Browsing by Author "Vercruysse, Kim"

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    Exploring social-ecological impacts on trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services
    (Elsevier, 2022-04-12) Wang, Xiaoyu; Peng, Jian; Luo, Yuhang; Qiu, Sijing; Dong, Jianquan; Zhang, Zimo; Vercruysse, Kim; Grabowski, Robert C.; Meersmans, Jeroen
    An in-depth understanding of the complex patterns of ecosystem services (ESs) interactions (i.e., synergies or trade-offs) based on social-ecological conditions is an important prerequisite for achieving sustainable and multifunctional landscapes. This study aimed to explore how ESs interactions are influenced by social-ecological factors. Taking the Sutlej-Beas River Basin as a case study area, where the linkages between ESs interactions and social-ecological processes are poorly understood, ESs interactions were identified through principal component analysis and correlated with a range of social-ecological factors, which were explored spatially based on ES bundles. The results revealed two dominant types of ESs interactions, namely multifunctionality-related synergies and grain production-related trade-offs. Population, nighttime light, precipitation, temperature, and soil clay content were all positively correlated with the two ESs interactions. Contrarily, elevation and soil sand content were negatively correlated with the two ESs interactions. Four main ES bundles were identified, which spatially describe the presence of ESs synergies and/or trade-offs in relation to social-ecological factors. This study provides a feasible way to explore the spatial differentiation and influencing factors impacting the interactions between ESs, which can provide a basis for an integrated watershed-based management of ESs.
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    Human impact on river planform within the context of multi-timescale river channel dynamics in a Himalayan river system
    (Elsevier, 2021-02-24) Vercruysse, Kim; Grabowski, Robert C.
    Rivers are dynamic landscape features which are often altered by human activity, making it difficult to disentangle human impact on geomorphic change from natural river dynamics. This study evaluated the human impact on river planform change within the context of short- and long-term river channel dynamics in the Himalayan Sutlej and Beas Rivers, by (i) systematically assessing river planform change over centennial, annual, seasonal and episodic timescales; (ii) connecting observed changes to human-environment drivers; and (iii) conceptualising these geomorphic changes in terms of timescale-dependent evolutionary trajectories (press, ramp, pulse). Landsat imagery was used to extract components of the post-monsoon active river channel (1989-2018), using the modified Normalized Differences Water Index to identify the wet river area, and visible red to determine active gravel bars. Findings were compared with a historical map to represent the pre-dam period (1847-1850) and with data on potential driving factors of change (discharge, climate and land cover). River planform characteristics changed significantly over all timescales, exhibiting strong spatiotemporal variation between and within both rivers. Dam construction likely caused channel narrowing and straightening at the centennial scale (press trajectory). In the Sutlej, this process has continued over the last 30 years, likely enforced by the cumulative effect of water abstraction and climatic changes (ramp trajectory). In the Beas, the pattern of change in river planform metrics was less pronounced over the same period and more variable along the length of the river, possibly linked to different dam operations that maintain a higher degree of flow variability and peak flows (press trajectory). High local erosion rates caused by aggregate mining (episodic) in the Sutlej were also observed (pulse trajectory). Expressed as evolutionary trajectories, the observed responses to human activity confirm the importance of legacy effects of human impact on river systems, and stress the dependency on spatial and temporal scales to determine trajectories of change. The multi-timescale assessment and conceptualisation provide insights into different dimensions of human impact on river planform change, which is pivotal to developing holistic management strategies
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    The land-river interface: a conceptual framework of environmental process interactions to support sustainable development
    (Springer, 2022-05-13) Grabowski, Robert C.; Vercruysse, Kim; Holman, Ian P.; Azhoni, Adani; Bala, Brij; Shankar, Vijay; Beale, John; Mukate, Shrikant; Poddar, Arunava; Peng, Jian; Meersmans, Jeroen
    Rivers and their surrounding lands are focal points of human development in the landscape. However, activities associated with development can greatly affect river processes, causing significant and often unintended environmental and human impacts. Despite the profound and varied environmental impacts that development-related alterations cause through hydrological, geomorphic, and ecological processes, they are not widely acknowledged outside of river management and affect resource availability and hazard exposure to people. In this paper, we propose a novel, interdisciplinary conceptual framework of river–land process interactions to support sustainable management and development. We introduce the term ‘land–river interface’ (LRI) to describe areas of the landscape in which river processes affect land, vegetation, and/or fauna, including humans, directly or indirectly. The multiple links between LRI processes and factors at the river basin, valley, and river channel (i.e. reach) scale are synthesized and a conceptual zonation of the LRI based on the process is proposed to serve as a framework to understand the impacts of human activity. Three examples of development-related activities (urbanization, dams and aggregate mining) illustrate how alteration to the form and functioning of river basins, valleys, and channels cause a range of impacts to be propagated throughout the landscape, often spatially or temporally distant from the activity. The diversity and severity of these impacts on the environment and people underscore the need to incorporate river processes, as represented in the LRI concept, into broader environmental management to better anticipate and mitigate negative impacts and maximize positive outcomes to deliver the benefits of sustainable development across society.
