Influence of vegetation parameters on runoff and sediment characteristics in patterned Artemisia capillaris plots

Vegetation patterns are important in the regulation of earth surface hydrological processes in arid and semi-arid areas. Laboratory-simulated rainfall experiments were used at the State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Yangling, northwestern China, to quantify the effects of Artemisia capillaris patterns on runoff and soil loss. The quantitative relationships between runoff/sediment yield and vegeta- tion parameters were also thoroughly analyzed using the path analysis method for identifying the reduction mechanism of vegetation on soil erosion. A simulated rainfall intensity of 90 mm/h was applied on a control plot without vegetation(C0) and on the other three different vegetation distribution patterns: a checkerboard pattern(CP), a banded pattern perpendicular to the slope direction(BP), and a single long strip parallel to the slope direction(LP). Each patterned plot received two sets of experiments, i.e. intact plants and roots only, respectively. All treatments had three replicates. The results showed that all the three other different patterns(CP, BP and LP) of A. capillaris could effectively reduce the runoff and sediment yield. Compared with C0, the other three intact plant plots had a 12%–25% less runoff and 58%–92% less sediment. Roots contributed more to sediment reduction(46%–70%), whereas shoots contributed more to runoff reduction(57%–81%). BP and CP exhibited preferable controlling effects on soil erosion compared with LP. Path analysis indicated that root length density and plant number were key pa- rameters influencing runoff rate, while root surface area density and root weight density were central indicators affecting sediment rate. The results indicated that an appropriate increase of sowing density has practical signifi- cance in conserving soil and water.     

A field investigation of wind erosion in the farming–pastoral ecotone of northern China using a portable wind tunnel: a case study in Yanchi County

The farming–pastoral ecotone in northern China is an extremely fragile ecological zone where wind erosion of cropland and rangeland is easy to occur. In this study, using a portable wind tunnel as a wind simulator, we conducted field simulated wind erosion experiments combined with laboratory analysis to investigate wind erosion of soils in trampled rangeland, non-tilled cropland and tilled cropland in Yanchi County, China. The results showed that compared with rangeland, the cropland had a higher soil water holding capacity and lower soil bulk density. The wind erosion rate of trampled rangeland was much higher than those of non-tilled cropland and tilled cropland. For cropland, the wind erosion rate of the soil after tilling was surprisingly less than that of the soil before tilling. With increasing of wind speed, the volume mean diameter of the eroded sediment collected by the trough in the wind tunnel generally increased while the clay and silt content decreased for all soils. The temporal variation in wind erosion of the trampled rangeland indicated that particle entrainment and dust emission decreased exponentially with erosion time through the successive wind erosion events due to the exhaustion of erodible particles.     

Sediment yield and erosion–deposition distribution characteristics in ephemeral gullies in black soil areas under geocell protection

Investigating the effect of geocells on the erosion and deposition distribution of ephemeral gullies in the black soil area of Northeast China can provide a scientific basis for the allocation of soil and water conservation measures in ephemeral gullies. In this study, an artificial simulated confluence test and stereoscopic photogrammetry were used to analyze the distribution characteristics of erosion and deposition in ephemeral gullies protected by geocells and the effect of different conflue...     

Evaluation of an erosion-sediment transport model for a hillslope using laboratory flume data

Climate change can escalate rainfall intensity and cause further increase in sediment transport in arid lands which in turn can adversely affect water quality. Hence, there is a strong need to predict the fate of sediments in order to provide measures for sound erosion control and water quality management. The presence of microtopography on hillslopes influences processes of runoff generation and erosion, which should be taken into account to achieve more accurate modelling results. This study presents a physically based mathematical model for erosion and sediment transport coupled to one-dimensional overland flow equations that simulate rainfall-runoff generation on the rill and interrill areas of a bare hillslope. Modelling effort at such a fine resolution considering the flow connection between interrill areas and rills is rarely verified. The developed model was applied on a set of data gathered from an experimental setup where a 650 cm×136 cm erosion flume was pre-formed with a longitudinal rill and interrill having a plane geometry and was equipped with a rainfall simulator that reproduces natural rainfall characteristics. The flume can be given both longitudinal and lateral slope directions. For calibration and validation, the model was applied on the experimental results obtained from the setup of the flume having 5% lateral and 10% longitudinal slope directions under rainfall intensities of 105 and 45 mm/h, respectively. Calibration showed that the model was able to produce good results based on the R2(0.84) and NSE(0.80) values. The model performance was further tested through validation which also produced good statistics(R2=0.83, NSE=0.72). Results in terms of the sedigraphs, cumulative mass curves and performance statistics suggest that the model can be a useful and an important step towards verifying and improving mathematical models of erosion and sediment transport.     

