Open Access
Solving the solute transport equation using breakthrough curve modeling
(MDPI, 2024-11-22) Panahi Sofla, Amir; Ghameshlou, Arezoo N.; Liaghat, Abdolmajid; Campo-Bescós, Miguel; Seyedzadeh, Amin; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD
The movement of solutes in soil is crucial due to their potential to cause soil and groundwater pollution. In this study, a mathematical model based on the Advection Dispersion Equation (ADE) was developed to evaluate solutions for solute transport. This equation enabled us to attain a relationship for concentrations at different locations and times, also known as the breakthrough curve. Five columns (5 cm in diameter and 30 cm in height) of soil types were prepared to check the validity of the results. An evaluation of the calculated relations showed high accuracy in estimating the breakthrough curve and the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil.
Open Access
EUSEDcollab: a network of data from European catchments to monitor net soil erosion by water
(Nature Research, 2023-08-04) Matthews, Francis; Verstraeten, Gert; Borrelli, Pasquale; Vanmaercke, Matthias; Poesen, J.; Steegen, An; Degré, Aurore; Cárceles Rodríguez, Belén; Bielders, Charles; Franke, Christine; Alary, Claire; Zumr, David; Patault, Edouard; Nadal-Romero, Estela; Smolska, Ewa; Licciardello, Feliciana; Swerts, Gilles; Thodsen, Hans; Casalí Sarasíbar, Javier; Eslava, Javier; Richet, Jean-Baptiste; Ouvry, Jean-François; Farguell, Joaquim; Święchowicz, Jolanta; Nunes, João Pedro; Pak, Lai Ting; Liakos, Leonidas ; Campo-Bescós, Miguel; Żelazny, Mirosław; Delaporte, Morgan; Pineux, Nathalie; Henin, Nathan; Bezak, Nejc; Lana Renault, Noemí ; Tzoraki, Ourania; Giménez Díaz, Rafael; Li, Tailin; Durán Zuazo, Víctor Hugo; Bagarello, Vincenzo; Pampalone, Vincenzo; Ferro, Vito; Úbeda, Xavier; Panagos, Panos; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD
As a network of researchers we release an open-access database (EUSEDcollab) of water discharge and suspended sediment yield time series records collected in small to medium sized catchments in Europe. EUSEDcollab is compiled to overcome the scarcity of openaccess data at relevant spatial scales for studies on runoff, soil loss by water erosion and sediment delivery. Multi-source measurement data from numerous researchers and institutions were harmonised into a common time series and metadata structure. Data reuse is facilitated through accompanying metadata descriptors providing background technical information for each monitoring station setup. Across ten European countries, EUSEDcollab covers over 1600 catchment years of data from 245 catchments at event (11 catchments), daily (22 catchments) and monthly (212 catchments) temporal resolution, and is unique in its focus on small to medium catchment drainage areas (median = 43 km2, min = 0.04 km2, max = 817 km2) with applicability for soil erosion research. We release this database with the aim of uniting people, knowledge and data through the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO).
Open Access
Crop classification based on temporal signatures of Sentinel-1 observations over Navarre province, Spain
(MDPI, 2020) Arias Cuenca, María; Campo-Bescós, Miguel; Álvarez-Mozos, Jesús; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza
Crop classification provides relevant information for crop management, food security assurance and agricultural policy design. The availability of Sentinel-1 image time series, with a very short revisit time and high spatial resolution, has great potential for crop classification in regions with pervasive cloud cover. Dense image time series enable the implementation of supervised crop classification schemes based on the comparison of the time series of the element to classify with the temporal signatures of the considered crops. The main objective of this study is to investigate the performance of a supervised crop classification approach based on crop temporal signatures obtained from Sentinel-1 time series in a challenging case study with a large number of crops and a high heterogeneity in terms of agro-climatic conditions and field sizes. The case study considered a large dataset on the Spanish province of Navarre in the framework of the verification of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies. Navarre presents a large agro-climatic diversity with persistent cloud cover areas, and therefore, the technique was implemented both at the provincial and regional scale. In total, 14 crop classes were considered, including different winter crops, summer crops, permanent crops and fallow. Classification results varied depending on the set of input features considered, obtaining Overall Accuracies higher than 70% when the three (VH, VV and VH/VV) channels were used as the input. Crops exhibiting singularities in their temporal signatures were more easily identified, with barley, rice, corn and wheat achieving F1-scores above 75%. The size of fields severely affected classification performance, with ~14% better classification performance for larger fields (>1 ha) in comparison to smaller fields (<0.5 ha). Results improved when agro-climatic diversity was taken into account through regional stratification. It was observed that regions with a higher diversity of crop types, management techniques and a larger proportion of fallow fields obtained lower accuracies. The approach is simple and can be easily implemented operationally to aid CAP inspection procedures or for other purposes. © 2020 by the authors.