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    Linking temporal scales of suspended sediment transport in rivers: towards improving transferability of prediction
    (Springer, 2020-05-29) Vercruysse, Kim; Grabowski, Robert C.; Hess, Tim; Lexartza-Artza, Irantzu
    Purpose Suspended sediment (SS) transport in rivers is highly variable, making it challenging to develop predictive models that are applicable across timescales and rivers. Previous studies have identified catchment and hydro-meteorological variables controlling SS concentrations. However, due to the lack of long-term, high-frequency SS monitoring, it remains difficult to link SS transport dynamics during high-flow events with annual or decadal trends in SS transport. This study investigated how processes driving SS transport during high-flow events impact SS transport dynamics and trends observed over longer timescales. Methods Suspended sediment samples from the River Aire (UK) (1989–2017) were used to (i) statistically identify factors driving SS transport over multiple timescales (high-flow events, intra- and inter-annual) and (ii) conceptualize SS transport as a fractal system to help link and interpret the effect of short-term events on long-term SS transport dynamics. Results and discussion Antecedent moisture conditions were a dominant factor controlling event-based SS transport, confirming results from previous studies. Findings also showed that extreme high-flow events (in SS concentration or discharge) mask factors controlling long-term trends. This cross-timescale effect was conceptualized as high fractal power, indicating that quantifying SS transport in the River Aire requires a multi-timescale approach. Conclusion Characterizing the fractal power of a SS transport system presents a starting point in developing transferrable process-based approaches to quantify and predict SS transport, and develop management strategies. A classification system for SS transport dynamics in river systems in terms of fractal power could be developed which expresses the dominant processes underlying SS transport.
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    Place-based interpretation of the sustainable development goals for the land-river interface
    (Springer, 2022-06-27) Vercruysse, Kim; Grabowski, Robert C.; Holman, Ian P.; Azhoni, Adani; Bala, Brij; Meersmans, Jeroen; Peng, Jian; Shankar, Vijay; Mukate, Shrikant; Poddar, Arunava; Wang, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Zimo
    The land–river interface (LRI) is important for sustainable development. The environmental processes that define the LRI support the natural capital and ecosystem services that are linked directly to multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, existing approaches to scale up or down SDG targets and link them to natural capital are insufficient for the two-way human–environment interactions that exist in the LRI. Therefore, this study proposes a place-based approach to interpret the SDG framework to support sustainable land/water management, by (i) identifying key priorities for sustainable development through a normative content analysis of the SDG targets, and (ii) illustrating these priorities and associated challenges within the LRI, based on a literature review and case-studies on human–environment interactions. The content analysis identifies three overarching sustainable development priorities: (i) ensuring improved access to resources and services provided by the LRI, (ii) strengthening the resilience of the LRI to deal with social and natural shocks, and (iii) increasing resource efficiency. The review of the current state of LRIs across the world confirms that these are indeed priority areas for sustainable development. Yet, the challenges of attaining the sustainable development priorities in the LRI are also illustrated with three examples of development-related processes. Urbanisation, dam construction, and aggregate mining occur within specific zones of the LRI (land, land–river, river, respectively), but their impacts can compromise sustainable development across the entire LRI and beyond. The existence of these unintended impacts highlights the need to consider the geomorphic, hydrological, and ecological processes within the LRI and how they interact with human activity. Identifying the place-based priorities and challenges for sustainable development will help achieve the SDGs without compromising the functions and services of the LRI.
