Giuseppe Bombino - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Uploads

Papers by Giuseppe Bombino

Agricultural Water Management

Hydrology

In order to predict and control the impacts of floods in torrents, it is important to verify the ... more In order to predict and control the impacts of floods in torrents, it is important to verify the simulation accuracy of the most used hydrological models. The performance verification is particularly needed for applications in watersheds with peculiar climatic and geomorphological characteristics, such as the Mediterranean torrents. Moreover, in addition to the accuracy, other factors affect the choice of software by stakeholders (users, modellers, researchers, etc.). This study introduces a “performance matrix”, consisting of several evaluation parameters weighted by stakeholders’ opinions. The aim is to evaluate the accuracy of the flood prediction which is achieved by different models, as well as the pros and cons of software user experience. To this aim, the performances and requisites of four physical-based and conceptual models (HEC-HMS, SWMM, MIKE11 NAM and WEC-FLOOD) have been evaluated, by predicting floods in a midsized Mediterranean watershed (Mèsima torrent, Calabria, So...

<p&amp... more <p>In Mediterranean environments, where soil erosion rates are often not tolerable, sediment connectivity at the watershed scale needs accurate evaluation tools. Quiñonero-Rubio et al. (2013) proposed the Catchment Connectivity Index (CCI) to describe hydrological and geomorphological factors. It requires the combination of considerable skills to data sources and demanding field surveys. In order to improve the index and to simplify its application, in this study we propose a modified version of the CCI, the mCCI, that produces a more efficient description of the hydrological and geomorphological parameters composing CCI and, thanks to the large use of GIS software, making easier its applicability for operators with less field experience.</p><p>The mCCI is applied in a torrent of Calabria (Southern Italy) to evaluate the sediment connectivity at the catchment scale, by comparing four scenarios: a combination of check dam presence or not and land use or not, in 1955 and in 2012. This case study has shown how and by what extent the natural and human impacts (climate and land-use changes and check dam installation) have affected the geomorphic processes influencing sediment circulation in the studied basin throughout six decades. From 1955 to 2012, a general decrease in sediment connectivity has been caught by the mCCI, as a result of the combined effects of greening-up processes of the catchment (due to both natural afforestation and human-induced reforestation) and the installation of check dams, which have decreased the catchment potential to circulating sediments. Overall, the mCCI can be used as an analytical tool to evaluate the influence of past or future changes in natural and human-induced changes in land use and climate actions to give support to land planners in watershed management tasks.</p>

Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering

River Research and Applications

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

Regional Studies in Marine Science

Water

When olive groves are cultivated on clayey soils with steep gradients, as in many Mediterranean a... more When olive groves are cultivated on clayey soils with steep gradients, as in many Mediterranean areas, reducing the runoff and soil erosion rates by adopting proper soil management practices is imperative. A soil cover by pruning residues may represent an alternative to the commonly adopted mechanical tillage. This study evaluates the water infiltration rates and surface runoff volumes in a steep and clayey olive grove of Southern Italy. These hydrological variables are measured at the plot scale under four soil management practices (mechanical tillage, total artificial protection of soil and soil cover with two different rates of vegetal residues). The measurements have been carried out using a rainfall simulator under dry (undisturbed) and wet (that is, on soils disturbed by intense rainfall) conditions. The mechanical tillage leads to lower water infiltration rates and higher runoff production. The retention of a soil cover by vegetal residues (in the range 3.5–17.5 tons/ha of dr...

Environmental Engineering and Management Journal

Sustainability issues have driven academic researchers towards the definition of methodological t... more Sustainability issues have driven academic researchers towards the definition of methodological tools to assess the impacts derived from products and services and to make them more ecologically friendly, economically profitable and socially suitable, and whose results have to be clear and understandable to a broad public. In the evaluation of complex socio-environmental systems, like agricultural ones, uncertainty often arises and the quality of decision processes can be a high concern. This paper presents the conceptual and methodological framework of an Italian research project entitled "MIMeSMAS", i.e. Multidisciplinary and Innovative Methodologies for Sustainable Management in Agricultural Systems. Through a multidisciplinary, multi-methodological, systemic and participatory approach, the project attempts to define an integrated approach for the assessment of environmental, economic and social sustainability of innovative agricultural practices in Mediterranean areas. The project activities are carried out by four Italian research institutions in order to bring together agronomic, hydraulic and mechanical expertise and to conduct a combined implementation of Life Cycle methodologies (LCA, LCC and s-LCA) and multi-criteria analysis tools. The approach is applied to assess and rank alternative cropping systems scenarios; results are expected to help optimising the management of soil, water and energy macro-systems of perennial crops (olive), horticultural crops (artichoke) and dedicated energy crops (giant reed). In this paper the theoretical concept of the project, the preliminary results of project's activities linked to the identification of experimental trials scenarios and to the definition of specific indicators are presented.

