Modelli di simulazione a scala di bacino idrografico per la gestione integrata delle risorse idriche e forestali
Author(s)
Pappagallo, Giuseppe
Date Issued
April 4, 2006
Type
Doctoral Thesis
Abstract
High pollution levels and eutrophication persisting in the water bodies, despite the technological evolution of the WWTP and the capillarity of the point sources controls, it has shown the importance of the environmental impact of the diffuse pollution sources, especially from agricultural land.
The huge diffusion of the problem has attracted in the last years an increasing attention, from local to EC level, of management authority and legislative institutions, that have produced several normative and planners tools.
Considered the complexity of the event and his links with the land management, an effective contrast strategy cannot put aside from an integrated approach and examination of the problem, therefore, a study at basin scale can certainly be profitable, when not necessary.
This research, developed within the European project EuroHarp (EVK1-CT-2001-00096), has consisted in the study and in the application of mathematical models on the analysis and quantification at basin scale of diffuse pollution dynamics, with specal attention to agricultural sources. Also it has been investigated the interactions between land management and water bodies status.
After the test of the main simulation models described in literature numerous reasons, connected to the characteristics of the model, have leaded us to the use of SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool), produced by the USDA-ARS and the A&M Texas University.
The model has been applied to the Enza river basin (Emilia Romagna), particularly fit to the goals of our study due to the complexity of the land management and the completeness of the available climatic and environmental data.
River Enza, a tributary of the Po river, originates in the Apennines at the border of Tuscany and Emilia Romagna, between the Acuto mountain (1756 m a.s.l.) and the Alpe di Succiso (2016 m a.s.l.).The river flows for about 99 Km and drains a catchment area of 900 km2, that can coarsely be divided into three parts: a southern mountain area, a central hilly area and a northern plain area. The main tributaries of the Enza River are the Termina and Tassobbio torrents.
Being a managerial model, SWAT has not only allowed us to assess of the nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) loads from agricultural land in the water bodies, on the base of the actual land use, but also to simulate different management scenerios and therefore to evaluate the effects of different management practices and land use.
Besides SWAT has allowed us to assess the water balance and the sediments load, allowing therefore a complex, quantitative and qualitative analysis, of the state of the basin. Analysis that we have been able to multilevel deepen: reach; whole watershed; subbasins; HRUs (Homogeneous Response Unit), that are single "soil type - land use" units.
The user during the simulation process can employs the ArcView GIS interface, it simplifies the model use and improve its versatility. Also using the interface the user can produce thematic maps, very helpful to highlight subbasins with high nutrient or sediment loads, high runoff, and so on.
Additional information
Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze e tecnologie per la gestione forestale ed ambientale
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