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    Processes controlling the sources and transport dynamics of suspended sediment in rivers
    (2017-09) Vercruysse, Kim; Grabowski, Robert C.; Hess, Tim M.
    Human activity has disturbed the natural suspended sediment (SS) balance and the associated geomorphological and ecological functioning of many rivers. Yet, predicting and managing SS is challenging because the processes controlling SS transport over multiple timescales are not well understood. The aim of this research is to improve the prediction and management of SS by investigating the hydro-meteorological and catchment processes driving temporal variation in SS transport. The objectives are (i) to assess SS transport over multiple timescales to uncover the scale-specific processes and process interactions that determine temporal variation in SS transport; (ii) to apply and test a sediment fingerprinting approach based on infrared spectrometry to identify dominant SS sources; and (iii) to evaluate the role of variations in sediment sources in controlling SS concentrations in response to hydro-meteorological variables. The research was carried out in the River Aire, UK. The findings show that SS transport in the River Aire is highly event-driven and supply-limited, while also being influenced by long-term changes in land use. Over the studied period, the dominant SS source was grassland, and its contribution was mainly controlled by antecedent moisture conditions. On the contrary, urban street dust, which was also a dominant sediment source, was less hydrologically driven. The research also demonstrated that while infrared-based fingerprinting can be used to estimate SS source contributions with acceptable model errors, sediment apportionment is strongly influenced by the degree of discrimination between source classes. In order to improve methods to quantify SS transport and sources, and to identify sediment management needs, this research underscores the need to (i) recognise different timescales of SS transport to identify the underlying processes; (ii) develop better approaches for source classification and discrimination to accurately represent the sediment in rivers; and (iii) establish further knowledge on sediment sources variations in different contexts and over multiple spatial and temporal scales.
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    Sediment fingerprinting: source classification
    (Cranfield University, 2018-03-08 16:02) Vercruysse, Kim; Grabowski, Robert
    This data is related to a research project using sediment fingerprinting based on Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometry (DRIFTS) to estimate sediment source contributions to suspended sediment in rivers. The research took place in the River Aire catchment, United Kingdom. The data was collected between 2014 and 2017.Two types of data are available:1. Suspended sediment concentrations during high-flow events (SuspendedSedimentConcentration_RiverAire.csc). Samples were collected with a depth-integrating suspended sediment sampler from the side of the river at Brewery Wharf in the city center of Leeds (dates are indicated)2. Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometry (DRIFTS) spectra of sediment samples Type of samples: - suspended sediment, - bed sediment, - sediment sources (*),- experimental mixtures of sediment source samples. Each type of sample is included in a separate .CSV file (**)(*) Sample IDs: CR, LR, MR (samples from eroding riverbanks in coals, limestone and millstone area respectively). CU, LU, MU (samples from uncultivated grassland soils in coals, limestone and millstone area respectively). U (urban street dust samples). Numbers 1-2-3 represent sub samples taken within one square meter.(**) First row of the columns in all DRIFTS files represent the wavelength (micrometer-1) ranging between 3799 and 651
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    Suspended sediment transport dynamics in rivers: Multi-scale drivers of temporal variation
    (Elsevier, 2017-01-03) Vercruysse, Kim; Grabowski, Robert C.; Rickson, R. Jane
    Suspended sediment is a natural part of river systems and plays an essential role in structuring the landscape, creating ecological habitats and transporting nutrients. It is also a common management problem, where alterations to sediment quantity and quality negatively impact ecological communities, increase flood hazard and shorten the lifespan of infrastructure. To address these challenges and develop appropriate sustainable management strategies, we need a thorough understanding of sediment sources, pathways and transport dynamics and the drivers that underlie spatial and temporal variability in suspended sediment transport in rivers. However, research to date has not sufficiently addressed the temporal complexity of sediment transport processes, which is limiting our ability to disentangle the hydro-meteorological, catchment, channel and anthropogenic drivers of suspended sediment transport in rivers. This review critically evaluates previously published work on suspended sediment dynamics to demonstrate how the interpretation of sediment sources and pathways is influenced by the temporal scale and methodology of the study. To do this, the review (i) summarizes the main drivers of temporal variation in suspended sediment transport in rivers; (ii) critically reviews the common empirical approaches used to analyze and quantify sediment sources and loads, and their capacity to account for temporal variations; (iii) applies these findings to recent case studies to illustrate how method and timescale affect the interpretation of suspended sediment transport dynamics; and finally (iv) synthesizes the findings of the review into a set of guidelines for a multi-timescale approach to sediment regime characterization. By recognizing a priori that study design and temporal scale have an impact on the interpretation of SS dynamics and employing methods that address these issues, future research will be better able to identify the drivers of suspended sediment transport in rivers, improve sediment transport modelling, and propose effective, sustainable solutions to sediment management problems.
