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Effect of Rainfall Characteristics on Runoff and Water Erosion for Different Land Uses in a Tropical Semiarid Region

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Abstract

Rainfall intensity, duration, frequency and magnitude influence both runoff generation and sediment yield. In this study, 176 rainfall events over a five-year period were classified into four regimes based on rainfall depth, duration and 30-minute maximum intensity, using hierarchical cluster analysis in the semiarid region of Brazil. Rainfall Regimes were grouped from higher to lower rainfall depth, longer to shorter duration, and higher to lower I30. Rainfall regime impact on surface runoff and sediment yield was studied in three watersheds under different land use - native tropical dry forest, thinned tropical dry forest, and slash and burn followed by grass cultivation. Thinning of native dry tropical forest reduced surface runoff and sediment yield due to the protective effect of the well-developed herbaceous layer. Runoff generation in the three watersheds showed strong dependence on antecedent soil moisture and the type of rain. Rainfall depth was the major factor for highest sediment yields.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for the financial support to this research, and the valuable contribution of the anonymous reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Triângulo Mineiro – IFTM, Campus Uberlândia, CEP: 38400-974, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Julio Cesar Neves dos Santos

  2. Research and Extension Group on Water and Soil Management in the Brazilian Semiarid – MASSA, Ceará, Brazil

    Julio Cesar Neves dos Santos, Eunice Maia de Andrade, Pedro Henrique Augusto Medeiros, Maria João Simas Guerreiro & Helba Araújo de Queiroz Palácio

  3. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Ceará – UFC, Campus Pici, Bloco 804, CEP: 60.455-970, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

    Eunice Maia de Andrade

  4. Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Ceará – IFCE, Campus Maracanaú, Ceará, Brazil

    Pedro Henrique Augusto Medeiros

  5. Faculty of Science and Technology, University Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal

    Maria João Simas Guerreiro

  6. Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Ceará – IFCE, Campus Iguatu, Ceará, Brazil

    Helba Araújo de Queiroz Palácio

Authors
  1. Julio Cesar Neves dos Santos
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  2. Eunice Maia de Andrade
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  3. Pedro Henrique Augusto Medeiros
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  4. Maria João Simas Guerreiro
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  5. Helba Araújo de Queiroz Palácio
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Correspondence to Julio Cesar Neves dos Santos.

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dos Santos, J.C.N., de Andrade, E.M., Medeiros, P.H.A. et al. Effect of Rainfall Characteristics on Runoff and Water Erosion for Different Land Uses in a Tropical Semiarid Region. Water Resour Manage 31, 173–185 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-016-1517-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-016-1517-1

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