scholarly journals Hydrologic Responses to Land Use Change in the Loess Plateau: Case Study in the Upper Fenhe River Watershed

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhixiang Lu ◽  
Songbing Zou ◽  
Zuodong Qin ◽  
Yonggang Yang ◽  
Honglang Xiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Hydrological Modeling ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
River Watershed ◽  
Lulc Changes ◽  
Basin Scale

We applied an integrated approach to investigate the impacts of land use and land cover (LULC) changes on hydrology at different scales in the Loess Plateau of China. Hydrological modeling was conducted for the LULC maps from remote sensing images at two times in the Upper Fenhe River watershed using the SWAT model. The main LULC changes in this watershed from 1995 to 2010 were the transformation of farmland into forests, grassland, and built-up land. The simulation results showed that forested land contributed more than any other LULC class to water yield, but built-up land had most impact due to small initial loss and infiltration. At basin scale, a comparison of the simulated hydrological components of two LULC maps showed that there were slight increases in average annual potential evapotranspiration, actual evapotranspiration, and water yield, but soil water decreased, between the two intervals. In subbasins, obvious LULC changes did not have clear impacts on hydrology, and the impacts may be affected by precipitation conditions. By linking a hydrological model to remote sensing image analysis, our approach of quantifying the impacts of LULC changes on hydrology at different scales provide quantitative information for stakeholders in making decisions for land and water resource management.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal response of the water cycle to land use conversions in a typical hilly-gully basin on the Loess Plateau, China

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linjing Qiu ◽  
Yiping Wu ◽  
Lijing Wang ◽  
Xiaohui Lei ◽  
Weihong Liao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Lulc Changes ◽  
Sloping Land ◽  
Hydrological Effects

Abstract. The hydrological effects of the ‘Grain for Green’ project (GFGP) on the Loess Plateau have been largely debated due to the complexity of the water system and its multiple driving factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the response of the hydrological cycle to the GFGP measures based on a case study of the Yanhe basin, a typical hilly-gully area on the Loess Plateau of China. First, we analyzed the land use and land cover (LULC) changes from 1990 to 2010. Then, we evaluated the effects of LULC changes and sloping land conversion on the main hydrological components in the basin considering the land surface characteristics and climate impacts. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used for this analysis. The results indicated that farmland exhibited a decreasing trend declining from 40.2 % of the basin area in 1990 to 17.6 % in 2010, and the woodland and grassland areas correspondingly increased due to the implementation of the GFGP in the basin. Due to land use changes from 1990 to 2010, surface runoff and the water yield exhibited decreasing trends, whereas evapotranspiration (ET) increased, resulting in a persistent decrease in soil water. Additionally, converting cropland areas with slopes ≥ 15° or > 25° to grassland and woodland had negative effects on surface runoff, the water yield and soil water and a positive effect on ET. The magnitudes of the hydrological effects generated by sloping cropland to woodland conversion were greater than those for sloping cropland to grassland conversion. These results suggest that the expansive revegetation of sloping land could reduce runoff generation, particularly in woodland areas, but these effects could reduce the soil water volume in the region. Overall, this study can be used to improve sustainable land use planning and water resource management on the Loess Plateau in China.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal response of the water cycle to land use conversions in a typical hilly–gully basin on the Loess Plateau, China

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 6485-6499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linjing Qiu ◽  
Yiping Wu ◽  
Lijing Wang ◽  
Xiaohui Lei ◽  
Weihong Liao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Lulc Changes ◽  
Sloping Land

