Kremena B Burkhard | Leibniz Universität Hannover (original) (raw)

Papers by Kremena B Burkhard

UNESCO-IHE Delft Lecture Note Series, 2016

This is chapter 21 of the book, Water Bankruptcy in the Land of Plenty (edited by Poupeau et al. ... more This is chapter 21 of the book, Water Bankruptcy in the Land of Plenty (edited by Poupeau et al. 2016) in which the research consortia discuss the body of work, some aspects of the process and the values of such a collective project in international environmental studies

Sustainable Mountain Regions: Challenges and Perspectives in Southeastern Europe, 2016

The inconsistency in methods to quantify and map ecosystem services challenges the development of... more The inconsistency in methods to quantify and map ecosystem services challenges the development of robust values of ecosystem services in national accounts and broader policy and natural resource management decision-making. In this paper we develop and test a blueprint to give guidance on modelling and mapping ecosystem services. The primary purpose of this blueprint is to provide a template and checklist of information needed for those beginning an ecosystem service modelling and mapping study. A secondary purpose is to provide, over time, a database of completed blueprints that becomes a valuable information resource of methods and information used in previous modelling and mapping studies. We base our blueprint on a literature review, expert opinions (as part of a related workshop organised during the 5th ESP conference 2) and critical assessment of existing techniques used to model and map ecosystem services. While any study that models and maps ecosystem services will have its unique characteristics and will be largely driven by data and model availability, a tool such as the blueprint presented here will reduce the uncertainty associated with quantifying ecosystem services and thereby help to close the gap between theory and practice.

Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography, 2014

There is great need for accurate and practical methods to assess the conditions of ecosystems, an... more There is great need for accurate and practical methods to assess the conditions of ecosystems, and the possible results of their interaction with social systems. The generation and interpretation of quantitative data for ecosystem service analysis is still not well established. Ecosystem service analyses demand an interdisciplinary approach that integrates knowledge with a high variety, and manifold verifications, of models and data. Maps seem to be the most preferable tool for the visualisation of results, being a comprehensive and intuitive tool for communication between decision makers and the general public. The following chapter presents an application and the verification of an approach for the quantification of flood regulating ecosystem services by using results from the watershed hydrological model KINEROS and the AGWA tool (Nedkov and Burkhard 2012). It is applied in six watersheds - three in Bulgaria and three in Arizona, USA, in order to check its reliability in case studies with differing geographic characteristics. The model results are used to define the capacities of the land cover classes in the different watersheds and to prepare flood regulating supply capacity maps. Capacities for flood regulation differ within the case studies and their land cover classes. Forests still show generally high capacities in both Bulgaria and Arizona, while grasslands and pastures in Bulgaria show higher capacities for flood regulation than in Arizona. The maps can provide valuable information for sustainable environmental management.

Water Bankruptcy in the Land of Plenty, 2016

The chapter deals with some of the common issues of inter/transdisciplinary working groups, but a... more The chapter deals with some of the common issues of inter/transdisciplinary working groups, but also how these problems might be altered for better collective understanding and integration.

Ecosystem Services and River Basin Ecohydrology, 2015

Quantifying, modelling and mapping ecosystem services is an important step to the application of ... more Quantifying, modelling and mapping ecosystem services is an important step to the application of ecosystem services in practice and decision making. Watersheds are functional entities that provide an appropriate spatial scale for water flow analysis and integrate all the processes that occur within their boundaries. Multiple ecosystem functions occur within watersheds, providing water-related ecosystem services such as freshwater provision, groundwater recharge, water purification and flood regulation. A matrix approach was applied, linking different land cover types within watersheds to different ecosystem functions and services. Supply capacities of different land cover types and respective changes over time were assessed. By applying the watershed-based hydrologic model KINEROS and the GIS based AGWA tool, water retention functions of different land cover classes in the Bulgarian case study areas Malki Iskar, Vidima and Yantra were assessed. Based on the modelling results, flood regulating ecosystem service supply capacities were quantified and mapped in the three watersheds. A digital elevation model, land cover information and accessibility data were used to compile maps of demands for flood regulating ecosystem services. Supply-demand budgets were calculated and mapped for the study areas using the flood regulation supply and demand maps. The results quantify and illustrate complex ecosystem function–service–benefit relations in watersheds. Comparable procedures and calculation algorithms can be applied for other ecosystem functions and services relevant on the watershed scale. The approach is transferable to other regions and can provide important information for integrated watershed management.

