PESERA-DESMICE: Land management evaluation model

Table of Contents

1. Authors
2. Summary
3. Acronyms
4. Introduction
5. Coarse-scale model description
   1. The PESERA model: summary
   2. Alternative approaches to assessing soil erosion
   3. Process representation in PESERA
   4. Extensions of PESERA
   5. Adapting PESERA
   6. Assessment at catchment scales
6. Cost-effectiveness modelling
   1. Step 1
   2. Step 2
   3. Step 3
   4. Step 4
   5. Step 5
   6. Step 6
   7. Step 7
   8. Step 8
   9. Step 9
   10. Step 10
   11. Step 11
   12. Step 12
7. Agent-Based modelling in Spain
   1. Phase 1
   2. Phase 2
   3. Phase 3
   4. Phase 4
   5. Phase 5
   6. Phase 6
8. Input-Output modelling in Spain
   1. Model construction
   2. Scenario analyses
9. References

Coarse-scale model description

PESERA is currently being used to predict runoff and erosion across Europe, and now provides the core bio-physical platform into which additional elements can be built to reflect drivers and indicators identified in WBs 1 & 2 for each site. The core of the model is a physically based model for partitioning precipitation between surface runoff (driving soil erosion), subsurface runoff (providing long term drainage) and soil moisture driving plant growth. The model was originally designed to integrate soil erosion loss for 1 km² grid squares, and for areas up to the whole of Europe. Runoff and erosion respond to climate, topography, land use and soil type, as well as dynamically interacting with soil moisture to estimate vegetation performance in a given year or climate. The expressions used are compatible with finer scale models, and the model has also been used for smaller grid squares, down to a limit of 100m x 100m.

The particular value of PESERA as a core model is that it is implemented within ARC-GIS. The use of PESERA as the model platform also enables us to ensure that information is available in a spatially-distributed way with topography and other factors incorporated. It is possible to show how the same management in one part of catchment will have a different impact/risk associated with it compared to that management occurring in another part of the catchment. This facilitates the development of distributed decision-making in a move away from simple blanket policies.

The following text describes PESERA, explains how it has been extended through the DESIRE project and other related IPs, and then summarises how it has been adapted to assess SLM strategies. Finally, it summarises an approach being developed to assess the effects of soil and water conservation measures on runoff, soil loss and sediment yield at catchment scales, which will be reported fully in Deliverable 5.3.1.