Title: Runoff model validation for large-scale afforestation in arid land

Authors: Hironori Tabuchi; Naoki Tanaka; Suguru Koyanagi; Katsuhiko Kurosawa; Hiroyuki Hamano; Hideki Suganuma; Toshinori Kojima

Addresses: Department of Materials and Life Science, Seikei University, 3-3-1 Kichijojikitamachi, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8633, Japan. ' Department of Materials and Life Science, Seikei University, 3-3-1 Kichijojikitamachi, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8633, Japan. ' Department of Materials and Life Science, Seikei University, 3-3-1 Kichijojikitamachi, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8633, Japan. ' Department of Materials and Life Science, Seikei University, 3-3-1 Kichijojikitamachi, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8633, Japan. ' Center for Low Carbon Society Strategy, J.S.T., 4-8, Kojimachi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan. ' Department of Materials and Life Science, Seikei University, 3-3-1 Kichijojikitamachi, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8633, Japan. ' Department of Materials and Life Science, Seikei University, 3-3-1 Kichijojikitamachi, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8633, Japan

Abstract: As a countermeasure against global warming, large scale afforestation of arid land which is hardly used for crop cultivation has been receiving attention. By large scale afforestation, atmospheric CO₂ will be fixed into plants. In arid land, however, most of the rainwater is lost by runoff and evaporation. Effective use of rainwater is required for afforestation. Thus, we made an original runoff model to evaluate water distribution in our research area in Western Australia. In this study, first of all, we tested the effect of the treatment way of the water movement around the watershed, and secondly, the effect of rainfall input method on the numerical estimation results of water level change.

Keywords: large scale afforestation; arid land; runoff models; hydrological modelling; simulation; carbon fixation; environmental engineering; Australia; model validation; global warming; rainwater use; water distribution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGENVI.2012.049386

International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 2012 Vol.12 No.2/3/4, pp.282 - 292

Accepted: 21 Mar 2012
Published online: 28 Aug 2014 *

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