Impacts of land use change on freshwater runoff into the near-coastal zone, Holetown Watershed, Barbados: comparisons of long-term to single-storm effects.

摘要: ABSTRACT: The Holetown Watershed has undergone extensive land use change since the 1960s, and is now most concentrated center of tourism on west coast Barbados. Local planners perceive that urban expansion related to tourism, modifications agricultural drainage systems, are cause recent flooding declines in nearshore marine environment. A Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment (L-THIA) analysis predicts a 5.5% increase average annual runoff 4.3% for peak year between pre-development (1964) existing (1996) uses. Urbanization plugging sinkholes caused substantial increases runoff, but this was counteracted by due conversion sugar cane pasture. L-THIA results consistent with short-term streamflow monitoring, additional information water quality changes necessary understand total impacts analyses provide quick, useful insight into hydrologic as tool natural resource conservation efforts.