Project

The specific objectives of this project are:

• to investigate the hydrological effect of non-sustainable grazing grassland areas on overland flow and sheet erosion (grazed vs non-grazed plots); to achieve this goal, rainfall simulation experiments will be carried out at the microscale (plot scale);

• to test the significance of the correlation runoff parameters and soil moisture status (e.g., runoff initiation time, runoff amount, runoff coefficients soil loss);

• to develop an interrelated hydrological model (such as rainfall-runoff, rainfall-suspended load) in relation with grazing areas at catchment scale;

• to transfer the outcomes to key stakeholders: national hydrological service, central authorities for environmental protection and agriculture, and livestock farmers.

We will do this work both through qualitative research (i) and through the quantitative method (ii).

i) Qualitative research will be the focus on the next activities:

• systematic research of the scientific literature (search, capture and synthesize relevant literature; prepare draft literature review);

• field interviews to understand farmers’/stakeholders’ perceptions of grazing management, water, and related soil erosion management risk (flood, drought, and anthropogenic and climate change integrated risk); the survey will be designed as a binary type (yes/no).

Also, field observations will be considered, which will allow the researcher team to identify the characteristics of each grazing area.

ii) The quantitative method will be based on field assessments carrying out with:

• experimental activity's (water balance);

• desk jobs (e.g., data analyses and statistical tests; upscale, as hydrologic modelling).

From a socio-economic point of view, quantifying the grazing effects on runoff and sediment yield should implicate positive and rapid environmental benefits (e.g., soil conservation, runoff prediction), which can be recognized by key stakeholders (e.g., national hydrological service, research, policymakers: central authority for agriculture).

Furthermore, we appreciate that our outcomes linked by soil properties and hydrological characteristics controlling the soil erosion can be useful for the scientific community and, undoubtedly, for supporting the development of policies for the national hydrological services (key approaches to estimation runoff for water requirements and improve the local accuracy of the forecast for protecting lives/livelihoods).

Also, another socio-economic importance of the project theme arises as a critical data source for the national policymakers in order to develop territorial plans and livestock farmer rules (e.g., restricted or available grazing areas).

Likewise, our findings would be some extent, as a contribution to theoretical and applied of hillslope hydrology related to the impacts of grazing and livestock.