scholarly journals Evaluating the Impacts of Climate Change and Vegetation Restoration on the Hydrological Cycle over the Loess Plateau, China

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang ◽  
Kang ◽  
Bu ◽  
Chen ◽  
Gao
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Infiltration Capacity ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
The Impact

In recent decades, both observation and simulation data have demonstrated an obvious decrease in runoff and soil moisture, with increasing evapotranspiration, over the Loess Plateau. In this study, we employed a Variable Infiltration Capacity model coupled with scenario simulation to explore the impact of change in climate and land cover on four hydrological variables (HVs) over the Loess Plateau, i.e., evapotranspiration (ET), runoff (Runoff), shallow soil moisture (SM1), and deep soil moisture (SM2). Results showed precipitation, rather than temperature, had the closest relationship with the four HVs, with r ranging from 0.76 to 0.97 (p < 0.01), and this was therefore presumed to be the dominant climate-based driving factor in the variation of hydrological regimes. Vegetation conversion, from cropland and grassland to woodland, significantly reduced runoff and increased soil moisture consumption, to sustain an increased ET, and, assuming that the reduction of SM2 is entirely evaporated, we can attribute 71.28% ± 18.64%, 65.89% ± 24.14% of the ET increase to the water loss of SM2 in the two conversion modes, respectively. The variation in HVs, induced by land cover change, were higher than the expected climate change with respect to SM1, while different factors were selected to determine HVs variation in six catchments, due to differences in the mode and intensity of vegetation conversion, and the degree of climate change. Our findings are critical for understanding and quantifying the impact of climate change and vegetation conversions, and provide a further basis for the design of water resources and land-use management strategies with respect to climate change, especially in the water-limited Loess Plateau.

Impact of revegetation of the Loess Plateau of China on the regional growing season water balance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weidong Guo ◽  
Andrew Pitman ◽  
Jun Ge ◽  
Beilei Zan ◽  
Congbin Fu
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Weather Research And Forecasting ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Bare Land ◽  
Biophysical Changes ◽  
The Impact

&lt;p&gt;To resolve a series of ecological and environmental problems over the Loess Plateau, the was initiated at the end of 1990s. Following the conversion of croplands and bare land on hillslopes to forests, the Loess Plateau has displayed a significant greening trend with soil erosion being reduced. However, the GFGP has also affected the hydrology of the Loess Plateau which has raised questions whether the GFGP should be continued in the future. We investigated the impact of revegetation on the hydrology of the Loess Plateau using high resolution simulations and multiple realisations with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Results suggests that land cover change since the launch of the GFGP has reduced runoff and soil moisture due to enhanced evapotranspiration. Further revegetation associated with the GFGP policy is likely to increase evapotranspiration further, and thereby reduce runoff and soil moisture. The increase in evapotranspiration is associated with biophysical changes, including deeper roots that deplete deep soil moisture stores. However, despite the increase in evapotranspiration our results show no impact on rainfall. Our study cautions against further revegetation over the Loess Plateau given the reduction in water available for agriculture and human settlements, without any significant compensation from rainfall.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Impact of revegetation of the Loess Plateau of China on the regional growing season water balance

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Ge ◽  
Andrew J. Pitman ◽  
Weidong Guo ◽  
Beilei Zan ◽  
Congbin Fu
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Weather Research And Forecasting ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Grain For Green ◽  
Bare Land ◽  
Biophysical Changes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. To resolve a series of ecological and environmental problems over the Loess Plateau, the Grain for Green Program (GFGP) was initiated at the end of 1990s. Following the conversion of croplands and bare land on hillslopes to forests, the Loess Plateau has displayed a significant greening trend with soil erosion being reduced. However, the GFGP has also affected the hydrology of the Loess Plateau which has raised questions whether the GFGP should be continued in the future. We investigated the impact of revegetation on the hydrology of the Loess Plateau using high resolution simulations and multiple realisations with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Results suggests that land cover change since the launch of the GFGP has reduced runoff and soil moisture due to enhanced evapotranspiration. Further revegetation associated with the GFGP policy is likely to increase evapotranspiration further, and thereby reduce runoff and soil moisture. The increase in evapotranspiration is associated with biophysical changes, including deeper roots that deplete deep soil moisture stores. However, despite the increase in evapotranspiration our results show no impact on rainfall. Our study cautions against further revegetation over the Loess Plateau given the reduction in water available for agriculture and human settlements, without any significant compensation from rainfall.