Flow regime changes in three catchments with different landforms following ecological restoration in the Chinese Loess Plateau

The Chinese Loess Plateau is known as one of the most severe soil erosion regions in the world.Two ecological restoration projects,i.e.,the integrated soil conservation project since the 1970s and the'Grain for Green'project since 1999,have been progressively implemented to control the soil erosion in this area.Ecological restoration has greatly changed flow regime over the past five decades.However,the mechanism of how flow regime responds to ecological restoration among landforms remains poorly understood.In this study,we investigated the temporal dynamics of flow regime in three catchments,i.e.,Wuqi,Honghe and Huangling hydrological stations,respectively representing the loess hilly-gully,loess table-gully and rocky mountain(covered by secondary forest)areas in the Chinese Loess Plateau,using daily hydrological data during the 1960s–2010s.The nonparametric Mann-Kendall test,Pettitt's test and daily flow series were used to investigate the changes of flow regime.Significantly negative trends of annual streamflow were detected at the Wuqi and Honghe stations,except for the Huangling station.The annual baseflow at the Wuqi station showed a significantly positive trend whereas a significantly negative trend was observed at the Honghe station,and there was no significant trend at the Huangling station.It was interesting that baseflow index significantly increased during the whole period in all catchments.However,the trends and change points of daily flow series derived by different percentages of exceedance and extreme series in different consecutive days varied among individuals.Based on the change points analysis of annual streamflow,we divided data series into three periods,i.e.,the baseline period(from 1959 and 1963 to 1979,PI),the integrated soil conservation period(1980–1999,PII)and the'Grain for Green'period(2000–2011,PIII).We found that streamflow decreased due to the reduction of high streamflow(exceeding 5%of time within a year)and median streamflow(50%)in PII and PIII at the Wuqi and Honghe stations.However,low flow(95%)increased in PII and PIII at the Wuqi station while decreased at the Honghe station.Streamflow change at the Huangling station was more stable,thus potentially resulting in much less soil erosion in the forestry area than in the other areas.The great improvement in ecological environment on the Chinese Loess Plateau revealed the advantages of ecological restoration in reducing flood amount and compensating streamflow at a regional scale.     

Long-term variations in runoff of the Syr Darya River Basin under climate change and human activities

In this study,we analyzed the hydrological and meteorological data from the Syr Darya River Basin during the period of 1930–2015 to investigate variations in river runoff and the impacts of climate change and human activities on river runoff.The Syr Darya River,which is supplied by snow and glacier meltwater upstream,is an important freshwater source for Central Asia,as nearly half of the population is concentrated in this area.River runoff in this arid region is sensitive to climate change and human activities.Therefore,estimation of the climatic and hydrological changes and the quantification of the impacts of climate change and human activities on river runoff are of great concern and important for regional water resources management.The long-term trends of hydrological time series from the selected 11 hydrological stations in the Syr Darya River Basin were examined by non-parametric methods,including the Pettitt change point test and Mann-Kendall trend tests.It was found that 8 out of 11 hydrological stations showed significant downward trends in river runof f.Change of river runoff variations occurred in the year around 1960.Moreover,during the study period(1930–2015),annual mean temperature,annual precipitation,and annual potential evapotranspiration in the river basin increased substantially.We employed hydrological sensitivity method to evaluate the impacts of climate change and human activities on river runoff based on precipitation and potential evapotranspiration.It was estimated that human activities accounted for over 82.6%–98.7%of the reduction in river runoff,mainly owing to water withdrawal for irrigation purpose.The observed variations in river runoff can subsequently lead to adverse ecological consequences from an ecological and regional water resources management perspective.     

