Modelling the Ecosystem Behavior of Abu-Ziriq Marsh in South of Iraq Under Different Water Discharges Scenarios | ||
Engineering and Technology Journal | ||
Article 10, Volume 37, 10A, October 2019, Pages 442-452 PDF (361.28 K) | ||
Document Type: Research Paper | ||
DOI: 10.30684/etj.37.10A.10 | ||
Authors | ||
Fuaad H. Al-Yaseen; Mustafa M. Al-Mukhtar | ||
Civil Eng. Dept. University of Technology - Iraq | ||
Abstract | ||
The marshlands are of fundamental importance to Iraq, a unique ecosystem providing local inhabitants with an essential source of habitat and livelihoods. This paper aims to study the ecosystem behavior of Abu-Ziriq Marsh in the south of Iraq under different scenarios using the Ecosystem Functions Model Program (HEC-EFM) and Hydrologic Engineering Center Data Storage System Visual Utility Engine (HEC-DSSVue). To this end, data was converted from tri-monthly and semi-monthly to daily data using the HEC-DSSVue program. The daily data natural(flow, stage) was used for five years between 2013 and 2018. The prediction process was evaluated using three criteria: correlation coefficient (R), root mean square error (RMSE), and the Nash–Sutcliffe effectivity coefficient (NSE). Results of R, RMSE and NSE for the daily inflow discharge (stage) of natural were 0.98 (0.93), 1.55 (0.19) and 0.95 (0.73). Five scenarios of a percentage decrease in gage(flow, stage) with 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% were investigated. Results showed that the decrease in discharge from 2% to 8% did not significantly affect environmental relations and could be used by the competent authorities. However, when the discharge was reduced to 10%, the environmental relations were greatly affected and threatened the life of the organisms. In addition to that, results for wetland health reverse lookup at the fifth scenario show that Abu–Ziriq Marsh need (70.2%) as a percent of the time, when flows equal or exceed four m3/sec. This discharge was chosen because it can be supplied on most days of the year, which is the time needed to be revived when flows equal or exceed 4 (m3/sec). | ||
Keywords | ||
The Ecosystem Functions Model Program (HEC-EFM); HEC-DSSVue; Ecosystem requirements; Abu-Ziriq marsh; Water quantity | ||
References | ||
[1] UNESCO, United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization, “Managing Change in the Marshlands: Iraq‟s Critical Challenge Report of the United Nations Integrated Water Task Force for Iraq United nations White PaPer,” 2011. [2] A.D. Knighton and G.C. Nanson, “Waterholes and their significance in the anastomosing channel system of Cooper Creek, Australia,” Geomorphology, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 311–324, 1994. [3] J.V Ward, K. Tockner, and F. Schiemer, “Biodiversity of floodplain river ecosystems: ecotones and connectivity1,” Regul. rivers Res. Manag., vol. 15, no. 1‐3, pp. 125–139, 1999. [4] M.T. Maher and L.W. Braithwaite, “Patterns of waterbird use in wetlands of the Paroo, A river system of inland Australia.,” Rangel. J., vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 128–142, 1992. [5] A.H. Arthington, S.R. Balcombe, G.A. Wilson, M.C. Thoms, and J. Marshall, “Spatial and temporal variation in fish-assemblage structure in isolated waterholes during the 2001 dry season of an arid-zone floodplain river, Cooper Creek, Australia,” Mar. Freshw. Res., vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 25–35, 2005. [6] J.T. Puckridge, K.F. Walker, and J.F. Costelloe, “Hydrological persistence and the ecology of dryland rivers,” Regul. Rivers Res. Manag., vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 385–402, 2000. [7] S.R. Balcombe, S.E. Bunn, A.H. Arthington, J.H. Fawcett, F. J. McKenzie‐Smith, and A. Wright, “Fish larvae, growth and biomass relationships in an Australian arid zone river: links between floodplains and waterholes,” Freshw. Biol., vol. 52, no. 12, pp. 2385–2398, 2007. [8] J.C. Marshall, F. Sheldon, M. Thoms, and