Abstract
Riparian tree planting is increasingly being used as a strategy to shade river corridors and offset the impact of climate change on river temperature. Because the circumstances under which tree planting generates the greatest impact are still largely unknown, researchers are increasingly using process-based models to simulate the impacts of tree planting (or felling) on river temperature. However, the high-resolution data on existing riparian tree cover needed to parameterise these models can be difficult to obtain, especially in data-sparse areas. In this paper, we compare the performance of a river temperature model parameterised with a range of different tree cover datasets, to assess whether tree cover data extracted from readily available GIS databases or coarser (i.e., 2–5 m) digital elevation products are able to generate river temperature simulations approaching the accuracy of higher resolution structure from motion (SfM) or LiDAR. Our results show that model performance for simulations incorporating these data is generally degraded in relation to LiDAR/SfM inputs and that tree cover data from “alternative” sources can lead to unexpected temperature model outcomes. We subsequently use our model to simulate the addition/removal of riparian tree cover from alongside the river channel. Simulations indicate that the vast majority of the “shading effect” is generated by tree cover within the 5-m zone immediately adjacent to the river channel, a key finding with regards to developing efficient riparian tree planting strategies. These results further emphasise the importance of incorporating the highest possible resolution tree cover data when running tree planting/clearcutting scenario simulations.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 709-723 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | River Research and Applications |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 5 |
Early online date | 11 Feb 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 11 Feb 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 702468. IAM's contribution forms part of Marine Scotland Service Level Agreement FW02G. We wish to thank Stephen McLaren, Pauline Proudlock, Karen Millidine, Faye Jackson, and Ross Glover of Marine Scotland Science for help with SfM data collection. Small unoccupied aerial system surveys were conducted with the kind permission of the Abergeldie and Balmoral estates. We also thank Grace Garner for providing weather station and temperature logger data.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Crown copyright. River Research and Applications © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Keywords
- climate change
- forest cover
- geospatial data
- process-based model
- riparian shade
- river temperature
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Chemistry
- Water Science and Technology
- Environmental Science(all)