Estimation of the quantity of aeolian saltation sediments blown into the Yellow River from the Ulanbuh Desert,China

The Ulanbuh Desert borders the upper reach of the Yellow River.Every year,a mass of aeolian sand is blown into the Yellow River by the prevailing wind and the coarse aeolian sand results in serious silting in the Yellow River.To estimate the quantity of aeolian sediments from the Ulanbuh Desert blown into the Yellow River,we simulated the saltation processes of aeolian sediments in the Ulanbuh Desert.Then we used a saltation submodel of the IWEMS(Integrated Wind-Erosion Modeling System)and its accompanying RS(Remote Sensing)and GIS(Geographic Information System)modules to estimate the quantity of saltation sediments blown into the Yellow River from the Ulanbuh Desert.We calibrated the saltation submodel by the synchronous observation to wind velocity and saltation sediments on several points with different vegetation cover.The vegetation cover,frontal area of vegetation,roughness length,and threshold friction velocity in various regions of the Ulanbuh Desert were obtained using NDVI(Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)data,measured sand-particle sizes,and empirical relationships among vegetation cover,sand-particle diameters,and wind velocity.Using these variables along with the observed wind velocities and saltation sediments for the observed points,the saltation model was validated.The model results were shown to be satisfactory(RMSE less than 0.05 and|Re|less than 17%).In this study,a subdaily wind-velocity program,WINDGEN,was developed using this model to simulate hourly wind velocities around the Ulanbuh Desert.By incorporating simulated hourly wind-velocity and wind-direction data,the quantity of saltation sediments blown into the Yellow River was calculated with the saltation submodel.The annual quantity of aeolian sediments blown into the Yellow River from the Ulanbuh Desert was 5.56×106t from 2001 to 2010,most of which occurred in spring(from March to May);for example,6.54×105tons of aeolian sand were blown into the Yellow River on 25 April,2010.However,in summer and winter,the saltation process occasionally occurred.This research has supplied some references to prevent blown sand hazards and silting in the Yellow River.     

Influence of varied drought types on soil conservation service within the framework of climate change: insights from the Jinghe River Basin,China

Severe soil erosion and drought are the two main factors affecting the ecological security of the Loess Plateau, China. Investigating the influence of drought on soil conservation service is of great importance to regional environmental protection and sustainable development. However, there is little research on the coupling relationship between them. In this study, focusing on the Jinghe River Basin, China as a case study, we conducted a quantitative evaluation on meteorological, hydrological, ...     

Efficiency of soil and water conservation practices in different agro-ecological environments in the Upper Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia

In developing countries such as Ethiopia, research to develop and promote soil and water conservation practices rarely addressed regional diversity. Using a water-balance approach in this study, we used runoff plots from three sites, each representing a different agro-ecological environment, e.g., high, mid and low in both elevation and rainfall, in the Upper Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia to examine the runoff response and runoff conservation efficiency of a range of different soil and water conservation measures and their impacts on soil moisture. The plots at each site represented common land use types(cultivated vs. non-agricultural land use types) and slopes(gentle and steep). Seasonal runoff from control plots in the highlands ranged 214–560 versus 253–475 mm at midlands and 119–200 mm at lowlands. The three soil and water conservation techniques applied in cultivated land increased runoff conservation efficiency by 32% to 51%, depending on the site. At the moist subtropical site in a highland region, soil and water conservation increased soil moisture enough to potentially cause waterlogging, which was absent at the lowrainfall sites. Soil bunds combined with Vetiveria zizanioides grass in cultivated land and short trenches in grassland conserved the most runoff(51% and 55%, respectively). Runoff responses showed high spatial variation within and between land use types, causing high variation in soil and water conservation efficiency. Our results highlight the need to understand the role of the agro-ecological environment in the success of soil and water conservation measures to control runoff and hydrological dynamics. This understanding will support policy development to promote the adoption of suitable techniques that can be tested at other locations with similar soil, climatic, and topographic conditions.     