The inconsistency in methods to quantify and map ecosystem services challenges the development of... more The inconsistency in methods to quantify and map ecosystem services challenges the development of robust values of ecosystem services in national accounts and broader policy and natural resource management decision-making. In this paper we develop and test a blueprint to give guidance on modelling and mapping ecosystem services. The primary purpose of this blueprint is to provide a template and checklist of information needed for those beginning an ecosystem service modelling and mapping study. A secondary purpose is to provide, over time, a database of completed blueprints that becomes a valuable information resource of methods and information used in previous modelling and mapping studies. We base our blueprint on a literature review, expert opinions (as part of a related workshop organised during the 5th ESP conference 2 ) and critical assessment of existing techniques used to model and map ecosystem services. While any study that models and maps ecosystem services will have its unique characteristics and will be largely driven by data and model availability, a tool such as the blueprint presented here will reduce the uncertainty associated with quantifying ecosystem services and thereby help to close the gap between theory and practice. Crown

Ecosystem Services, Mar 7, 2013

The inconsistency in methods to quantify and map ecosystem services challenges the development of... more The inconsistency in methods to quantify and map ecosystem services challenges the development of robust values of ecosystem services in national accounts and broader policy and natural resource management decision-making. In this paper we develop and test a blueprint to give guidance on modelling and mapping ecosystem services. The primary purpose of this blueprint is to provide a template and checklist of information needed for those beginning an ecosystem service modelling and mapping study. A secondary purpose is to provide, over time, a database of completed blueprints that becomes a valuable information resource of methods and information used in previous modelling and mapping studies. We base our blueprint on a literature review, expert opinions (as part of a related workshop organised during the 5th ESP conference2 ) and critical assessment of existing techniques used to model and map ecosystem services. While any study that models and maps ecosystem services will have its unique characteristics and will be largely driven by data and model availability, a tool such as the blueprint presented here will reduce the uncertainty associated with quantifying ecosystem services and thereby help to close the gap between theory and practice.

The present paper will examine many of the problems and characteristics that a cartographer shoul... more The present paper will examine many of the problems and characteristics that a cartographer should consider when starting the preparation of a 3D map of any kind and particularly one used in architectural applications. Moreover, it will present problems of perception as an important factor in selecting appropriate techniques and methods for conveying cartographic information in a more contemporary form, like 3D mapping. The wide range of applications of 3D maps will be reviewed in order to justify their potential for a mass entry into the modern world. In addition, the fundamental principles of 3D modelling and its application for mapping purposes will be presented. The principles and methods for creating a 3D vector map with application in 3D GIS and their characteristics, as well as precision and application for architecture will be examined. The paper will also consider the advantages and disadvantages of photorealistic representation.

Book chapters by Kremena B Burkhard

Cartography (from Greek χάρτης khartēs, “map”; and γράφειν graphein, “write”) is the art and scie... more Cartography (from Greek χάρτης khartēs, “map”; and γράφειν graphein, “write”) is the art and science of representing geographic data by geographical means. Maps are the main products of cartographic work
and are graphic representations of features of an area of the Earth or of any other celestial body drawn to scale. Regardless of the map type or the mapping technique applied (Chapter 3.2), every map has a coordinate system, a projection, a scale and includes specific map elements. These attributes usually depend on the size and shape of the
mapped geographical area and the graphical design of the map representation that needs to be informative and understandable for
the map-user (Chapters 5.4 and 6.4).
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are powerful tools for data Input, Management, Analysis and Presentation (IMAP principle) providing multiple possibilities for a better understanding of the structures and patterns of human and natural activities and phenomena (Chapter 3.4). Nevertheless, much of its easy-to-apply default-functionality can be misleading for an inexperienced map-maker.
In the present chapter, we discuss the main characteristics of maps such as coordinate system, geodetic datum, projection, scale and map elements; how to choose them accordingly and what their role is for proper use of a map. The use of GIS has significantly simplified mapping and provides a good environment for the visualisation of Ecosystem Services (ES).