Open Access
Evaluation of 2D models for the prediction of surface depression storage using realistic reference values
(Wiley, 2016) Giménez Díaz, Rafael; Mezkiritz Barberena, Irantzu; Campo-Bescós, Miguel; Álvarez-Mozos, Jesús; González de Audícana Amenábar, María; Martínez de Aguirre Escobar, Alejandro; Casalí Sarasíbar, Javier; Proyectos e Ingeniería Rural; Landa Ingeniaritza eta Proiektuak
Depression storage (DS) is the maximum storage of precipitation and runoff in the soil surface at a given slope. The DS is determined by soil roughness that in agricultural soils is largely affected by tillage. The direct measurement of DS is not straightforward because of the natural permeability of the soil. Therefore, DS has generally been estimated from 2D/3D empirical relationships and numerical algorithms based on roughness indexes and height measurements of the soil surface, respectively. The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance of some 2D models for DS, using direct and reliable measurements of DS in an agricultural soil as reference values. The study was carried out in experimental microplots where DS was measured in six situations resulting from the combination of three types of tillage carried out parallel and perpendicular to the main slope. Those data were used as reference to evaluate four empirical models and a numerical method. Longitudinal altitudinal profiles of the relief were obtained by a laser profilometer. Infiltration measurements were carried out before and after tillage. The DS was largely affected by tillage and its direction. Highest values of DS are found on rougher surfaces mainly when macroforms cut off the dominant slope. The empirical models had a limited performance while the numerical method was the most effective, even so, with an important variability. In addition, a correct hydrological management should take into account that each type of soil tillage affects infiltration rate differently.
Open Access
The role of ethnic characteristics in the effect of income shocks on African conflict
(Elsevier, 2021) Manotas Hidalgo, Beatriz; Pérez Sebastián, Fidel; Campo-Bescós, Miguel; Ekonomia; Ingeniaritza; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD; Economía; Ingeniería
This paper disentangles the ethnic drivers of the effect of food-related income shocks on African conflict employing geo-localized information. We consider diversity and political ethnic variables and several conflict definitions. We find that differentiating between organized armed-force and non-organized conflict can be more informative than between factor and output conflict. We show evidence that conflict is driven by the opportunity cost and state capacity mechanisms. Furthermore, ethnic cleavages have a large role in the transmission process of income shocks on organized armed-force conflict; whereas their role in non-organized violence is more limited. The sensitivity to ethnic heterogeneity for producer-price and droughts shocks is much larger than for consumer-price changes.
Open Access
Evaluation of nitrate soil probes for a more sustainable agriculture
(MDPI, 2022) Bellosta Diest, Amelia; Campo-Bescós, Miguel; Zapatería Miranda, Jesús; Casalí Sarasíbar, Javier; Arregui Odériz, Luis Miguel; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
Synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizers and their increased production and utilization have played a great role in increasing crop yield and in meeting the food demands resulting from population growth. Nitrate (NO3−) is the common form of nitrogen absorbed by plants. It has high water solubility and low retention by soil particles, making it prone to leaching and mobilization by surface water, which can seriously contaminate biological environments and affect human health. Few methods exist to measure nitrate in the soil. The development of ion selective sensors provides knowledge about the dynamics of nitrate in the soil in real time, which can be very useful for nitrate management. The objective of this study is to analyze the performance of three commercial probes (Nutrisens, RIKA and JXCT) under the same conditions. The performance was analyzed with respect to electrical conductivity (EC) (0–50 mS/cm) and nitrate concentration in aqueous solution and in sand (0–180 ppm NO3−) at 35% volumetric soil moisture. Differences were shown among probes when studying their response to variations of the EC and, notably, only the Nutrisens probe provided coherent accurate measurements. In the evaluation of nitrate concentration in liquid solution, all probes proved to be highly sensitive. Finally, in the evaluation of all probes’ response to modifications in nitrate concentration in sand, the sensitivity decreased for all probes, with the Nutrisens probe the most sensitive and the other two probes almost insensitive.
Open Access
Comparison between capacitive and microstructured optical fiber soil moisture sensors
(MDPI, 2018) López Aldaba, Aitor; López Torres, Diego; Campo-Bescós, Miguel; López Rodríguez, José Javier; Yerro Lizarazu, David; Elosúa Aguado, César; Arregui San Martín, Francisco Javier; Auguste, Jean-Louis; Jamier, Raphael; Roy, Philippe; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Landa Ingeniaritza eta Proiektuak; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Proyectos e Ingeniería Rural
Soil moisture content has always been an important parameter to control because it is a deterministic factor for site-specific irrigation, seeding, transplanting, and compaction detection. In this work, a discrete sensor that is based on a SnO2–FP (Fabry-Pérot) cavity is presented and characterized in real soil conditions. As far as authors know, it is the first time that a microstructured optical fiber is used for real soil moisture measurements. Its performance is compared with a commercial capacitive soil moisture sensor in two different soil scenarios for two weeks. The optical sensor shows a great agreement with capacitive sensor’s response and gravimetric measurements, as well as a fast and reversible response; moreover, the interrogation technique allows for several sensors to be potentially multiplexed, which offers the possibility of local measurements instead of volumetric: it constitutes a great tool for real soil moisture monitoring.