An estimation method of soil wind erosion in Inner Mongolia of China based on geographic information system and remote sensing

Studies of wind erosion based on Geographic Information System(GIS) and Remote Sensing(RS) have not attracted sufficient attention because they are limited by natural and scientific factors.Few studies have been conducted to estimate the intensity of large-scale wind erosion in Inner Mongolia,China.In the present study,a new model based on five factors including the number of snow cover days,soil erodibility,aridity,vegetation index and wind field intensity was developed to quantitatively estimate the amount of wind erosion.The results showed that wind erosion widely existed in Inner Mongolia.It covers an area of approximately 90×104 km2,accounting for 80% of the study region.During 1985–2011,wind erosion has aggravated over the entire region of Inner Mongolia,which was indicated by enlarged zones of erosion at severe,intensive and mild levels.In Inner Mongolia,a distinct spatial differentiation of wind erosion intensity was noted.The distribution of change intensity exhibited a downward trend that decreased from severe increase in the southwest to mild decrease in the northeast of the region.Zones occupied by barren land or sparse vegetation showed the most severe erosion,followed by land occupied by open shrubbery.Grasslands would have the most dramatic potential for changes in the future because these areas showed the largest fluctuation range of change intensity.In addition,a significantly negative relation was noted between change intensity and land slope.The relation between soil type and change intensity differed with the content of Ca CO3 and the surface composition of sandy,loamy and clayey soils with particle sizes of 0–1 cm.The results have certain significance for understanding the mechanism and change process of wind erosion that has occurred during the study period.Therefore,the present study can provide a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of wind erosion in Inner Mongolia.     

Spatial distribution of soil moisture,salinity and organic matter in Manas River watershed,Xinjiang,China

With the classical statistical and geostatistical methods,the study of the spatial distribution and its influence factors of soil water,salinity and organic matter was carried out for 0-70 cm soil layers in Manas River watershed.The results showed that the soil moisture data from all soil layers exhibited a normal distribution,with average values of 14.08%-21.55%.Geostatistical analysis revealed that the content of soil moisture had a moderate spatial autocorrelation with the ratios of nugget/sill ranging from 0.500 to 0.718,which implies that the spatial pattern of soil moisture is influenced by the combined effects of structural factors and random factors.Remarkable spatial distributions with stripped and mottled features were found for soil moisture in all different soil layers.The landform and crop planting had a relatively big influence on the spatial distribution of soil moisture;total soil salinity was high in east but low in west,and non-salinized soil and lightly salinized soil appeared at the northwest and southwest of the study area.Under the effect of reservoir leakage,the heavily salinized soils are widely distributed in the middle of the study area.The areas of the non-salinized and lightly salinized soils decreased gradually with soil depth increment,which is contrary to the case for saline soils that reached a maximum of 245.67 km2 at the layer of 50-70 cm.The types of soil salinization in Manas River watershed were classified into four classes:the sulfate,chloride-sulfate,sulfate-chloride and chloride.The sulfate salinized soil is most widely distributed in the surface layer.The areas of chloride-sulfate,sulfate-chloride,and chloride salinized soils increased gradually along with the increment of soil depth;the variation range of the average values of soil organic matter content was between 7.48%-11.33%.The ratios of nugget/sill reduced gradually from 0.698 to 0.299 with soil depth increment,which shows that the content of soil organic matter has a moderate spatial autocorrelation.The soil organic matter in all soil layers met normal distribution after logarithmic transformation.The spatial distribution patterns of soil organic matter and soil moisture were similar;the areas with high organic matter contents were mainly distributed in the south of the study area,with the lowest contents in the middle.     

Impacts of temperature and precipitation on runoff in the Tarim River during the past 50 years

The relationship between climate change and water resources in the Tarim River was analyzed by combining the temperature,precipitation and streamflow data from 1957 to 2007 from the four headstreams of the Tarim River (Aksu,Hotan,Yarkant and Kaidu rivers) in the study area.The long-term trend of the hydrological time series including temperature,precipitation and streamflow were studied using correlation analysis and partial correlations analysis.Holt double exponential smoothing was used to fit the trends between streamflow and the two climatic factors of Aksu River,Hotan River and Yarkant River.The streamflow of the main stream was forecasted by Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Model (ARIMA) modeling by the method of time series analysis.The results show that the temperature experienced a trend of monotonic rising.The precipitation and runoff of the four headstreams of the Tarim River increased,while the inflow to the headstreams increased and the inflow into the Tarim River decreased.Changes of temperature and precipitation had a significant impact on runoff into the four headstreams of the Tarim River: the precipitation had a positive impact on water flow in the Aksu River,Hotan River and Kaidu River,while the temperature had a positive impact on water flow in the Yarkant River.The results of Holt double exponential smoothing showed that the correlation between the independent variable and dependent variable was relatively close after the model was fitted to the headstreams,of which only the runoff and temperature values of Hotan River showed a significant negative correlation.The forecasts by the ARIMA model for 50 years of annual runoff at the Allar station followed the pattern of the measured data for the same years.The short-term forecasts beyond the observed series adequately captured the pattern in the data and showed a decreasing tendency in the Tarim River flow of 3.07% every ten years.The results showed that global warming accelerated the water recharge process of the headstreams.The special hydrological characteristics of the arid area determined the significant association between streamflow and the two climatic factors studied.Strong glacier retreat is likely to bring a series of flood disasters within the study area.     