This chapter contains three sections describing the integration of (1) people and the development... more This chapter contains three sections describing the integration of (1) people and the development of a collaborative research focusing on the Tucson Region; (2) disciplinary fields and methodological approaches; and (3) research results and their relevance for planning and management. 1 THE BIRTH OF A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROCESS Coming together: As may be expected at the beginning of any collaborative research effort, we spent considerable amounts of time during the first few months of the SWAN project (initiated in April 2012) learning about each partner's work. This period was characterized by long discussions about how to work across disciplinary divides, similarities and differences in methods and perspectives, and the seemingly unavoidable challenges of dealing with the diversity of academic jargon. During the spring of 2013, a group of SWAN-affiliated scientists based at the University of Arizona, began to meet once a week with the rotating group of " extended-stay'' international students to develop a cooperative approach oriented towards trans-disciplinary research. The initial discussions focused on establishing strong connections among the different disciplines represented, the development of a holistic vision of water-related research, and a search for common frames of analysis. The differences between disciplines and frameworks, especially between the basic notions of hydrological modeling and ecosystem services approaches, were carefully analyzed during several interactive working sessions. The seeds of integration: These discussions resulted in an initial proposal for project integration, that was realized in the form of a poster at the April 2013 Progress Meeting of the SWAN project held in Tucson, from which the foundation for our ongoing collaborative engagement became much more clear. With the value of weekly student/researcher meetings now extremely apparent to the group, the practice was unanimously institutionalized as a concrete means to advance scientific cooperation.

There is great need for accurate and practical methods to assess the conditions of ecosystems, an... more There is great need for accurate and practical methods to assess the conditions of ecosystems, and the possible results of their interaction with social systems. The generation and interpretation of quantitative data for ecosystem service analysis is still not well established. Ecosystem service analyses demand an interdisciplinary approach that integrates knowledge with a high variety, and manifold verifications, of models and data. Maps seem to be the most preferable tool for the visualisation of results, being a comprehensive and intuitive tool for communication between decision makers and the general public. The following chapter presents an application and the verification of an approach for the quanti-fication of flood regulating ecosystem services by using results from the watershed hydrological model KINEROS and the AGWA tool (Nedkov and Burkhard 2012). It is applied in six watersheds-three in Bulgaria and three in Arizona, USA, in order to check its reliability in case studies with differing geographic characteristics. The model results are used to define the capacities of the land cover classes in the different watersheds and to prepare flood regulating supply capacity maps. Capacities for flood regulation differ within the case studies and their land cover classes. Forests still show generally high capacities in both Bul-garia and Arizona, while grasslands and pastures in Bulgaria show higher capacities for flood regulation than in Arizona. The maps can provide valuable information for sustainable environmental management.

The application of hydrological models for the assessment of ecosystem services provides multiple... more The application of hydrological models for the assessment of ecosystem services provides multiple opportunities for their quantitative analysis. Furthermore, Geographic Information System (GIS)-based models provide the possibility for spatially explicit analyses of model outputs and their representation in maps. A broadly applied and freely available hydrological model is the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The tool for its application in ArcGIS is ArcSWAT. The application of the model in mountain areas in Bulgaria can provide better understanding of the supply of ecosystem services and especially the water-related services, considering the large landscape diversity and climate differences within mountain watersheds. Still, data characteristics and limitations in Bulgaria can be restrictive for the quality of the model outputs. ArcSWAT is created and actively supported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Consequently, the soil and land cover typologies and their respective lookup tables that are built into the model database are based on freely available USA datasets. The climate database integrated in the model is from stations throughout the United States and does not cover other countries, which makes the application of the model outside the United States more complicated. For Bulgaria, the most detailed soil and land cover datasets use Bulgarian typologies, which have rarely been correlated to European or global types, and no correlation with US typologies have been found in the literature. Additionally, vegetation information within the different natural and semi-natural land cover classes is not

