Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID PRWRERI-FY-23-04

Installation and integration of a rainwater collection system with a rainfall simulator to enhance water erosion research in Puerto Rico

Institute: Puerto Rico
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $23,026 Total Non-Federal Funds: $23,580

Principal Investigators: Salvador Acuña Guzman

Project Summary: Climatic and land use/land cover (LULC) changes challenge agricultural cropping systems as rainfall events are becoming more intense in tropical regions. Based on the achievements of ongoing research (an erosion plot instrumented with an automated runoff collection system), this project aims to design, construct and install a rainwater collection system that will be integrated with a rainfall simulator to study erosive rainfall events at a plot scale. The outcomes of this project will enhance UPRM's research capabilities in soil erosion and sediment transport, allowing for the training of a competent workforce to serve national demands in food and agricultural sciences. Moreover, the integrated system will facilitate the development of research projects to study the effects of LULC and climate changes on soil losses, sediment transport, and hydrological ecosystem services.