Information on drought?

Question

where can i get loads of information on droughts. wikipedia is not acceptable.

Answer 1

i

Answer 2

droughts are:A drought is simply a long period (usually a season or more) of dry weather where less than normal or no precipitation falls. Precipitation is any form of moisture such as rain, snow, sleet, etc. Droughts are a natural and frequent occurrence in the Delaware River Basin (the basin contains 13,539 square miles and drains portions of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania). How bad a drought is usually depends on how little precipitation falls, how long the drought lasts, and the size of the area that is affected. The next time you hear someone talk about a drought where you live, play detective and look for some of the many signs that may be telling you the lack of precipitation is taking its toll:

""LOW WATER IN STREAMS, RIVERS, LAKES, AND PONDS - While visiting your favorite park, you may have noticed how little water you found in the rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. Low flow in water bodies may be one sign of drought. Water levels fall when there is not enough precipitation to replenish water evaporated from streams and other bodies of water. For example, when it rains, water bodies may be replenished by surface water runoff (the water running downhill into lakes, streams, etc.) or by ground water (water that has seeped into the ground and created a saturated layer of soil). Ground water is the reason why some bodies of water can remain flowing during long periods without precipitation. (If you would like to learn more about ground water and streams/rivers, go to the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) Water Science for Schools web pages.)

""DECLINES IN WATER LEVELS IN WELLS - You may be watching the news or listening to the radio and hear about concerns over wells becoming depleted and unusable. Wells get their water from aquifers. An aquifer is simply a geologic formation that stores and transmits ground water. Aquifers are recharged as precipitation is absorbed into the soil. With little or no precipitation to replenish the ground water lost through use, water levels in a well may be significantly lowered. During especially dry periods of heavy use, some wells may completely dry up. Water levels in a well also may drop due to heavy use of nearby wells that depend on the same aquifer.

""DRIED-OUT, BROWNING VEGETATION AND EARLY LEAF LOSS - During especially dry summer months, you may notice farm fields turning brown and trees dropping their leaves. The grass on your front lawn may turn brown and lifeless looking. Every living thing needs water to survive. This includes trees and the plants found in farm fields, pastures, home gardens, and meadows. The stress of drought causes soil to dry out. With little or no moisture to replace what is lost through the growing process, plants wilt and begin to turn brown. Some plants, such as the grass outside your home, may attempt to survive the drought by becoming dormant (a period of inactivity, slow or no growth). Unfortunately, if relief in the form of rain does not happen soon enough, many crops and other plants are lost to the dry conditions.

Many trees and shrubs respond to drought conditions through an early dormancy. To do this, trees and shrubs drop their leaves earlier in the season than normal. Leaf drop is a tree's survival tactic to reduce the amount of water that otherwise might have been lost through the leaf surface by a process known as transpiration. Despite this tactic, many trees and shrubs die during droughts, or are so weakened by the dry conditions that they may die the following growing season after a drought. (See "What About Plants and Wildlife During A Drought" for more information.)

Physical signs of a drought can be very alarming. Many people take abundance of water for granted and only in its absence do we realize just how important it is to every living thing on the planet. During a drought, it is very important that everyone does their best to conserve water. Of course, it shouldn't take a drought to make people conserve water. Water is such an important resource and water conservation should be practiced every day of our lives. Water conservation consists of eliminating wasteful practices of water use, such as allowing a faucet to drip, toilets to leak, or taking baths instead of showers. See "What You Can Do to Save Water During A Drought" for more tips on how you and your family can save water each and every day.

lants react to drought by slowing down and conserving the water that is already available to them. Grasses are a good example of this. During a drought, you may have noticed your lawn slowly turning from a lush green to a sickly, yellowish brown. Believe it or not, despite its appearance, it was not dead. Instead, the grass went into a semi-dormant state to conserve water.

Water is crucial for any plant's survival, from the the shortest blade of grass to the tallest, mightiest oak in the forest. Water is an important component of a process called photosynthesis- a process through which plants make their own food from carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water. Without water to assist this process, plants will not grow and will eventually die. So to conserve the water they do have and desperately need to get through a drought, certain plants, such as the grass in your lawn, slow down and go semi-dormant.

Deciduous trees (trees that drop their leaves each year) have their own drought survival mechanism. Their tactic is to drop their leaves early in an effort to conserve water. All leaves contain microscopic openings known as stomata through which water is lost in a process known as transpiration. During dry periods when there is a lack of water in the leaves, the stomata will close to try to limit water loss. However, if too much water is lost, the leaves will begin to take on a wilted appearance. During very long periods without water, some trees will drop their leaves long before autumn and go dormant in an attempt to survive the drought. Trees which do not drop their leaves each year, such as pines, hemlocks, and junipers, are better adapted to drought than their deciduous counterparts. They have narrow leaves which naturally reduce the amount of water lost through transpiration.

It can be a sad sight watching your yard turning brown, so if you must water, please water wisely. Start by using water which might have normally been wasted. For example, use a bucket to catch extra water when you run the water before a shower. If you take a bath, use the bath water to water trees, shrubs, and non-edible plants (not your vegetable or herb garden!). The same goes for dishwater. Finally, try placing a bucket under downspouts to catch runoff from any rain that falls. Water the plants that are most important to you, such as trees, shrubs and perennials.

You can conserve water and prepare your garden even before drought hits by planting native instead of non-native plants. Natives are plants that naturally occur in the local environment and have evolved under local conditions. They usually require less care (water and fertilizers) than non-native species and are therefore more likely to survive when a drought does strike your area.

WILDLIFE

Times of drought make life hard for all living things. This includes wildlife. During periods of water shortages, ponds, streams, and puddles may dry up, reducing the amount of water readily available to wildlife. Severe dry periods may cause some trees and shrubs to drop leaves and fruits (sometimes before they fully ripen) early, reducing the amount of food and water available.

Birds are especially vulnerable during dry periods as they require water for drinking and bathing while other species get much of their water from consuming fruits and vegetation. You can help birds by putting out bird baths to replace the rain puddles, ponds, and streams they normally use. Bird baths come in many shapes and sizes. You may use a saucer and pedestal bath from a garden store, or you could use any large, flat saucer filled with water. Garbage can lids (clean before using) make great baths too. Just be sure to put a few stones inside the lid so birds will have some place to perch while drinking. The water level in baths should be no deeper than 3" in the center and the surface should be rough so birds can maintain footing. Place baths near a sheltered location, such as a tree, as birds need to have a place to sit and preen after bathing. Baths placed on the ground offer water for squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks. Be forewarned, though. Since birds are quite vulnerable when they bathe and drink, keep the bird bath off the ground if you have prowling cats in your neighborhood. Remember to keep the water fresh, dumping the old water (use it to water the tree!) at least once a week and using a brush to remove accumulated algae. By offering birds a place to bath, not only will you be helping them get much needed water, but you'll be rewarded with the antics of many species of birds--right in your own yard.



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Drought Information and Indicators

Definition of Drought

Maryland has elected to use the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ definition of drought, which states, "droughts are periods of time when natural or managed water systems do not provide enough water to meet established human and environmental uses because of natural shortfalls in precipitation or stream flow".

It is important to keep in mind that, while maintaining water supplies for human use is an important aspect of drought management, drought can also have many other dramatic and detrimental effects on the environment and wildlife. For instance, water suppliers using surface water sources must remain vigilant to ensure that sufficient flow re

Answer 3

here's one http://www.mde.state.md.us/Water/Drought...

Answer 4

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