Wind Erosion in Western Queensland Australia
Modelling Land Susceptibility to Wind Erosion in Western ... - Ninti One Modelling Land Susceptibility to Wind Erosion in Western ... - Ninti One
Chapter 8 – Conclusions• There is a growing requirement to learn more about the sensitivity of rangelands toclimate variability and land management pressures in light of uncertain future climatechange. Assessing the landscape susceptibility to land degradation processes like winderosion is an essential component of this research.Five research aims were set to address these deficiencies. The research aims focus ondeveloping monitoring and modelling methods that can be used to assess spatial and temporalpatterns in land erodibility. They were:1. To develop a framework for modelling temporal changes in soil erodibility in response toclimate variability and land management pressures.2. To develop AUSLEM into a functional model to assess land susceptibility to winderosion, i.e. land erodibility, across western Queensland, Australia.3. To validate the performance of the land erodibility model.4. To map the spatial extent of areas susceptible to wind erosion in western Queensland.5. To identify the role of climate variability in determining spatial and temporal patterns inland erodibility dynamics in western Queensland.The following section describes outcomes of the research that address these aims and theresearch objectives.8.2 Research FindingsThe first aim of this thesis was to develop a framework for modelling temporal changesin soil erodibility. This aim was achieved by addressing three research objectives. The firstobjective was to provide a systems analysis of factors controlling soil and land susceptibilityto wind erosion. This was presented as a literature review in Chapter 2. The systems analysisconcluded with the presentation of a conceptual model of the land erodibility continuum. Theconceptual model was used as the basis for the second research objective: to present a reviewof methods for modelling soil and land susceptibility to wind erosion as incorporated withincurrent wind erosion modelling systems. This review was presented as Chapter 3 of thisthesis. The review provided a summary of approaches for modelling land erodibility from thefield to regional and global scales. It identified approaches for integrating wind erosion190
Chapter 8 – Conclusionscontrols reviewed in Chapter 2, and provided a synthesis of the limitations to the models. Thereviews indicated a significant lack of research into quantitative modelling of spatial andtemporal variations in soil erodibility, and application of models to assess spatial andtemporal patterns in controls on wind erosion at the landscape scale.The third research objective was to address these deficiencies by developing a framework formodelling temporal changes in soil susceptibility to wind erosion. The model framework waspresented in Chapter 4. First, a conceptual model of the soil erodibility continuum wasdeveloped relating soil textural characteristics, aggregation and surface crust conditions towind erosion rates. The conceptual model is based on empirical research from Australia andthe United States reviewed in Chapter 2. A framework for modelling temporal changes in soilerodibility within the continuum was then presented. The model framework sought tocharacterise the nature and timing of changes in soil erodibility in response to climatevariability and land management pressures. Parameterisation and integration of the modelinto AUSLEM were restricted by a lack of quantitative research into soil aggregation andsurface crust responses to climate variability and land management. This meant that analternate approach to accounting for soil erodibility was required in modelling landerodibility in Chapters 5 to 7. To conclude the research, a synthesis of published workexamining controls on soil erodibility was presented. The synthesis highlighted gaps in ourunderstanding of factors driving soil erodibility dynamics and identified future researchpriorities to parameterise the model and advance soil erodibility modelling.The second aim of this thesis was to develop AUSLEM into a functional model to assessland erodibility across western Queensland, Australia. This aim was achieved through thefourth research objective. Development of the model was presented in Chapter 5 andpublished in Webb et al. (2009). The model was developed from process relationshipsidentified in the systems analysis in Chapter 2, and built upon a land erodibility model,AUSLEM, developed by Webb et al. (2006). The original rule-based structure of AUSLEMwas replaced with an empirical model that addressed the requirements for modelling landerodibility through a continuum, and at the landscape scale. AUSLEM was designed in a GISenvironment and can be run to assess spatial patterns in land erodibility at a 5 x 5 km spatialresolution on a daily time-step across western Queensland. Temporal changes in soilerodibility were accommodated in the model by restricting the output analyses to monthlytemporal resolutions at landscape to regional spatial scales.191
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Chapter 8 – Conclusions• There is a grow<strong>in</strong>g requirement to learn more about the sensitivity of rangelands toclimate variability and land management pressures <strong>in</strong> light of uncerta<strong>in</strong> future climatechange. Assess<strong>in</strong>g the landscape susceptibility to land degradation processes like w<strong>in</strong>derosion is an essential component of this research.Five research aims were set to address these deficiencies. The research aims focus ondevelop<strong>in</strong>g monitor<strong>in</strong>g and modell<strong>in</strong>g methods that can be used to assess spatial and temporalpatterns <strong>in</strong> land erodibility. They were:1. To develop a framework for modell<strong>in</strong>g temporal changes <strong>in</strong> soil erodibility <strong>in</strong> response toclimate variability and land management pressures.2. To develop AUSLEM <strong>in</strong>to a functional model to assess land susceptibility to w<strong>in</strong>derosion, i.e. land erodibility, across western <strong>Queensland</strong>, <strong>Australia</strong>.3. To validate the performance of the land erodibility model.4. To map the spatial extent of areas susceptible to w<strong>in</strong>d erosion <strong>in</strong> western <strong>Queensland</strong>.5. To identify the role of climate variability <strong>in</strong> determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g spatial and temporal patterns <strong>in</strong>land erodibility dynamics <strong>in</strong> western <strong>Queensland</strong>.The follow<strong>in</strong>g section describes outcomes of the research that address these aims and theresearch objectives.8.2 Research F<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gsThe first aim of this thesis was to develop a framework for modell<strong>in</strong>g temporal changes<strong>in</strong> soil erodibility. This aim was achieved by address<strong>in</strong>g three research objectives. The firstobjective was to provide a systems analysis of factors controll<strong>in</strong>g soil and land susceptibilityto w<strong>in</strong>d erosion. This was presented as a literature review <strong>in</strong> Chapter 2. The systems analysisconcluded with the presentation of a conceptual model of the land erodibility cont<strong>in</strong>uum. Theconceptual model was used as the basis for the second research objective: to present a reviewof methods for modell<strong>in</strong>g soil and land susceptibility to w<strong>in</strong>d erosion as <strong>in</strong>corporated with<strong>in</strong>current w<strong>in</strong>d erosion modell<strong>in</strong>g systems. This review was presented as Chapter 3 of thisthesis. The review provided a summary of approaches for modell<strong>in</strong>g land erodibility from thefield to regional and global scales. It identified approaches for <strong>in</strong>tegrat<strong>in</strong>g w<strong>in</strong>d erosion190
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