S. Choy, “The macroinvertebrate fauna of an Australian dryland river: spatial and temporal patterns and environmental relationships,” Mar. Freshw. Res., vol. 57, no. 1, pp. 61–74, 2006. [9] R.J. Shiel, J.F. Costelloe, J.R. W. Reid, P. Hudson, and J. Powling, “Zooplankton diversity and assemblages in arid zone rivers of the Lake Eyre Basin, Australia,” Mar. Freshw. Res., vol. 57, no. 1, pp. 49–60, 2006. [10] S.R. Balcombe and A.H. Arthington, “Temporal changes in fish abundance in response to hydrological variability in a dryland floodplain river,” Mar. Freshw. Res., vol. 60, no. 2, pp. 146–159, 2009. [11] H.M. Bedair, H.T. Al Saad, and N.A. Salman, “Iraq‟s Southern Marshes Something Special To Be Conserved; A Case Study,” Marsh Bull., 2006. [12] N. Al-Ansari, S. Knutsson, and A. Ali, “Restoring the Garden of Eden, Iraq,” J. Earth Sci. Geotech. Eng., vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 53–88, 2012. [13] Z. Oonge, “Environmental Flow Assessment Using HEC-EFM and GIS : A Case Study of Kibos River .,” The University of Nairobi School of Engineering, 2013. [14] U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), “Ecosystem Functions Model (HEC-EFM) Quick Start Guide.,” 2008. [15] M.S. Al Khafaji, H.A. Hussein, and A.A. Ali, “Hydrological Operation Requirements for Restoration and Improving Water Quality of Abu Zirig Marsh.,” Eng. & Tech. Journal, vol. 28, no. 17, 2010. [16] R.H. Al-Suhili, S.E. Ebrahim and H.J. Alkhazaali, “Optimum Water Allocation for Abu-Ziriq Marsh Ecological Restoration,” Journal of Engineering, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 683–692, 2012. [17] N.V Bhattacharjee, J.R. Willis, K.W. Swinson, and E. W. Tollner, “Water Management and habitat suitability study along the Ocmulgee river,” in 21st Century Watershed Technology Conference and Workshop Improving Water Quality and the Environment Conference Proceedings, 3-9 December 2016, IKIAM Universidad Regional Amazonica Quito, Ecuador, pp. 1–7, 2016. [18] Z.D. Hassan, “Using Remote Sensing Techniques and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Sequences Study to Al-Hammar Marsh /South of Iraq for the Period ( 1973-2010 ),” vol. 3795, 2012. [19] C.N.D. John T. Hickey, Rochelle Huff, “Using habitat to quantify ecological effects of restoration and water management alternatives,” Environ. Model. Softw., vol. 70, pp. 16–31, 2015. [20] A.K. Shayyish, “Predictive Modeling of Hawiza Marsh Eutrophication,” vol. 27, no. 13, pp. 2263– 2273, 2009. [21] Z.A. Garstecki, “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management in the Iraqi Marshlands-Screening Study on Potential World Heritage Nomination.,” 2011. [22] N. Al-Ansari and S. Knutsson, “Possibilities of Restoring the Iraqi Marshes known as the Garden of Eden,” Water Clim. Chang. MENA-Region Adapt. Mitig. Best Pract., 2011. [23] M. of W. R. MOWR, “„Data of discharge and depth of water in Abu Zarak marsh‟.,” 2005. [24] IMET and IF, Italian Ministry for the Environment and Territory and Iraq Foundation, "New Eden, Water & Energy Project" Technical Book 1. Abo- Ziriq Marshland Restoration Project,2005. [25] S. Srinivasulu and A. Jain, “A comparative analysis of training methods for artificial neural network rainfall–runoff models,” Appl. Soft Comput., vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 295–306, 2006. [26] M.A. Ghorbani, R. Khatibi, B. Hosseini, and M. Bilgili, “Relative importance of parameters affecting wind speed prediction using artificial neural networks,” Theor. Appl. Climatol., vol. 114, no. 1–2, pp. 107–114, 2013. [27] L.F. Woodrow, “Managing Alamo Dam to Establish Woody Riparian Vegetation on the Bill Williams River, Arizona.,” M.Sc. Thesis, Civil Eng., University of California, California, 2009. [28] T. John, “Improving Reservoir Management from an Ecological Perspective,” M.Sc. Thesis, Civil Eng. Unversity of California, USA, 2013. | ||
Statistics Article View: 225 PDF Download: 247 |