Spatio-temporal variations of soil water content and salinity around individual Tamarix ramosissima in a semi-arid saline region of the upper Yellow River,Northwest China

Ecological restoration by Tamarix plants on semi-arid saline lands affects the accumulation, distribution patterns and related mechanisms of soil water content and salinity. In this study, spatio-temporal variations of soil water content and salinity around natural individual Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb. were invetigated in a semi-arid saline region of the upper Yellow River, Northwest China. Specifically, soil water content, electrical conductivity(EC_e), sodium adsorption ratio(SAR_e), and salt ions(including Na~+, K~+, Ca~(2+), Mg~(2+) and SO_4~(2–)) were measured at different soil depths and at different distances from the trunk of T. ramosissima in May, July, and September 2016. The soil water content at the 20–80 cm depth was significantly lower in July and September than in May, indicating that T. ramosissima plants absorb a large amount of water through the roots during the growing period, leading to the decreasing of soil water content in the deep soil layer. At the 0–20 cm depth, there was a salt island effect around individual T. ramosissima, and the EC_e differed significantly inside and outside the canopy of T. ramosissima in May and July. Salt bioaccumulation and stemflow were two major contributing factors to this difference. The SAR_e at the 0–20 cm depth was significantly different inside and outside the canopy of T. ramosissima in the three sampling months. The values of SAR_e at the 60–80 cm depth in May and July were significantly higher than those at the 0–60 cm depth and higher than that at the corresponding depth in September. The distribution of Na~+ in the soil was similar to that of the SAR_e, while the concentrations of K~+, Ca~(2+), and Mg~(2+) showed significant differences among the sampling months and soil depths. Both season and soil depth had highly significant effects on soil water content, EC_e and SAR_e, whereas distance from the trunk of T. ramosissima only significantly affected EC_e. Based on these results, we recommend co-planting of shallow-rooted salt-tolerant species near the Tamarix plants and avoiding planting herbaceous plants inside the canopy of T. ramosissima for afforestation in this semi-arid saline region. The results of this study may provide a reference for appropriate restoration in the semi-arid saline regions of the upper Yellow River.     

Spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem services and their trade-offs and synergies against the background of the gully control and land consolidation project on the Loess Plateau,China

Studying the spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem services and their interrelationships on the Loess Plateau against the background of the gully control and land consolidation(GCLC) project has significant implications for ecological protection and quality development of the Yellow River Basin. Therefore, in this study, we took Yan’an City, Shaanxi Province of China, as the study area, selected four typical ecosystem services, including soil conservation service, water yield service, carbon st...     

The migration of total dissolved solids during natural freezing process in Ulansuhai Lake

High total dissolved solids (TDS) content is one of the most important pollution contributors in lakes in arid and semiarid areas.Ulansuhai Lake,located in Urad Qianqi,Inner Mongolia,China,was selected as the object of study.Temperatures and TDS contents of both ice and under-ice water were collected together with corresponding ice thickness.TDS profiles were drawn to show the distribution of TDS and to describe TDS migration.The results showed that about 80% (that is 3.602×10 8 kg) of TDS migrated from ice to water during the whole growth period of ice.Within ice layer,TDS migration only occurred during initial ice-on period,and then perished.The TDS in ice decreased with increasing ice thickness,following a negative exponential-like trend.Within under-ice water,the TDS migrated from ice-water interface to the entire water column under the effect of concentration gradient until the water TDS content was uniform.In winter,6.044×10 7 kg (16.78% of total TDS) TDS migrated from water to sediment,which indicated that winter is the best time for dredging sediment.The migration effect gives rise to TDS concentration in under-ice water and sediment that is likely to affect ecosystem and water quality of the Yellow River.The trend of transfer flux of ice-water and water-sediment interfaces is similar to that of ice growth rate,which reveals that ice growth rate is one of the determinants of TDS migration.The process and mechanism of TDS migration can be referenced by research on other lakes with similar TDS content in cold and arid areas.     