Abstract. The hydrological effects of the Grain for Green project (GFGP) on the Loess Plateau have been extensively debated due to the complexity of the water system and its multiple driving factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the response of the hydrological cycle to the GFGP measures based in a case study of the Yanhe Basin, a typical hilly–gully area on the Loess Plateau of China. First, we analyzed the land use and land cover (LULC) changes from 1990 to 2010. Then, we evaluated the effects of LULC changes and sloping land conversion on the main hydrological components in the basin using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The results indicated that cropland exhibited a decreasing trend, declining from 40.2 % of the basin area in 1990 to 17.6 % in 2010, and that the woodland and grassland areas correspondingly increased. With the land use changes from 1990 to 2010, the water yield showed a decreasing trend which was mainly due to decrease in surface runoff. In contrast, evapotranspiration (ET) showed an increasing trend over the same period, resulting in a persistent decrease in soil water. The conversion of sloping cropland to grassland or woodland exerted negative effects on water yield and soil water. Compared with the land use condition in 2010, the negative effects were most evident where cropland with a slope  ≥  15° was converted to woodland, with decreases in surface runoff and soil water of 17.1 and 6.4 %, respectively. These results suggest that the expansive reforestation on sloping land in the loess hilly–gully region decreased water yield and increased ET, resulting in reduced soil water. The results of this study can be used to support sustainable land use planning and water resource management on the Loess Plateau in China.

scholarly journals A Review of SWAT Model Application in Africa

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1313
Author(s):  
George Akoko ◽  
Tu Hoang Le ◽  
Takashi Gomi ◽  
Tasuku Kato
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Hydrological Modeling ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Model Parameterization ◽  
Basin Scale

The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) is a well-known hydrological modeling tool that has been applied in various hydrologic and environmental simulations. A total of 206 studies over a 15-year period (2005–2019) were identified from various peer-reviewed scientific journals listed on the SWAT website database, which is supported by the Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD). These studies were categorized into five areas, namely applications considering: water resources and streamflow, erosion and sedimentation, land-use management and agricultural-related contexts, climate-change contexts, and model parameterization and dataset inputs. Water resources studies were applied to understand hydrological processes and responses in various river basins. Land-use and agriculture-related context studies mainly analyzed impacts and mitigation measures on the environment and provided insights into better environmental management. Erosion and sedimentation studies using the SWAT model were done to quantify sediment yield and evaluate soil conservation measures. Climate-change context studies mainly demonstrated streamflow sensitivity to weather changes. The model parameterization studies highlighted parameter selection in streamflow analysis, model improvements, and basin scale calibrations. Dataset inputs mainly compared simulations with rain-gauge and global rainfall data sources. The challenges and advantages of the SWAT model’s applications, which range from data availability and prediction uncertainties to the model’s capability in various applications, are highlighted. Discussions on considerations for future simulations such as data sharing, and potential for better future analysis are also highlighted. Increased efforts in local data availability and a multidimensional approach in future simulations are recommended.

scholarly journals Simulating the Hydrological Processes of a Meso-Scale Watershed on the Loess Plateau, China

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manman Leng ◽  
Yang Yu ◽  
Shengping Wang ◽  
Zhiqiang Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Hydrological Processes ◽  
P Value ◽  
Runoff Generation ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Monthly Streamflow ◽  
Meso Scale

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is widely used to simulate watershed streamflow by integrating complex interactions between climate, geography, soil, vegetation, land use/land cover and other human activities. Although there have been many studies involving sensitivity analysis, uncertainty fitting, and performance evaluation of SWAT model all over the world, identifying dominant parameters and confirming actual hydrological processes still remain essential for studying the effect of climate and land use change on the hydrological regime in some water-limited regions. We used hydro-climate and spatial geographical data of a watershed with an area of 3919 km2, located on the Loess Plateau of China, to explore the suitable criterion to select parameters for running the model, and to elucidate the dominant ones that govern the hydrological processes for achieving the sound streamflow simulation. Our sensitivity analysis results showed that parameters not passing the sensitive check (p-value < 0.05) could play a significant role in hydrological simulation rather than only the parameters with p-value lower than 0.05, indicating that the common protocol is not appropriate for selecting parameters by sensitivity screening only. Superior performance of the rarely used parameter SOL_BD was likely caused by a combination of lateral and vertical movement of water in the loess soils due to the run-on infiltration process that occurred for meso-scale watershed monthly streamflow modeling, contrasting with traditionally held infiltration excessive overland flow dominated runoff generation mechanisms that prevail on the Loess Plateau. Overall, the hydrological processes of meso-scale watershed in the region could be well simulated by the model though underestimates of monthly streamflow could occur. Simulated water balance results indicated that the evapotranspiration in the region was the main component leaving the watershed, accounting for 88.9% of annual precipitation. Surface runoff contributed to 63.2% of the streamflow, followed by lateral flow (36.6%) and groundwater (0.2%). Our research highlights the importance for selecting more appropriate parameters for distributed hydrological models, which could help modelers to better comprehend the meso-scale watershed runoff generation mechanism of the Loess Plateau and provide policy makers robust tool for developing sustainable watershed management planning in water-limited regions.