Quantifying, modelling and mapping ecosystem services is an important step to the application of ... more Quantifying, modelling and mapping ecosystem services is an important step to the application of ecosystem services in practice and decision making. Watersheds are functional entities that provide an appropriate spatial scale for water fl ow analysis and integrate all the processes that occur within their boundaries. Multiple ecosystem functions occur within watersheds, providing water-related ecosystem services such as freshwater provision, groundwater recharge, water puri-fi cation and fl ood regulation. A matrix approach was applied, linking different land cover types within watersheds to different ecosystem functions and services. Supply capacities of different land cover types and respective changes over time were assessed. By applying the watershed-based hydrologic model KINEROS and the GIS based AGWA tool, water retention functions of different land cover classes in the Bulgarian case study areas Malki Iskar, Vidima and Yantra were assessed. Based on the modelling results, fl ood regulating ecosystem service supply capacities were quantifi ed and mapped in the three watersheds. A digital elevation model, land cover information and accessibility data were used to compile maps of demands for fl ood regulating ecosystem services. Supply-demand budgets were calculated and mapped for the study areas using the fl ood regulation supply and demand maps. The results quantify and illustrate complex ecosystem function–service–benefi t relations in watersheds. Comparable procedures and calculation algorithms can be applied for other ecosystem functions and services relevant on the watershed scale. The approach is transferable to other regions and can provide important information for integrated watershed management.

The ongoing drought in the Southwestern United States places pressure on both scientists and prac... more The ongoing drought in the Southwestern United States places pressure on both scientists and practitioners to find new solutions to water-related issues. In the state of Arizona, this situation requires that the present state of the ecosystems and natural resources be re-evaluated to assess their capacity to sustain the future flow of Ecosystem Services (ES) to society. In this chapter, we investigate the influence of local land use practices on the water cycle, and the consequent impact on the supply of Water-Related Ecosystem Services (WRES). Our methodology and results can provide support for water and land management and decision-making in areas experiencing water scarcity.
Our study focuses on the Upper Santa Cruz watershed located mainly in southern Arizona but with a small portion in the Sonora region of northern Mexico. We propose a methodology for spatially explicit quantification and evaluation of the WRES within the watershed, and use the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model to derive a set of hydrological indicators from model simulation for the period 1987-2006. Being a water-limited region, the vast majority (approximately 87%) of the incoming precipitation water leaves the system as evapotranspiration.
The different land use types within the watershed influence the hydrological cycle and, thereby, the supply of WRES. We therefore assess and map impacts by analyzing the average annual values of the hydrological variables for each land use type. In particular, we highlight the importance of forested lands (evergreen forests and forested wetlands - approximately 15% of the watershed area) for providing the highest supply of WRES in the region and consequently, the importance of their preservation. Nevertheless, the predominant land use types within the watershed (shrublands, urban areas and grasslands – approximately 81% of the watershed area) provide the lowest supply of WRES, which significantly decreases the overall supply of WRES at the watershed scale. To support planning, we assess the hypothetical influence of three urban growth scenarios on the supply of WRES, via an area weighting of the contribution of the different land use types to the supply of WRES. A decreasing trend in the supply of almost all services is observed under all three scenarios.

UNESCO-IHE Delft Lecture Note Series, 2016

Sustainable Mountain Regions: Challenges and Perspectives in Southeastern Europe, 2016

Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography, 2014

Water Bankruptcy in the Land of Plenty, 2016

Ecosystem Services and River Basin Ecohydrology, 2015

The inconsistency in methods to quantify and map ecosystem services challenges the development of... more The inconsistency in methods to quantify and map ecosystem services challenges the development of robust values of ecosystem services in national accounts and broader policy and natural resource management decision-making. In this paper we develop and test a blueprint to give guidance on modelling and mapping ecosystem services. The primary purpose of this blueprint is to provide a template and checklist of information needed for those beginning an ecosystem service modelling and mapping study. A secondary purpose is to provide, over time, a database of completed blueprints that becomes a valuable information resource of methods and information used in previous modelling and mapping studies. We base our blueprint on a literature review, expert opinions (as part of a related workshop organised during the 5th ESP conference 2 ) and critical assessment of existing techniques used to model and map ecosystem services. While any study that models and maps ecosystem services will have its unique characteristics and will be largely driven by data and model availability, a tool such as the blueprint presented here will reduce the uncertainty associated with quantifying ecosystem services and thereby help to close the gap between theory and practice. Crown

