Application of Satellite Data for Determining Environmental Water Requirement of Wetlands in Data-sparse Regions (The Case of Kanibrazan Wetland, Iran)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

2 Aban Pazhuh Consulting Engineering, Tehran, Iran

3 PhD Student in Water Resources Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, Iran

Abstract

Determining and supplying environmental water requirements (EWRs) of ecosystems including wetlands is one of the most effective ways to mitigate wetlands degradation and to ensure the provision of ecosystem services. This study aims at determining EWR of the Kanibrazan International wetland, south of Lake Urmia, using a combined hydro-ecological approach. The wetland’s water and vegetation areas were extracted using long-term satellite data. Moreover, frequency analysis of the inundated areas, investigation of the vegetation life cycle, and estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) from the wetland were conducted. Subsequently, through multi-season field surveys from summer 2015 to fall 2016, the wetland’s hydrography and spatial distribution of vegetation and birds’ habitat in the wetland were obtained. Then, indicator vegetation and winter bird species were identified and used to determine appropriate inundation areas and volumes. Finally, satellite-derived inundated areas and ETs were used in an inverse water balance model to calculate the associated inflow regime to the wetland. Results show that in a normal year an annual volume of 16.5 MCM, with a tow-peak hydrograph in mid-fall and late spring is required to be supplied as EWR of the Kanibrazan wetland. The findings of this study can be applied in the planning of the surface and groundwater water resources feeding wetland and to better manage wetland’s water quality. 

Keywords

References

[1].  Ma L, Sun R, Kazemi E, Pang D, Zhang Y, Sun Q, et al. Evaluation of Ecosystem Services in the Dongting Lake Wetland. Water. 2019 Dec 5;11(12):2564.
[2].  Hu S, Niu Z, Chen Y, Li L, Zhang H. Global wetlands: Potential distribution, wetland loss, and status. Sci Total Environ. 2017 May 15;586:319–27.
[3].  Bureau Ramsar Convention. Wetlands Values and Functions; Gland, Switzerland; 2001.
[4].  Costanza R, de Groot R, Sutton P, van der Ploeg S, Anderson SJ, Kubiszewski I, et al. Changes in the global value of ecosystem services. Glob Environ Chang. 2014 May 1;26(1):152–8.
 