scholarly journals Impact of revegetation of the Loess Plateau of China on the regional growing season water balance

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 515-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Ge ◽  
Andrew J. Pitman ◽  
Weidong Guo ◽  
Beilei Zan ◽  
Congbin Fu
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Weather Research And Forecasting ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Grain For Green ◽  
Bare Land ◽  
Biophysical Changes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. To resolve a series of ecological and environmental problems over the Loess Plateau, the “Grain for Green Program” (GFGP) was initiated at the end of 1990s. Following the conversion of croplands and bare land on hillslopes to forests, the Loess Plateau has displayed a significant greening trend, which has resulted in soil erosion being reduced. However, the GFGP has also affected the hydrology of the Loess Plateau, which has raised questions regarding whether the GFGP should be continued in the future. We investigated the impact of revegetation on the hydrology of the Loess Plateau using relatively high-resolution simulations and multiple realizations with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Results suggest that revegetation since the launch of the GFGP has reduced runoff and soil moisture due to enhanced evapotranspiration. Further revegetation associated with the GFGP policy is likely to further increase evapotranspiration, and thereby reduce runoff and soil moisture. The increase in evapotranspiration is associated with biophysical changes, including deeper roots that deplete deep soil moisture stores. However, despite the increase in evapotranspiration, our results show no impact on rainfall. Our study cautions against further revegetation over the Loess Plateau given the reduction in water available for agriculture and human settlements and the lack of any significant compensation from rainfall.

scholarly journals Simulating the Impact of Climate Change on Runoff in a Typical River Catchment of the Loess Plateau, China

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1553-1561 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Q. Wang ◽  
J. Y. Zhang ◽  
Y. Q. Xuan ◽  
J. F. Liu ◽  
J. L. Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Hydrological Simulation ◽  
River Catchment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Regional Water

Abstract Global warming will have direct impacts on regional water resources by accelerating the hydrological cycle. Hydrological simulation is an important approach to studying climate change impacts. In this paper, a snowmelt-based water balance model (SWBM) was used to simulate the effect of climate change on runoff in the Kuye River catchment of the Loess Plateau, China. Results indicated that the SWBM is suitable for simulating monthly discharge into arid catchments. The response of runoff in the Kuye River catchment to climate change is nonlinear, and runoff is more sensitive to changes in precipitation than to changes in temperature. The projections indicated that the Kuye River catchment would undergo more flooding in the 2020s, and global warming would probably shorten the main flood season in the catchment, with greater discharge occurring in August. Although projected changes in annual runoff are uncertain, the possibilities of regional water shortages and regional flooding are essential issues that need to be fully considered.

Stochastic soil moisture dynamic modelling: a case study in the Loess Plateau, China

2018 ◽  
Vol 109 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 437-444
Author(s):  
Cong WANG ◽  
Shuai WANG ◽  
Bojie FU ◽  
Lu ZHANG ◽  
Nan LU ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Balance ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Dynamic Modelling ◽  
Vegetation Restoration ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Rainfall Regime ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Dry Period

ABSTRACTSoil moisture is a key factor in the ecohydrological cycle in water-limited ecosystems, and it integrates the effects of climate, soil, and vegetation. The water balance and the hydrological cycle are significantly important for vegetation restoration in water-limited regions, and these dynamics are still poorly understood. In this study, the soil moisture and water balance were modelled with the stochastic soil water balance model in the Loess Plateau, China. This model was verified by monitoring soil moisture data of black locust plantations in the Yangjuangou catchment in the Loess Plateau. The influences of a rainfall regime change on soil moisture and water balance were also explored. Three meteorological stations were selected (Yulin, Yan'an, and Luochuan) along the precipitation gradient to detect the effects of rainfall spatial variability on the soil moisture and water balance. The results showed that soil moisture tended to be more frequent at low levels with decreasing precipitation, and the ratio of evapotranspiration under stress in response to rainfall also changed from 74.0% in Yulin to 52.3% in Luochuan. In addition, the effects of a temporal change in rainfall regime on soil moisture and water balance were explored at Yan'an. The soil moisture probability density function moved to high soil moisture in the wet period compared to the dry period of Yan'an, and the evapotranspiration under stress increased from 59.5% to 72% from the wet period to the dry period. The results of this study prove the applicability of the stochastic model in the Loess Plateau and reveal its potential for guiding the vegetation restoration in the next stage.