scholarly journals Hydrological Responses to Climate and Land Use Changes in a Watershed of the Loess Plateau, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Yan ◽  
Yanpeng Cai ◽  
Chunhui Li ◽  
Xuan Wang ◽  
Qiang Liu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Water Balance ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Runoff Water ◽  
Lulc Change

This study researched the individual and combined impacts of future LULC and climate changes on water balance in the upper reaches of the Beiluo River basin on the Loess Plateau of China, using the scenarios of RCP4.5 and 8.5 of the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The climate data indicated that both precipitation and temperature increased at seasonal and annual scales from 2020 to 2050 under RCP4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. The future land use changes were predicted through the CA-Markov model. The land use predictions of 2025, 2035, and 2045 indicated rising forest areas with decreased agricultural land and grassland. In this study, three scenarios including only LULC change, only climate change, and combined climate and LULC change were established. The SWAT model was calibrated, validated, and used to simulate the water balance under the three scenarios. The results showed that increased rainfall and temperature may lead to increased runoff, water yield, and ET in spring, summer, and autumn and to decreased runoff, water yield, and ET in winter from 2020 to 2050. However, LULC change, compared with climate change, may have a smaller impact on the water balance. On an annual scale, runoff and water yield may gradually decrease, but ET may increase. The combined effects of both LULC and climate changes on water balance in the future were similar to the variation trend of climate changes alone at both annual and seasonal scales. The results obtained in this study provide further insight into the availability of future streamflow and can aid in water resource management planning in the study area.

scholarly journals Spatial-Temporal Simulations of Soil Moisture Content in a Large Basin of the Loess Plateau, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Zhiqi Wang ◽  
Xiaobo Feng ◽  
Zhihong Yao ◽  
Zhaolong Ma ◽  
Guodong Ji
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Slope Aspect ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Basin Scale

Soil moisture is a crucial factor limiting the growth and survival of plants on the Loess Plateau. Its level has a severe impact on plants’ growth and development and the type and distribution characteristics of communities. This study area is the Jihe Basin in the Loess Plateau, China. Multiple linear regression models with different environmental variables (land use, topographic and meteorological factors, etc.) were developed to simulate soil moisture’s spatial and temporal changes by integrating field experiments, indoor analysis, and GIS spatial analysis. The model performances were evaluated in the Jihe Basin, with soil moisture content measurements. The result shows that soil moisture content is positively correlated with soil bulk density, monthly rainfall, topographic wetness index, land use coefficient, and slope aspect coefficient but negatively correlated with the monthly-averaged temperature and the relative elevation coefficient. The selected variables are all related to the soil moisture content and can account for 75% of the variations of soil moisture content, and the remaining 25% of the variations are related to other factors. Comparing the simulated and measured values at all sampling points shows that the average error of all the simulated values is 0.09, indicating that the simulation has high accuracy. The spatial distribution of soil moisture content is significantly affected by land use and topographic factors, and seasonal variation is remarkable in the year. Seasonal variation of soil moisture content is determined by the seasonal variation of rainfall and the air temperature (determining evaporation) and vegetation growth cycle. Therefore, the proposed model can simulate the spatial and temporal variation of soil moisture content and support developing the soil and water loss model on a basin scale.