Soil surface roughness change and its effect on runoff and erosion on the Loess Plateau of China

As an important parameter in the soil erosion model, soil surface roughness（SSR） is used to quantitatively describe the micro-relief on agricultural land. SSR has been extensively studied both experimentally and theoretically; however, no studies have focused on understanding SSR on the Loess Plateau of China. This study investigated changes in SSR for three different tillage practices on the Loess Plateau of China and the effects of SSR on runoff and erosion yield during simulated rainfall. The tillage practices used were zero tillage（ZT）, shallow hoeing（SH） and contour ploughing（CP）. Two rainfall intensities were applied, and three stages of water erosion processes（splash erosion（I）, sheet erosion（II） and rill erosion（III）） were analyzed for each rainfall intensity. The chain method was used to measure changes in SSR both initially and after each stage of rainfall. A splash board was used to measure the splash erosion at stage I. Runoff and sediment data were collected continuously at 2-min intervals during rainfall erosion stages II and III. We found that SSR of the tilled surfaces ranged from 1.0% to 21.9% under the three tillage practices, and the order of the initial SSR for the three treatments was ZT〈SH〈CP. For the ZT treatment, SSR increased slightly from stage I to III, whereas for the SH and CP treatments, SSR decreased by 44.5% and 61.5% after the three water erosion stages, respectively, and the greatest reduction in SSR occurred in stage I. Regression analysis showed that the changes in SSR with increasing cumulative rainfall could be described by a power function（R2〉0.49） for the ZT, SH and CP treatments. The runoff initiation time was longer in the SH and CP treatments than in the ZT treatment. There were no significant differences in the total runoff yields among the ZT, SH and CP treatments. Sediment loss was significantly smaller（P〈0.05） in the SH and CP treatments than in the ZT treatment.     

Response of hydrological drought to meteorological drought in the eastern Mediterranean Basin of Turkey

The hydrographic eastern Mediterranean Basin of Turkey is a drought sensitive area. The basin is an important agricultural area and it is necessary to determine the extent of extreme regional climatic changes as they occur in this basin. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to show the correlation between standardized precipitation index(SPI) and standardized streamflow index(SSI) values on different time scales. Data from five meteorological stations and seven stream gauging stations in four sub-basins of the eastern Mediterranean Basin were analyzed over the period from 1967 to 2017. The correlation between SSI and SPI indicated that in response to meteorological drought, hydrological drought experiences a one-year delay then occurs in the following year. This is more evident at all stations from the mid-1990 s. The main factor causing hydrological drought is prolonged low precipitation or the presence of a particularly dry year. Results showed that over a long period(12 months), hydrological drought is longer and more severe in the upper part than the lower part of the sub-basins. According to SPI-12 values, an uninterrupted drought period is observed from 2002–2003 to 2008–2009. Results indicated that among the drought events, moderate drought is the most common on all timescales in all sub-basins during the past 51 years. Long-term dry periods with moderate and severe droughts are observed for up to 10 years or more since the late 1990 s, especially in the upper part of the sub-basins. As precipitation increases in late autumn and early winter, the stream flow also increases and thus the highest and most positive correlation values(0.26–0.54) are found in January. Correlation values(ranging between –0.11 and –0.01) are weaker and negative in summer and autumn due to low rainfall. This is more evident at all stations in September. The relation between hydrological and meteorological droughts is more evident, with the correlation values above 0.50 on longer timescales(12-and 24-months). The results presented in this study allow an understanding of the characteristics of drought events and are instructive for overcoming drought. This will facilitate the development of strategies for the appropriate management of water resources in the eastern Mediterranean Basin, which has a high agricultural potential.     

