Water Quality Model Outputs for an Urban River in Birmingham, 2013-2014

An hourly dynamic model was set up to simulate the water quality along a 12 km stretch of an urban river in Birmingham (River Rea). The model was tested over a two year period and then used to simulate the beneficial impact of establishing tree coverage either uniformly within the catchment area or targeted along the river banks. In achieving this, the process-based approach represents (1) the impacts of pollutant uptake from runoff by trees and (2) the light attenuation by canopies reducing the solar radiation reaching the water column which cools the river and slows down eutrophication and oxygen consumption. See metadata file for specific details.

本研究构建了逐小时动态模型，用于模拟英国伯明翰市雷河（River Rea）一段12千米城区河段的水质变化。该模型经两年时长的验证后，被用于模拟两种造林方案的生态效益：一是在汇水区全域均匀布设林木覆盖，二是沿河岸针对性种植林木。本研究采用的基于过程的建模方法可表征两项核心机制：(1) 林木通过径流吸收污染物的作用；(2) 林冠的光衰减效应——该效应可减少抵达水体的太阳辐射，进而降低河流水温，并减缓水体富营养化进程与耗氧速率。具体细节请参阅元数据文件。