SEASONAL DYNAMICS OF AGRICULTURAL SOIL COVER IN RUNOFF GENERATION

Abstract

ABSTRACT Seasonal changes in agricultural soil use due to agroclimatic conditions affect the water cycle in watersheds. This study aimed to understand the temporal variation of runoff inherent to the seasonal occupation dynamics of the agricultural soil in the basin that drains the upper valley of the Marrecas River, upstream of the urban perimeter of Francisco Beltrão, PR. The effects of runoff were verified through flow peaks simulated by the HEC-HMS model in twelve monthly soil use scenarios, under seven precipitation return periods. The results indicated a strong relationship between bare soil and flow peaks, temporally delimiting April and March as the largest runoff generators and January and August as the smallest ones. The ratio quantified by rates of increase in flow peaks ranging from 0.78 to 1.64 m3 s−1 per km2 of bare soil. In addition, the survey of historical precipitation data also warns of the generation of large runoff volumes in October. Therefore, the strong correlation between the increase in flow peaks and occupation by bare soil can be quantified with good precision, but it is also necessary to consider historical precipitation records to understand the temporal distribution of runoff and flood risks.

Keywords

• flood
• flow peak
• hydrological simulation
• agricultural soil use