scholarly journals Soil Moisture-Boundary Layer Feedbacks on the Loess Plateau in China Using Radiosonde Data with 1-D Atmospheric Boundary Layer Model

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1619
Author(s):  
Yingsai Ma ◽  
Xianhong Meng ◽  
Yinhuan Ao ◽  
Ye Yu ◽  
Guangwei Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Atmospheric Boundary Layer ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Atmospheric Stability ◽  
Heat Fluxes ◽  
Radiosonde Data ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
The Impact

The Loess Plateau is one land-atmosphere coupling hotspot. Soil moisture has an influence on atmospheric boundary layer development under specific early-morning atmospheric thermodynamic structures. This paper investigates the sensitivity of atmospheric convection to soil moisture conditions over the Loess Plateau in China by using the convective triggering potential (CTP)—humidity index (HIlow) framework. The CTP indicates atmospheric stability and the HIlow indicates atmospheric humidity in the low-level atmosphere. By comparing the model outcomes with the observations, the one-dimensional model achieves realistic daily behavior of the radiation and surface heat fluxes and the mixed layer properties with appropriate modifications. New CTP-HIlow thresholds for soil moisture-atmosphere feedbacks are found in the Loess Plateau area. By applying the new thresholds with long-time scales sounding data, we conclude that negative feedback is dominant in the north and west portion of the Loess Plateau; positive feedback is predominant in the south and east portion. In general, this framework has predictive significance for the impact of soil moisture on precipitation. By using this new CTP-HIlow framework, we can determine under what atmospheric conditions soil moisture can affect the triggering of precipitation and under what atmospheric conditions soil moisture has no influence on the triggering of precipitation.

scholarly journals Quantifying the Impacts of Climate Change, Coal Mining and Soil and Water Conservation on Streamflow in a Coal Mining Concentrated Watershed on the Loess Plateau, China

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiaoling Guo ◽  
Yaoyao Han ◽  
Yunsong Yang ◽  
Guobin Fu ◽  
Jianlin Li
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Soil And Water Conservation ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Annual Streamflow ◽  
Significant Downward Trend ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Soil And Water

The streamflow has declined significantly in the coal mining concentrated watershed of the Loess Plateau, China, since the 1970s. Quantifying the impact of climate change, coal mining and soil and water conservation (SWC), which are mainly human activities, on streamflow is essential not only for understanding the mechanism of hydrological response, but also for water resource management in the catchment. In this study, the trend of annual streamflow series by Mann-Kendall test has been analyzed, and years showing abrupt changes have been detected using the cumulative anomaly curves and Pettitt test. The contribution of climate change, coal mining and SWC on streamflow has been separated with the monthly water-balance model (MWBM) and field investigation. The results showed: (1) The streamflow had an statistically significant downward trend during 1955–2013; (2) The two break points were in 1979 and 1996; (3) Relative to the baseline period, i.e., 1955–1978, the mean annual streamflow reduction in 1979–1996 was mainly affected by climate change, which was responsible for a decreased annual streamflow of 12.70 mm, for 70.95%, while coal mining and SWC resulted in a runoff reduction of 2.15 mm, 12.01% and 3.05mm, 17.04%, respectively; (4) In a recent period, i.e., 1997–2013, the impact of coal mining on streamflow reduction was dominant, reaching 29.88 mm, 54.24%. At the same time, the declining mean annual streamflow induced through climate change and SWC were 13.01 mm, 23.62% and 12.20 mm, 22.14%, respectively.

scholarly journals Spatial and Temporal Variations of Potential Evapotranspiration in the Loess Plateau of China During 1960–2017

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Congjian Sun ◽  
Zhenjing Zheng ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Yuyang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Potential Evapotranspiration ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Chinese Loess Plateau ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
The Loess Plateau

