HR: 0800h
AN: H41D-0441    [Abstracts]
TI: The Impacts of Ashe Juniper (Juniperus Ashei) Removal on the Hydrologic Cycle in the Edwards Aquifer Region of Texas
AU: * Taucer, P I
EM: ptaucer@neo.tamu.edu
AF: Texas A&M University, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, MS 2117 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843 United States
AU: Munster, C L
EM: c-munster@tamu.edu
AF: Texas A&M University, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, MS 2117 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843 United States
AU: Wilcox, B P
EM: bwilcox@tamu.edu
AF: Texas A&M University, Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management, MS 2126 TAMU , College Station, TX 77843 United States
AU: Owens, M K
EM: m-owens@tamu.edu
AF: Texas A&M University, Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management, 1618 Garner Field Road, Uvalde, TX 78801-6205 United States
AU: Gregory, L F
EM: lucas-frank-gregory@neo.tamu.edu
AF: Texas A&M University, Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management, MS 2126 TAMU , College Station, TX 77843 United States
AB: In the Edwards Aquifer region of Texas, which includes the rapidly expanding city of San Antonio, the potential for increased water supply through brush management is unknown. Although previous modeling studies in the area have simulated the hydrologic impacts of brush removal, only a limited number of water budget components have been studied under field conditions. This study measured throughfall, stemflow, surface runoff, lateral subsurface flow, soil moisture, and other parameters on a large plot (7 x 14 m) scale at a well-instrumented site equipped with a rainfall simulator. The site was covered initially by a dense stand of ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei) and later cleared. A 2.5 m deep trench was installed at the downhill end of the plot to allow for observation of lateral subsurface flow. Replicated artificial rainfall events with intensities from 25.4 mm/h to 152.4 mm/h were applied for both the vegetated and cleared conditions. Both surface and subsurface flow were monitored at one-minute intervals during simulations. This study quantified the partitioning of rainfall among various hydrologic cycle components for both undisturbed and cleared conditions. A comparison of pre-and post-clearing water budgets was used to determine which budget components were active for large simulated rainfall events and the percentage of the water budget accounted for through each water movement pathway. It also allowed researchers to identify changes in rainfall partitioning caused by vegetation removal. An assessment of the potential for increasing water yield through juniper removal in the Edwards Aquifer region will be presented.
DE: 1813 Eco-hydrology
DE: 1851 Plant ecology (0476)
DE: 1876 Water budgets
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005