Spatio-temporal variation of hydrological drought under climate change during the period 1960–2013 in the Hexi Corridor,China

In recent years, climate change has been aggravated in many regions of the world. The Hexi Corridor is located in the semiarid climate zone of Northwest China, which is particularly affected by climate change. Climate change has led to the spatial and temporal variations of temperature and precipitation, which may result in hydrological drought and water shortage. Thus, it is necessary to explore and assess the drought characteristics of river systems in this area. The patterns of hydrological drought in the Hexi Corridor were identified using the streamflow drought index(SDI) and standardized precipitation index at 12-month timescale(SPI12) from 1960 to 2013. The evolution of drought was obtained by the Mann–Kendall test and wavelet transform method. The results showed that both the mean annual SDI and SPI12 series in the Hexi Corridor exhibited an increasing trend during the study period. According to the results of wavelet analysis, we divided the study period into two segments, i.e. before and after 1990. Before 1990, the occurrence of droughts showing decreased SDI and SPI12 was concentrated in the northern part of the corridor and shifted to the eastern part of the corridor after 1990. The probability of drought after 1990 in Shule River basin decreased while increased in Shiyang River basin. The wavelet analysis results showed that Shiyang River basin will be the first area to go through the next drought period. Additionally, the relationships between drought pattern and climate indices were analyzed. The enhanced westerly winds and increased precipitation and glacier runoff were the main reasons of wet trend in the Hexi Corridor. However, the uneven spatial variations of precipitation, temperature and glacier runoff led to the difference of hydrological drought variations between the Shule, Heihe and Shiyang River basins.     

Surface runoff processes and sustainable utilization of water resources in Manas River Basin, Xinjiang, China

Water is the important resource to guarantee the existence and development of oases in arid areas. To improve the utilization efficiency of water resources in Manas River Basin, this paper investigated the trends and periods of runoff based on the runoff and climate data for the past 50 years. Subsequently, with the socioeconomic and water resources data, we studied a comprehensive evaluation on the water security in this area. The results indicated that the stream flows in the three hydrological stations of Hongshanzui, Kensiwat and Bajiahu have significantly increased and undergone abrupt changes, with periods of 18 and 20 years. According to assessment, water security in the Manas River Basin was at an unsafe level in 2008. In criterion layer, the ecological security index and the index of supply-demand situation are both at the relatively secure level; the quantity index and socioeconomic index of water resources are at the unsafe level and basic security level, respectively. Therefore, in order to achieve sustainable economic and social development within the Manas River Basin, it is vital to take a series of effective measures to improve the status of water security.     

Response mechanisms of nitrate and ammonia nitrogen concentrations to hydrological processes in the riparian hyporheic zone of pastoral areas北大核心CSCD

In pastoral and irrigated agricultural areas, nitrogen-containing livestock, poultry manure, and nitrogen fertilizers can enter the surface water and groundwater from the soil, and this is the main source of non- point source pollution in basins. The riparian hyporheic zone acts as an effective barrier to reduce the nitrogen pollution load. Understanding the mechanisms of the migration, transformation, and removal of nitrogen in riparian hyporheic zones is key to controlling nitrogen pollution in the whole basin. In this study, an upper reach of the Xilin River, located in typical pastoral areas, was selected and its water levels, ammonia (NH+4) and nitrate (NO-3) concentrations, as well as the related environmental factors of the river water and riparian groundwater during the summer flood season, were continuously monitored. Based on the high- solution measurements, a water flow and nitrogen reactive transport model of the riparian hyporheic zones was established using FEFLOW. The model fitted using the measured data was found to accurately reproduce the water level dynamics and two main nitrogen concentrations in the riparian hyporheic zone. The results indicate that there is a high risk of nitrogen pollution in the riparian zones during the summer flood season. The NH+4concentration in the riparian zones can increase from 0.2 mg · L − 1before rainfall events to 7.23 mg · L − 1after rainfall events, and the NO-3concentration can increase from 1 mg · L − 1to 8.27 mg · L − 1. Both measured and simulated results show that the nitrogen dynamics in the hyporheic zone are closely related to hydrological processes such as rainfall events and groundwater-surface water exchange. During rainfall events, NO-3with high mobility was found to infiltrate from the river and the ground surface into the riparian zone due to the leaching effect, resulting in a significant increase in the concentration. Meanwhile, the groundwater- river water exchange enhanced by rainfall events can further regulate NO-3and NH+4concentrations in the riparian hyporheic zone by controlling the input of nutrients and affecting the biogeochemical nitrogen cycles. This study preliminarily reveals the buffering mechanisms of pastoral riparian zones in the hydrological and biogeochemical processes involving nitrogen and provides scientific references for the nitrogen pollution control in pastoral areas. © 2023 Editorial office of Arid Zone Research. All rights reserved.