa. Rh. verniciflua. Rhododendron mucronulatum. Rh. schlippenbachii to Acer pseudo-sieboldianus. Magnolia sieboldii, Euonymus sieboldianus.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.39 no.5
• /
• pp.321-327
• /
• 2006

In Korea, there is a growing competitive for water resources between industrial, domestic and agricultural consumer, and the environment as many other OECD countries. The demand on water use is also affecting aquatic ecosystems particularly where withdrawals are in excess of minimum environmental needs for rivers, lakes and wetland habits. OECD developed three indicators related to water use by the agriculture in above contexts : the first is a water use intensity indicator, which is expressed as the quantity or share of agricultural water use in total national water utilization; the second is a water stress indicator, which is expressed as the proportion of rivers (in length) subject to diversion or regulation for irrigation without reserving a minimum of limiting reference flow; and the third is a water use efficiency indicator designated as the technical and the economic efficiency. These indicators have different meanings in the aspect of water resource conservation and sustainable water use. So, it will be more significant that the indicators should reflect the intrinsic meanings of them. The problem is that the aspect of an overall water flow in the agro-ecosystem and recycling of water use not considered in the assessment of agricultural water use needed for calculation of these water use indicators. Namely, regional or meteorological characteristics and site-specific farming practices were not considered in the calculation of these indicators. In this paper, we tried to calculate water use indicators suggested in OECD and to modify some other indicators considering our situation because water use pattern and water cycling in Korea where paddy rice farming is dominant in the monsoon region are quite different from those of semi-arid regions. In the calculation of water use intensity, we excluded the amount of water restored through the ground from the total agricultural water use because a large amount of water supplied to the farm was discharged into the stream or the ground water. The resultant water use intensity was 22.9% in 2001. As for water stress indicator, Korea has not defined nor monitored reference levels of minimum flow rate for rivers subject to diversion of water for irrigation. So, we calculated the water stress indicator in a different way from OECD method. The water stress indicator was calculated using data on the degree of water storage in agricultural water reservoirs because 87% of water for irrigation was taken from the agricultural water reservoirs. Water use technical efficiency was calculated as the reverse of the ratio of irrigation water to a standard water requirement of the paddy rice. The efficiency in 2001 was better than in 1990 and 1998. As for the economic efficiency for water use, we think that there are a lot of things to be taken into considerations to make a useful indicator to reflect socio-economic values of agricultural products resulted from the water use. Conclusively, site-specific, regional or meteorogical characteristics as in Korea were not considered in the calculation of water use indicators by methods suggested in OECD(Volume 3, 2001). So, it is needed to develop a new indicators for the indicators to be more widely applicable in the world.