scholarly journals Impact of LUCC on streamflow based on the SWAT model over the Wei River basin on the Loess Plateau in China

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1929-1945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Wang ◽  
Fubao Sun ◽  
Jun Xia ◽  
Wenbin Liu
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Yellow River ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
The Wei River Basin ◽  
Soil Flow ◽  
Wei River

Abstract. Under the Grain for Green Project in China, vegetation recovery construction has been widely implemented on the Loess Plateau for the purpose of soil and water conservation. Now it is becoming controversial whether the recovery construction involving vegetation, particularly forest, is reducing the streamflow in the rivers of the Yellow River basin. In this study, we chose the Wei River, the largest branch of the Yellow River, with revegetated construction area as the study area. To do that, we apply the widely used Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model for the upper and middle reaches of the Wei River basin. The SWAT model was forced with daily observed meteorological forcings (1960–2009) calibrated against daily streamflow for 1960–1969, validated for the period of 1970–1979, and used for analysis for 1980–2009. To investigate the impact of LUCC (land use and land cover change) on the streamflow, we firstly use two observed land use maps from 1980 and 2005 that are based on national land survey statistics merged with satellite observations. We found that the mean streamflow generated by using the 2005 land use map decreased in comparison with that using the 1980 one, with the same meteorological forcings. Of particular interest here is that the streamflow decreased on agricultural land but increased in forest areas. More specifically, the surface runoff, soil flow, and baseflow all decreased on agricultural land, while the soil flow and baseflow of forest areas increased. To investigate that, we then designed five scenarios: (S1) the present land use (1980) and (S2) 10 %, (S3) 20 %, (S4) 40 %, and (S5) 100 % of agricultural land that was converted into mixed forest. We found that the streamflow consistently increased with agricultural land converted into forest by about 7.4 mm per 10 %. Our modeling results suggest that forest recovery construction has a positive impact on both soil flow and baseflow by compensating for reduced surface runoff, which leads to a slight increase in the streamflow in the Wei River with the mixed landscapes on the Loess Plateau that include earth–rock mountain area.

Detecting water yield variability due to the small proportional land use and land cover changes in a watershed on the Loess Plateau, China

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (21) ◽  
pp. 3083-3092 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengping Wang ◽  
Zhiqiang Zhang ◽  
Ge Sun ◽  
Steven G. McNulty ◽  
Manliang Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Yield Variability ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Land Cover Changes ◽  
The Loess Plateau

scholarly journals Optimization of Land Use Pattern Reduces Surface Runoff and Sediment Loss in a Hilly-Gully Watershed at the Loess Plateau, China

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Yini ◽  
Niu Jianzhi ◽  
Xin Zhongbao ◽  
Zhang Wei ◽  
Zhang Tielin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Yellow River ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Land Use Pattern ◽  
Yellow River Valley ◽  
Water And Sediment ◽  
Use Pattern

Aim of study: The aim is to find a way increasing gain yield and lessen area of farmland, and then increasing vegetation cover, improving environment and alleviating soil erosion.Area of study: The Hilly-Gully region at the loess plateau of China.Material and methods: In this study, an adjusted and optimized land use pattern was developed in Luoyugou watershed in the Yellow River valley based on the gradient distribution of land use types, and its effect on water and sediment transport was simulated using the SWAT model and GIS, with remote sensing images, land use maps and hydrologic data.Main results: The results indicate: average simulated runoff and sediment for the period 1986-2000 under conditions of the three land use pattern (2011, 2008 and optimized land use) reduced by 0.002-0.013 m3/s (2.7-17.6%) and 0.66 million tons, respectively. The runoff and sediment data obtained were compared with observed data from 2008, which showed that runoff and sediment production would be reduced by 467625 m3 and 22754 tons, respectively.Research highlights: The adjustment of the land use pattern in comprehensive consideration of vegetation and geography have a positive effect on water and sediment transport which will be important for decision making and water resources management, and provides a reference for future environmental management and ecological construction in the loess plateau Hilly-Gully region. 

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