Science of The Total Environment

Science of The Total Environment

Earth Surface Processes and Landforms

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2016

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2016

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 2016

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2016

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2016

ABSTRACT The distributed parameter and continuous simulation AnnAGNPS model was implemented in th... more ABSTRACT The distributed parameter and continuous simulation AnnAGNPS model was implemented in the Anzur watershed (Andalusia, Spain) to evaluate its prediction capability of surface runoff under the Mediterranean semi-arid conditions. The experimental watershed (308 km2) is mainly covered by olive groves (more than 75% of the area); the prevalent soil texture is silt loam. Model implementation was performed using a 5-year database with hydrological, geomorphologic and land use data on the experimental watershed. Two hundred and forty-two runoff events were modelled by AnnAGNPS and compared to the corresponding observations recorded at the watershed outlet through the statistical, efficiency and difference indexes commonly used in modelling experiences. The analysis was carried out at event, monthly and yearly scales, considering all the events and a separate analysis was performed on a selection of 46 erosive events (following rainfalls higher than 13 mm), in order to assess AnnAGNPS suitability to simulate those events determining the highest erosive rates under semi-arid conditions. The initial parameterisation was established by following AnnAGNPS model and literature data arranged for a watershed with similar characteristics. Then, the model was calibrated by adjusting of Curve Numbers which meant the best values Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient and root mean square error. Before calibration extreme runoff events were strongly overestimated by the AnnAGNPS model, while prediction capability of the ordinary runoff volumes was more accurate, but always unsatisfactory (coefficients of efficiency of Nash and Sutcliffe E << 0 and correlations between predicted and observed events close to zero). After many calibration trials (with CN 35 for olive grove for soil hydrologic group "B" instead of 31 default value) model performance slightly improved, even though its prediction capability of runoff was poor at all the analysed time scales (best E < 0.30). The inaccuracy shown by the AnnAGNPS model in runoff simulation may be attributable to some factors, as the large watershed area (beyond the limit suggested by model developers) where the travel times are longer than a day, the apparition of aquifers associated to limestone lithologies (contributing to generate surface flow) and the quality of some hydrological and geomorphologic data within the experimental database (which affected hydrological process modelling). Furthermore, the satisfactory model capability in simulating potential evapo-transpiration losses let us state that the inaccuracy shown by AnnAGNPS in simulating runoff volumes was basically due to its difficulty in modelling water balance of the soils and the water losses for infiltration under the experimental conditions. New calibration strategies based on the adaptation of hydrological parameters to seasonal changes and the analysis of base flow are needed in order to assure a higher reliability in utilising the model in the Mediterranean environment as a practical tool in approaching erosion problems and land use planning.

Agricultural Water Management

Hydrology

In order to predict and control the impacts of floods in torrents, it is important to verify the ... more In order to predict and control the impacts of floods in torrents, it is important to verify the simulation accuracy of the most used hydrological models. The performance verification is particularly needed for applications in watersheds with peculiar climatic and geomorphological characteristics, such as the Mediterranean torrents. Moreover, in addition to the accuracy, other factors affect the choice of software by stakeholders (users, modellers, researchers, etc.). This study introduces a “performance matrix”, consisting of several evaluation parameters weighted by stakeholders’ opinions. The aim is to evaluate the accuracy of the flood prediction which is achieved by different models, as well as the pros and cons of software user experience. To this aim, the performances and requisites of four physical-based and conceptual models (HEC-HMS, SWMM, MIKE11 NAM and WEC-FLOOD) have been evaluated, by predicting floods in a midsized Mediterranean watershed (Mèsima torrent, Calabria, So...

<p&amp... more <p>In Mediterranean environments, where soil erosion rates are often not tolerable, sediment connectivity at the watershed scale needs accurate evaluation tools. Quiñonero-Rubio et al. (2013) proposed the Catchment Connectivity Index (CCI) to describe hydrological and geomorphological factors. It requires the combination of considerable skills to data sources and demanding field surveys. In order to improve the index and to simplify its application, in this study we propose a modified version of the CCI, the mCCI, that produces a more efficient description of the hydrological and geomorphological parameters composing CCI and, thanks to the large use of GIS software, making easier its applicability for operators with less field experience.</p><p>The mCCI is applied in a torrent of Calabria (Southern Italy) to evaluate the sediment connectivity at the catchment scale, by comparing four scenarios: a combination of check dam presence or not and land use or not, in 1955 and in 2012. This case study has shown how and by what extent the natural and human impacts (climate and land-use changes and check dam installation) have affected the geomorphic processes influencing sediment circulation in the studied basin throughout six decades. From 1955 to 2012, a general decrease in sediment connectivity has been caught by the mCCI, as a result of the combined effects of greening-up processes of the catchment (due to both natural afforestation and human-induced reforestation) and the installation of check dams, which have decreased the catchment potential to circulating sediments. Overall, the mCCI can be used as an analytical tool to evaluate the influence of past or future changes in natural and human-induced changes in land use and climate actions to give support to land planners in watershed management tasks.</p>

Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering

River Research and Applications

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

Regional Studies in Marine Science

Water

When olive groves are cultivated on clayey soils with steep gradients, as in many Mediterranean a... more When olive groves are cultivated on clayey soils with steep gradients, as in many Mediterranean areas, reducing the runoff and soil erosion rates by adopting proper soil management practices is imperative. A soil cover by pruning residues may represent an alternative to the commonly adopted mechanical tillage. This study evaluates the water infiltration rates and surface runoff volumes in a steep and clayey olive grove of Southern Italy. These hydrological variables are measured at the plot scale under four soil management practices (mechanical tillage, total artificial protection of soil and soil cover with two different rates of vegetal residues). The measurements have been carried out using a rainfall simulator under dry (undisturbed) and wet (that is, on soils disturbed by intense rainfall) conditions. The mechanical tillage leads to lower water infiltration rates and higher runoff production. The retention of a soil cover by vegetal residues (in the range 3.5–17.5 tons/ha of dr...

Environmental Engineering and Management Journal

Sustainability issues have driven academic researchers towards the definition of methodological t... more Sustainability issues have driven academic researchers towards the definition of methodological tools to assess the impacts derived from products and services and to make them more ecologically friendly, economically profitable and socially suitable, and whose results have to be clear and understandable to a broad public. In the evaluation of complex socio-environmental systems, like agricultural ones, uncertainty often arises and the quality of decision processes can be a high concern. This paper presents the conceptual and methodological framework of an Italian research project entitled "MIMeSMAS", i.e. Multidisciplinary and Innovative Methodologies for Sustainable Management in Agricultural Systems. Through a multidisciplinary, multi-methodological, systemic and participatory approach, the project attempts to define an integrated approach for the assessment of environmental, economic and social sustainability of innovative agricultural practices in Mediterranean areas. The project activities are carried out by four Italian research institutions in order to bring together agronomic, hydraulic and mechanical expertise and to conduct a combined implementation of Life Cycle methodologies (LCA, LCC and s-LCA) and multi-criteria analysis tools. The approach is applied to assess and rank alternative cropping systems scenarios; results are expected to help optimising the management of soil, water and energy macro-systems of perennial crops (olive), horticultural crops (artichoke) and dedicated energy crops (giant reed). In this paper the theoretical concept of the project, the preliminary results of project's activities linked to the identification of experimental trials scenarios and to the definition of specific indicators are presented.

Science of The Total Environment

Science of The Total Environment

Earth Surface Processes and Landforms

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2016

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2016

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 2016

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2016

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2016

ABSTRACT The distributed parameter and continuous simulation AnnAGNPS model was implemented in th... more ABSTRACT The distributed parameter and continuous simulation AnnAGNPS model was implemented in the Anzur watershed (Andalusia, Spain) to evaluate its prediction capability of surface runoff under the Mediterranean semi-arid conditions. The experimental watershed (308 km2) is mainly covered by olive groves (more than 75% of the area); the prevalent soil texture is silt loam. Model implementation was performed using a 5-year database with hydrological, geomorphologic and land use data on the experimental watershed. Two hundred and forty-two runoff events were modelled by AnnAGNPS and compared to the corresponding observations recorded at the watershed outlet through the statistical, efficiency and difference indexes commonly used in modelling experiences. The analysis was carried out at event, monthly and yearly scales, considering all the events and a separate analysis was performed on a selection of 46 erosive events (following rainfalls higher than 13 mm), in order to assess AnnAGNPS suitability to simulate those events determining the highest erosive rates under semi-arid conditions. The initial parameterisation was established by following AnnAGNPS model and literature data arranged for a watershed with similar characteristics. Then, the model was calibrated by adjusting of Curve Numbers which meant the best values Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient and root mean square error. Before calibration extreme runoff events were strongly overestimated by the AnnAGNPS model, while prediction capability of the ordinary runoff volumes was more accurate, but always unsatisfactory (coefficients of efficiency of Nash and Sutcliffe E << 0 and correlations between predicted and observed events close to zero). After many calibration trials (with CN 35 for olive grove for soil hydrologic group "B" instead of 31 default value) model performance slightly improved, even though its prediction capability of runoff was poor at all the analysed time scales (best E < 0.30). The inaccuracy shown by the AnnAGNPS model in runoff simulation may be attributable to some factors, as the large watershed area (beyond the limit suggested by model developers) where the travel times are longer than a day, the apparition of aquifers associated to limestone lithologies (contributing to generate surface flow) and the quality of some hydrological and geomorphologic data within the experimental database (which affected hydrological process modelling). Furthermore, the satisfactory model capability in simulating potential evapo-transpiration losses let us state that the inaccuracy shown by AnnAGNPS in simulating runoff volumes was basically due to its difficulty in modelling water balance of the soils and the water losses for infiltration under the experimental conditions. New calibration strategies based on the adaptation of hydrological parameters to seasonal changes and the analysis of base flow are needed in order to assure a higher reliability in utilising the model in the Mediterranean environment as a practical tool in approaching erosion problems and land use planning.