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    Temporal variation in suspended sediment transport: linking sediment sources and hydro-meteorological drivers
    (Wiley, 2019-06-07) Vercruysse, Kim; Grabowski, Robert C.
    Suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) in rivers are variable in time due to interacting soil erosion and sediment transport processes. While many hydro‐meteorological variables are correlated to suspended sediment concentrations, interpretation of these correlations in terms of driving processes requires in‐depth knowledge of the catchment. Detailed sediment source information is needed to establish the causal linkages between driving processes and variations in SSC. This study innovatively combined sediment fingerprinting with multivariate statistical analyses of hydro‐meteorological data to investigate how differential contributions of sediment sources control SSC in response to hydro‐meteorological variables during high‐flow events in rivers. Applied to the River Aire (UK), five sediment sources were classified: grassland topsoil in three lithological areas (limestone, millstone grit and coal measures), eroding riverbanks, and street dust. A total of 159 suspended sediment samples were collected during 14 high‐flow events (2015‐2017). Results show substantial variation in sediment sources during high‐flow events. Limestone grassland and street dust, the dominant contributors to the suspended sediment, show temporal variations consistent with variations in total SSC, and are correlated with precipitation and discharge shortly prior and during high‐flow events (i.e. fast mobilisation to and within river). Contrarily, contributions from millstone and coals grassland appear to be driven by antecedent hydro‐meteorological conditions (i.e. lag‐time between soil erosion and sediment delivery). Riverbank material is poorly correlated to hydro‐meteorological variables, possibly due to weak source discrimination or the infrequent nature of its delivery to the channel. Differences in source‐specific drivers and process interactions for sediment transport demonstrate the difficulty in generalising sediment transport patterns and developing targeted suspended sediment management strategies. While more research is essential to address different uncertainties emerging from the approach, the study demonstrates how empirical data on sediment monitoring, fingerprinting, and hydro‐meteorology can be combined and analysed to better understand sediment connectivity and the factors controlling SSC.
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    Using source-specific models to test the impact of sediment source classification on sediment fingerprinting
    (Wiley, 2018-08-31) Vercruysse, Kim; Grabowski, Robert
    Sediment fingerprinting estimates sediment source contributions directly from river sediment. Despite being fundamental to the interpretation of sediment fingerprinting results, the classification of sediment sources and its impact on the accuracy of source apportionment remain underinvestigated. This study assessed the impact of source classification on sediment fingerprinting based on diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectrometry (DRIFTS), using individual, source‐specific partial least‐squares regression (PLSR) models. The objectives were to (a) perform a model sensitivity analysis through systematically omitting sediment sources and (b) investigate how sediment source‐group discrimination and the importance of the groups as actual sources relate to variations in results. Within the Aire catchment (United Kingdom), five sediment sources were classified and sampled (n = 117): grassland topsoil in three lithological areas (limestone, millstone grit, and coal measures); riverbanks; and street dust. Experimental mixtures (n = 54) of the sources were used to develop PLSR models between known quantities of a single source and DRIFTS spectra of the mixtures, which were applied to estimate source contributions from DRIFTS spectra of suspended (n = 200) and bed (n = 5) sediment samples. Dominant sediment sources were limestone topsoil (45 ± 12%) and street dust (43 ± 10%). Millstone and coals topsoil contributed on average 19 ± 13% and 14 ± 10%, and riverbanks 16 ± 18%. Due to the use of individual PLSR models, the sum of all contributions can deviate from 100%; thus, a model sensitivity analysis assessed the impact and accuracy of source classification. Omitting less important sources (e.g., coals topsoil) did not change the contributions of other sources, whereas omitting important, poorly‐discriminated sources (e.g., riverbank) increased the contributions of all sources. In other words, variation in source classification substantially alters source apportionment depending on source discrimination and source importance. These results will guide development of procedures for evaluating the appropriate type and number of sediment sources in DRIFTS‐PLSR sediment fingerprinting.