Ecosystem Services, Mar 7, 2013

The inconsistency in methods to quantify and map ecosystem services challenges the development of... more The inconsistency in methods to quantify and map ecosystem services challenges the development of robust values of ecosystem services in national accounts and broader policy and natural resource management decision-making. In this paper we develop and test a blueprint to give guidance on modelling and mapping ecosystem services. The primary purpose of this blueprint is to provide a template and checklist of information needed for those beginning an ecosystem service modelling and mapping study. A secondary purpose is to provide, over time, a database of completed blueprints that becomes a valuable information resource of methods and information used in previous modelling and mapping studies. We base our blueprint on a literature review, expert opinions (as part of a related workshop organised during the 5th ESP conference2 ) and critical assessment of existing techniques used to model and map ecosystem services. While any study that models and maps ecosystem services will have its unique characteristics and will be largely driven by data and model availability, a tool such as the blueprint presented here will reduce the uncertainty associated with quantifying ecosystem services and thereby help to close the gap between theory and practice.

There is great need for accurate and practical methods to assess the conditions of ecosystems, an... more There is great need for accurate and practical methods to assess the conditions of ecosystems, and the possible results of their interaction with social systems. The generation and interpretation of quantitative data for ecosystem service analysis is still not well established. Ecosystem service analyses demand an interdisciplinary approach that integrates knowledge with a high variety, and manifold verifications, of models and data. Maps seem to be the most preferable tool for the visualisation of results, being a comprehensive and intuitive tool for communication between decision makers and the general public. The following chapter presents an application and the verification of an approach for the quanti-fication of flood regulating ecosystem services by using results from the watershed hydrological model KINEROS and the AGWA tool (Nedkov and Burkhard 2012). It is applied in six watersheds-three in Bulgaria and three in Arizona, USA, in order to check its reliability in case studies with differing geographic characteristics. The model results are used to define the capacities of the land cover classes in the different watersheds and to prepare flood regulating supply capacity maps. Capacities for flood regulation differ within the case studies and their land cover classes. Forests still show generally high capacities in both Bul-garia and Arizona, while grasslands and pastures in Bulgaria show higher capacities for flood regulation than in Arizona. The maps can provide valuable information for sustainable environmental management.

Quantifying, modelling and mapping ecosystem services is an important step to the application of ... more Quantifying, modelling and mapping ecosystem services is an important step to the application of ecosystem services in practice and decision making. Watersheds are functional entities that provide an appropriate spatial scale for water fl ow analysis and integrate all the processes that occur within their boundaries. Multiple ecosystem functions occur within watersheds, providing water-related ecosystem services such as freshwater provision, groundwater recharge, water puri-fi cation and fl ood regulation. A matrix approach was applied, linking different land cover types within watersheds to different ecosystem functions and services. Supply capacities of different land cover types and respective changes over time were assessed. By applying the watershed-based hydrologic model KINEROS and the GIS based AGWA tool, water retention functions of different land cover classes in the Bulgarian case study areas Malki Iskar, Vidima and Yantra were assessed. Based on the modelling results, fl ood regulating ecosystem service supply capacities were quantifi ed and mapped in the three watersheds. A digital elevation model, land cover information and accessibility data were used to compile maps of demands for fl ood regulating ecosystem services. Supply-demand budgets were calculated and mapped for the study areas using the fl ood regulation supply and demand maps. The results quantify and illustrate complex ecosystem function–service–benefi t relations in watersheds. Comparable procedures and calculation algorithms can be applied for other ecosystem functions and services relevant on the watershed scale. The approach is transferable to other regions and can provide important information for integrated watershed management.