Potential evapotranspiration (ET0) is an integral component of the hydrological cycle and the global energy balance, and its long-term variation is of much concern in climate change studies. The Loess Plateau is an important area of agricultural civilization and water resources research. This study analyzed the spatial and temporal evolution processes and influential parameters of ET0 at 70 stations in different topographical areas of the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). Using the Mann–Kendall trend, Cross wavelet transform, and the ArcGIS platform, the ET0 of each station was quantified using the Penman–Monteith equation, and the effects of climatic factors on ET0 were assessed by analyzing the correlation coefficients and contribution rates of the climatic factors. The results showed that: (1) the overall trend of the ET0 in different terrains of the Loess Plateau is consistent, however, the ET0 values differ; the hill region (HR) has the highest ET0, followed by the valley region (VR), and the mountain region (MR) has the lowest, and ET0 changes differ between seasons. (2) Spatial distribution characteristics of multiyear mean ET0 in the study are as follows: the ET0 values in mountain and hilly areas are decreasing from west to east, and the higher mean annual ET0 value in the VR is mainly concentrated in the eastern CLP. (3) In the past 58 years, the annual mean and the seasonal ET0 of the region showed increasing trends, however, differences in different terrains were obvious. (4) ET0 has significant correlations with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific–North American teleconnection (PNA), and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). The resonance period of ET0 and ENSO was 3–6 a, mainly in 1976–1985. The mean coherence phase angle was close to 360°, indicating that ET0 lags behind PNA by approximately 2–6 a; ET0 has a very strong positive correlation with AMO. (5) Relative humidity (RH) is the main influencing factor of ET0 change in the Loess Plateau. Temperature (T) variation has the highest contribution rate (42%) to the regional ET0 variation in the entire CLP. We should pay more attention to the variation of evaporation under future climate change, especially temperature change.

Land-surface feedbacks on temperature and precipitation in CMIP6-LS3MIP projections

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franco Catalano ◽  
Andrea Alessandri ◽  
Wilhelm May ◽  
Thomas Reerink
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Climate Change Signal ◽  
Moisture Change ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Systematic Biases ◽  
The Impact

&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Land Surface, Snow and Soil Moisture Model Intercomparison Project (LS3MIP) aims at diagnosing systematic biases in the land models of CMIP6 Earth System Models and assessing the role of land-atmosphere feedbacks on climate change. Two components of experiments have been designed: the first is devoted to the assessment of the systematic land biases in offline mode (LMIP) while the second component is dedicated to the analysis of the land feedbacks in coupled mode (LFMIP). Here we focus on the LFMIP experiments. In the LFMIP protocol (van den Hurk et al. 2016), which builds upon the GLACE-CMIP configuration, two sets of climate-sensitivity projections have been carried out in amip mode: in the first set (amip-lfmip-pdLC) the land feedbacks to climate change have been disabled by prescribing the soil-moisture states from a climatology derived from &amp;#8220;present climate conditions&amp;#8221; (1980-2014) while in the second set (amip-lfmip-rmLC) 30-year running mean of land-surface state from the corresponding ScenarioMIP experiment (O&amp;#8217;Neill et al., 2016) is prescribed. The two sensitivity simulations span the period 1980-2100 with sea surface temperature and sea-ice conditions prescribed from the first member of historical and ScenarioMIP experiments. Two different scenarios are considered: SSP1-2.6 (f1) and SSP5-8.5 (f2).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;In this analysis, we focus on the differences between amip-lfmip-rmLC and amip-lfmip-pdLC at the end of the 21st Century (2071&amp;#8211;2100) in order to isolate the impact of the soil moisture changes on surface climate change. The (2071-2100) minus (1985-2014) temperature change is positive everywhere over land and the climate change signal of precipitation displays a clear intensification of the hydrological cycle in the Northern Hemisphere. Warming and hydrological cycle intensification are larger in SSP5-8.5 scenario. Results show large differences in the feedbacks between wet, transition and semi-arid climates. In particular, over the regions with negative soil moisture change, the 2m-temperature increases significantly while the cooling signal is not significant over all the regions getting wetter. In agreement with Catalano et al. (2016), the larger effects on precipitation due to soil moisture forcing occur mostly over transition zones between dry and wet climates, where evaporation is highly sensitive to soil moisture. The sensitivity of both 2m-temperature and precipitation to soil moisture change is much stronger in the SSP5-8.5 scenario.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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