[5].  Xu T, Weng B, Yan D, Wang K, Li X, Bi W, et al. Wetlands of international importance: Status, threats, and future protection. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 May 2;16(10).
[6].  Yang W, Sun T, Yang Z. Does the implementation of environmental flows improve wetland ecosystem services and biodiversity? A literature review. Restor Ecol. 2016 Nov 1;24(6):731–42.
[7].  Powell SJ, Letcher RA, Croke BFW. Modelling floodplain inundation for environmental flows: Gwydir wetlands, Australia. Ecol Modell. 2008 Mar 10;211(3–4):350–62.
[8].  Scanlon J. Flow : the essentials of environmental flows. Flow : the essentials of environmental flows. IUCN; 2003.
[9].  Davis J, Froend R, Hamilton D, Horwitz P, Mccomb A, Oldham C, et al. Environmental water requirements to maintain wetlands of national and international importance. Canberra: Environment Australia, Department of the Environment and Heritage; 2001.
[10].            Tharme RE. A global perspective on environmental flow assessment: Emerging trends in the development and application of environmental flow methodologies for rivers. River Res Appl. 2003 Sep 1;19(5–6):397–441.
[11].            McCosker RO. “Methods addressing the flow requirements of wetland, riparian and floodplain vegetation.” In: Comparative Evaluation of Environmental Flow Assessment Techniques: Review of Methods. Canberra: Land and Water Resources Research and Development orporation; 1998. p. 47–65.
[12].            Purshouse RC. Evolutionary multi-criterion optimization : 7th International Conference, EMO 2013, Sheffield, UK, March 19-22, 2013. Proceedings. Springer; 2013.
[13].            Arthington AH, Brizga SO, Kennard MJ. Estimating the Water Requirements for Plants of Floodplain Wetlands: A Guide - Jane Roberts - Google Books. Canberra; 1998.
[14].            Gül A, Ayyıldız K, Barbaros F, Baran T. Assessing ecological flow conditions for wetlands fed from ungauged stream reaches. Vol. 58, European Water. 2017.
[15].            Torabi Haghighi A, Fazel N, Hekmatzadeh AA, Klöve B. Analysis of Effective Environmental Flow Release Strategies for Lake Urmia Restoration. Water Resour Manag. 2018;32(11):3595–609.
[16].            De la Hera Portillo A, Murillo Díaz JM. Identification of wetland water sources for environmental flow assessment: a case study of the Miguel Ibáñez wetlands (Segovia, Spain). Hydrol Sci J. 2014 Apr 3;59(3–4):466–87.
[17].            Yang Z, Mao X. Wetland system network analysis for environmental flow allocations in the Baiyangdian Basin, China. Ecol Modell. 2011 Oct 1;222(20–22):3785–94.
[18].            Duan H, Xu M, Cai Y, Wang X, Zhou J, Zhang Q. A Holistic Wetland Ecological Water Replenishment Scheme with Consideration of Seasonal Effect. Sustainability. 2019;11(3):930.
[19].            Anderson, E.P., Jackson, S., Tharme, R.E., Douglas, M., Flotemersch, E., Zwarteveen, M., Lokgariwar, C., Montoya, M., Tipa, G.T., Jardine, T.D., Olden, J.D., Cheng, L., Cosens, B., Dickens, C., Garrick, D., Groenfeldt, D., Roux, D.J., Ruhi, A., Arthington, A.H., Agency, U.S.E.P., Society, C., Museum, T.F., Taieri, E., Zealand, N., Sciences, F., Practice, W., Wales, N.S., Africa, S., Fe, S., Services, S., African, S., Parks, N., Africa, S., 2020. advance environmental water management 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1381.
[20].            Arthington, A.H., 2020. Environmental Flows: History of Assessment Methods, Ecosystem Frameworks and Global Uptake, in: Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-409548-9.12450-9
[21].            Roberts J, Young B, Marston F. Estimating the water requirements for plants of floodplain wetlands: a guide. In: Ecosystem Response Modelling in the Murray-Darling Basin. Canberra: Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation; 2000. p. 183–96.
[22].            Taghavi Koljahi S, Riazi B, Taghavi L. Determining Environmental Water right of Miankaleh Wetland. Environ Sci Technol. 2014;16(2):101–9. [Persian].
[23].            Gorji-Shani R, Barani G. Evaluation of the Hawizeh Marshes Water Requirements with Respect to Dust Control and Improvement in Environmental Conditions. J Hydraul. 2017;12(3):13–27. [Persian].
[24].            Sarhadi A, Soltani S. Determination of water requirements of the Gavkhuni wetland, Iran: A hydrological approach. J Arid Environ. 2013 Nov 1;98:27–40.
[25].            Abbaspour M, Nazaridoust A. Determination of environmental water requirements of Lake Urmia, Iran: An ecological approach. Int J Environ Stud. 2007;64(2):161–9.
[26].            Sajedipour S, Zarei H, Oryan S. Estimation of environmental water requirements via an ecological approach: A case study of Bakhtegan Lake, Iran. Ecol Eng. 2017 Mar 1;100:246–55.
[27].            Modaberi H, Shokoohi A. Determining Anzali Wetland Environmental Water Requirement Using Eco-Hydrologic Methods. Iran Water Resour Res. 2019;15(3):91–104. [Persian].
[28].            Sima S, Tajrishi M. Water Allocation for Wetland Environmental Water Requirements: The case of Shadegan Wetland, Jarrahi Catchment, Iran. In: World Environmental and Water Resource Environmental,. Asce; 2006. p. 87–87.
[29].            Peeri H. Environmental water requirements of Hamun wetland. J Wetl Ecobiolog. 2010;2(6):57–69.
[30].            Pandam Consulting Engineering. Integrated Water resources Manangement of Lake Urmia Basin, Third module: Kanibrazan Wetland. Tehran; 2005. [Persian].
[31].            Iran Water and Power Resources Development Company. Urmia Lake (Results of Limnological and biological monitoring of main water body and satellite wetlands of Lake Urmia). 1st ed. Tehran: IranShenasi; 2018. 320 p. [Persian].
[32].            Cooper DJ, Merritt DM. Assessing the Water Needs of Riparian and Wetland Vegetation in the Western United States. 2012.
[33].            Ketabchi H, Mahmoodzadeh D, Farhoudi Hafdaran R. Estimation of wetland-aquifer exchanges (Case Study: Kaniborazan wetland). Iran J Ecohydrol. 2017;4(3):699 – 709. [Persian].
 
[34].            Sorrell B. Ecophysiology of Wetland Plant Roots: A Modelling Comparison of Aeration in Relation to Species Distribution. Ann Bot. 2000 Sep 1;86(3):675–85.
[35].            Taman L. Using rushes and West, sedges in revegtation of wetland areas in the south of WA. 2000.
[36].            Tilley, D., Ogle, D., St., J., 2011. Plant guide for water sedge (Carex aquatilis). USDA. Field Guide for Managing Camelthorn in the Southwest. 2014.
[37].            Ogle, D., Tilley, D., John, L. St., 2012. Plant Guide USDA, for common spikerush (Eleocharis palustris). Aberdeen, Idaho 83210.
[38].            USDA. Field Guide for Managing Camelthorn in the Southwest. 2014.
[39].            Green AJ. Marbled Teal in the Western Mediterranean. Threatened Waterfowl Specialist Group News. 2000;14–5.
[40].            Green AJ. Comparative feeding behaviour and niche organization in a Community, Mediterranean duck. Can J Zool. 1998;76:500–7.
[41].            Taft OW, Colwell MA, Isola CR, Safran RJ. Waterbird responses to experimental drawdown: implications for the multispecies management of wetland mosaics. J Appl Ecol. 2002 Dec 12;39(6):987–1001.
[42].            BirdLife Data Zone. “White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala” (On-line). [Internet]. 2009 [cited 2020 Jul 25]. Available from: http://datazone.birdlife.org/home
Iranian journal of Ecohydrology
Volume 8, Issue 1
April 2021
Pages 109-125

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 25 July 2020
  • Revise Date: 18 February 2021
  • Accept Date: 18 February 2021

Share

How to cite

Statistics