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    Using source‐specific models to test the impact of sediment source classification on sediment fingerprinting
    (Wiley, 2018-08-31) Vercruysse, Kim; Grabowski, Robert C.
    Sediment fingerprinting estimates sediment source contributions directly from river sediment. Despite being fundamental to the interpretation of sediment fingerprinting results, the classification of sediment sources and its impact on the accuracy of source apportionment remain under‐investigated. This study assessed the impact of source classification on sediment fingerprinting based on Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometry (DRIFTS), using individual, source‐specific partial least squares regression (PLSR) models. The objectives were to (i) perform a model sensitivity analysis through systematically omitting sediment sources; and (ii) investigate how sediment source group discrimination and the importance of the groups as actual sources relate to variations in results. Within the Aire catchment (UK), five sediment sources were classified and sampled (n = 117): grassland topsoil in three lithological areas (limestone, millstone grit and coal measures), riverbanks, and street dust. Experimental mixtures (n = 54) of the sources were used to develop PLSR models between known quantities of a single source and DRIFTS spectra of the mixtures, which were applied to estimate source contributions from DRIFTS spectra of suspended (n = 200) and bed (n = 5) sediment samples. Dominant sediment sources were limestone topsoil (45 ± 12 %) and street dust (43 ± 10 %). Millstone and coals topsoil contributed on average 19 ± 13 % and 14 ± 10 %, and riverbanks 16 ± 18%. Due to the use of individual PLSR models, the sum of all contributions can deviate from 100%, thus a model sensitivity analysis assessed the impact and accuracy of source classification. Omitting less important sources (e.g. coals topsoil) did not change contributions of other sources, while omitting important, poorly‐discriminated sources (e.g. riverbank), increased contributions of all sources. In other words, variation in source classification substantially alters source apportionment depending on source discrimination and source importance. These results will guide development of procedures for evaluating the appropriate type and number of sediment sources in DRIFTS‐PLSR sediment fingerprinting.
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    Vegetation cover dynamics along two Himalayan rivers: drivers and implications of change
    (Elsevier, 2022-08-18) Beale, John; Grabowski, Robert C.; Lokidor, Pauline Long'or; Vercruysse, Kim; Simms, Daniel M.
    Rivers are dynamic landscape features that change in response to natural and anthropogenic factors through hydrological, geomorphic and ecological processes. The severity and magnitude of human impacts on river system and riparian vegetation has dramatically increased over the last century with the proliferation of valley-spanning dams, intensification of agriculture, urbanization, and more widespread channel engineering. This study aims to determine how changes in geomorphic form and dynamics caused by these human alterations relate to changes in channels and riparian vegetation in the lower Beas and Sutlej Rivers. These rivers are tributaries of the Indus that drain the Western Himalayas but differ in the type and magnitude of geomorphic change in recent decades. Winter season vegetation was analysed over 30 years, revealing increasing trends in vegetated land cover in the valleys of both rivers, consistent with large-scale drivers of change. Greater trends within the active channels indicate upstream drivers are influencing river flow and geomorphology, vegetation growth and human exploitation. The spatial patterns of vegetation change differ between the rivers, emphasizing how upstream human activities (dams and abstraction) control geomorphic and vegetation community response within the landscape context of the river. The increasing area of vegetated land is reinforcing the local evolutionary trajectory of the river planform from wide-braided wandering to single thread meandering. Narrowing of the active channels is altering the balance of resource provision and risk exposure to people. New areas being exploited for agriculture are exposed to greater risk from river erosion, inundation, and sediment deposition. Moreover, the change from braided to meandering planform has concentrated erosion on riverbanks, placing communities and infrastructure at risk. By quantifying and evaluating the spatial variations in vegetation cover around these rivers, we can better understand the interaction of vegetation and geomorphology alongside the impacts of human activity and climate change in these, and many similar, large systems, which can inform sustainable development.