Quantifying preferential flow occurrence in dependence of land cover on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Study regions: This study examined preferential flow occurrence and patterns in eight ecosystem types on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Study focus: We analyzed continuous soil moisture content measured in three soil depths and rainfall data at 1-h resolution from January 2022...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825000394 |
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| author | Frank Paul Shagega Fabia Codalli Suzanne Jacobs Subira Eva Munishi David Windhorst Lutz Breuer |
| author_facet | Frank Paul Shagega Fabia Codalli Suzanne Jacobs Subira Eva Munishi David Windhorst Lutz Breuer |
| author_sort | Frank Paul Shagega |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Study regions: This study examined preferential flow occurrence and patterns in eight ecosystem types on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Study focus: We analyzed continuous soil moisture content measured in three soil depths and rainfall data at 1-h resolution from January 2022 to August 2023. After a separation and clustering of rainfall events we assessed the dynamics of soil moisture responses. The sequence and timing of soil moisture changes informed about the occurrence of preferential versus sequential (matrix) flow. New hydrological insights for the region: The results showed that the frequency of occurrence of preferential flow events were notably high in Erica forest (81.6 %), montane forest (26.4 %), and Ocotea forest (30.1 %), highlighting rapid subsurface water movement and potential for groundwater recharge. Other land covers such as disturbed Ocotea forest, grassland and maize indicated more uniform flow dynamics, which may favor surface runoff and increased soil erosion. We found that rainfall depth, duration and intensity are important factors that influence preferential flow. Additionally, the level of initial soil moisture also played a role in preferential flow occurrence, with optimal initial soil moisture levels between 35 % and 45 %. Both, very dry and very wet soil conditions were less favorable for preferential flow occurrence. These findings have important implications for understanding subsurface water movements and managing water resources in both natural and disturbed ecosystems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-db2712d67b10412baac958f38bcdacb9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2214-5818 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-db2712d67b10412baac958f38bcdacb92025-02-02T05:27:34ZengElsevierJournal of Hydrology: Regional Studies2214-58182025-04-0158102215Quantifying preferential flow occurrence in dependence of land cover on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, TanzaniaFrank Paul Shagega0Fabia Codalli1Suzanne Jacobs2Subira Eva Munishi3David Windhorst4Lutz Breuer5Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management (ILR), Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition (iFZ), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26 (iFZ), Giessen 35392, Germany; Water Resources Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Technology, University of Dar es Salaam, PO Box 35131, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Corresponding author at: Water Resources Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Technology, University of Dar es Salaam, PO Box 35131, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management (ILR), Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition (iFZ), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26 (iFZ), Giessen 35392, GermanyInstitute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management (ILR), Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition (iFZ), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26 (iFZ), Giessen 35392, Germany; Centre for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, GermanyWater Resources Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Technology, University of Dar es Salaam, PO Box 35131, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaInstitute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management (ILR), Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition (iFZ), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26 (iFZ), Giessen 35392, GermanyInstitute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management (ILR), Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition (iFZ), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26 (iFZ), Giessen 35392, Germany; Centre for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, GermanyStudy regions: This study examined preferential flow occurrence and patterns in eight ecosystem types on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Study focus: We analyzed continuous soil moisture content measured in three soil depths and rainfall data at 1-h resolution from January 2022 to August 2023. After a separation and clustering of rainfall events we assessed the dynamics of soil moisture responses. The sequence and timing of soil moisture changes informed about the occurrence of preferential versus sequential (matrix) flow. New hydrological insights for the region: The results showed that the frequency of occurrence of preferential flow events were notably high in Erica forest (81.6 %), montane forest (26.4 %), and Ocotea forest (30.1 %), highlighting rapid subsurface water movement and potential for groundwater recharge. Other land covers such as disturbed Ocotea forest, grassland and maize indicated more uniform flow dynamics, which may favor surface runoff and increased soil erosion. We found that rainfall depth, duration and intensity are important factors that influence preferential flow. Additionally, the level of initial soil moisture also played a role in preferential flow occurrence, with optimal initial soil moisture levels between 35 % and 45 %. Both, very dry and very wet soil conditions were less favorable for preferential flow occurrence. These findings have important implications for understanding subsurface water movements and managing water resources in both natural and disturbed ecosystems.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825000394Rainfall eventsRainfall clustersSoil moistureSoil moisture metricsPreferential flowMount Kilimanjaro |
| spellingShingle | Frank Paul Shagega Fabia Codalli Suzanne Jacobs Subira Eva Munishi David Windhorst Lutz Breuer Quantifying preferential flow occurrence in dependence of land cover on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies Rainfall events Rainfall clusters Soil moisture Soil moisture metrics Preferential flow Mount Kilimanjaro |
| title | Quantifying preferential flow occurrence in dependence of land cover on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania |
| title_full | Quantifying preferential flow occurrence in dependence of land cover on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania |
| title_fullStr | Quantifying preferential flow occurrence in dependence of land cover on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantifying preferential flow occurrence in dependence of land cover on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania |
| title_short | Quantifying preferential flow occurrence in dependence of land cover on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania |
| title_sort | quantifying preferential flow occurrence in dependence of land cover on the southern slopes of mount kilimanjaro tanzania |
| topic | Rainfall events Rainfall clusters Soil moisture Soil moisture metrics Preferential flow Mount Kilimanjaro |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825000394 |
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