Embargo
Introducing QAnnAGNPS - A QGIS plugin to facilitate the use of AnnAGNPS (Annualized Agricultural Nonpoint source model)
(Elsevier, 2024) Barberena Ruiz, Íñigo; Campo-Bescós, Miguel; Casalí Sarasíbar, Javier; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD
AnnAGNPS is a watershed-scale hydrological model designed to analyze the impact of nonpoint source pollution in agricultural environments. Its unique capabilities have defined it as an essential model that is used globally to evaluate agricultural management scenarios. However, it does not currently have a user-friendly graphical interface that provides a simple way for users to perform simulations. This article presents QAnnAGNPS, a plugin developed in QGIS to facilitate access to the simulation capabilities of AnnAGNPS through a user-friendly interface and the addition of extra features, including data visualization. QAnnAGNPS, in addition to fulfilling this valuable task, opens the door to the incorporation of additional functions already included in other similar hydrological models. The plugin has been tested in the Latxaga cereal basin in Navarra, Spain, and has demonstrated that it provides a simpler way to perform simulations and visualize results compared to AnnAGNPS.
Open Access
Evaluation of R tools for downloading MODIS images and their use in urban growth analysis of the city of Tarija (Bolivia)
(MDPI, 2022) Campero Taboada, Milton J.; Luquin Oroz, Eduardo Adrián; Montesino San Martín, Manuel; González de Audícana Amenábar, María; Campo-Bescós, Miguel; Estadística, Informática y Matemáticas; Estatistika, Informatika eta Matematika; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
The aim of this study was to compare the available tools in R for downloading and processing Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, specifically the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) product. The R tools evaluated were the MODIS package, RGISTools, MODISTools, R Google Earth Engine (RGEE) package, MODIStsp, and the Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples (AppEEARS) application. Each tool was used to download the same product (EVI) corresponding to the same day (3 December 2015), and downloaded data were used to analyze the urban growth of Tarija (Bolivia) as an interesting application. The following features were analyzed: download time and memory used during the download, additional postprocessing time, local memory occupied on the computer, and downloaded file formats. Results showed that the most efficient R tools were those that work directly in the “cloud” or use text queries (RGEE and AppEEARS, respectively) and provide, as a final product, a cropped.tif image according to the area of interest.
Open Access
Watering or buffering? Runoff and sediment pollution control from furrow irrigated fields in arid environments
(Elsevier, 2015) Campo-Bescós, Miguel; Muñoz Carpena, Rafael; Kiker, Gregory A.; Bodah, Brian W.; Ullman, Jeffrey L.; Proyectos e Ingeniería Rural; Landa Ingeniaritza eta Proiektuak
Surface irrigated agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions contributes to downstream environmental degradation. Changes in irrigation system operational scenarios (ISOS) can represent an economic alternative to reduce surface runoff impacts. At the same time the use of vegetative filter strips (VFS) can have a positive impact on the ecological health of rural landscapes by reducing erosion, improving water quality, increasing biodiversity, and expanding wildlife habitat. The goal of this paper is, using a combination of field data and mechanistic modeling results, to evaluate and compare the spatial effectiveness of improvements in ISOS and introduction of VFS to reduce surface runoff pollution in the semi-arid/arid furrow irrigation agroecosystem that exceeds current regulatory turbidity limits (25 NTU). Five main factor interactions were studied: four soil textures, two field slopes, three ISOS, six filter vegetation types, and ten filter lengths. Slope and runoff volume were identified as the two main drivers of sediment export from furrows. Shifting from current ISOS to less water consumptive irrigation practices reduce runoff in addition to sediment delivery to comply with environmental regulations. The implementation of 3 to 9 m vegetative buffers on experimental parcels were found to mitigate sediment delivery (greater than 90% sediment reduction) on tail drainage ditches but had limited effect in the reduction of runoff flow that can transport other dissolved pollutants. These findings were insensitive to filter vegetation type. Thus, introduction of improved ISOS is desirable while VFS may be targeted to specific hot spots within the irrigation district. This study shows that the adoption of dense vegetation buffers in vulnerable semi-arid irrigated regions can be effective to mitigate agricultural impacts and provide environmental protection. However, it should not be adopted as an alternative to proper on-site irrigation practices, rather as a complementary off-site pollution control practice.