Establishing ecological thresholds and targets for groundwater management

Rohde, Melissa M., Stella, John C., Singer, Michael Bliss ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6899-2224, Roberts, Dar, Caylor, Kelly and Albano, Christine M. 2024. Establishing ecological thresholds and targets for groundwater management. nature water 2 , pp. 312-323. 10.1038/s44221-024-00221-w

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Abstract

Groundwater is critical for many ecosystems, yet groundwater requirements for dependent ecosystems are rarely accounted for during water and conservation planning. Here we compile 38 years of Landsat-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to evaluate groundwater-dependent vegetation responses to changes in depth to groundwater (DTG) across California. To maximize applicability, we standardized raw NDVI and DTG values using Z scores to identify groundwater thresholds, groundwater targets and map potential drought refugia across a diversity of biomes and local conditions. Groundwater thresholds were analysed for vegetation impacts where ZNDVI dropped below −1. ZDTG thresholds and targets were then evaluated with respect to groundwater-dependent vegetation in different condition classes and rooting depths. ZNDVI scores were applied statewide to identify potential drought refugia supported by groundwater. Our approach provides a simple and robust methodology for water and conservation practitioners to support ecosystem water needs so biodiversity and sustainable water-management goals can be achieved.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Earth and Environmental Sciences Water Research Institute (WATER)
Publisher:	Nature Research
ISSN:	2731-6084
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	23 February 2024
Date of Acceptance:	2 February 2024
Last Modified:	07 May 2024 14:02
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/166531

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