scholarly journals Quantifying the Impacts of Coal Mining and Soil-Water Conservation on Runoff in a Typical Watershed on the Loess Plateau, China

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 3229
Author(s):  
Binbin Lin ◽  
Yicheng Wang ◽  
Hejia Wang ◽  
Weihua Xiao
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Runoff Decrease ◽  
The Impact

Coal mining and soil-water conservation are the two major human interventions on the Loess Plateau in China. Analyzing their impacts on hydrological processes is of great significance for sustainable water resource management. Using hydrological simulation (Soil and Water Assessment Tool, SWAT) and a data-driven method (double mass curve, DMC), the contributions of these two human activities and climate change to the runoff decrease were analyzed in the upper Fenhe River. The runoff in the three affected periods (1967–1987, 1988–1994, and 1995–2017) decreased by 7.5%, 28.2%, and 24.1%, respectively, compared with the base period (1957–1966). In the first affected period (1967–1987), the amount of coal mining activities was small, human activities had little impact on runoff. In the second (1988–1994) and third (1995–2017) periods, as the coal mining and soil-water conservation intensified, their contributions to the runoff decrease rapidly increased. Due to the uncertainties in the model structure and parameters, in addition to the impact of the data accuracy, the results obtained from the two methods were different, but the proportions and the trends of the contribution rates in the different periods were consistent.

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 Effects of climatic variability and human activity on runoff in the Loess Plateau of China

2013 ◽  
Vol 89 (02) ◽  
pp. 153-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Zhao ◽  
Xinxiao Yu
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Annual Runoff ◽  
Central China ◽  
Vegetative Cover ◽  
The Loess Plateau

The Loess Plateau in north-central China has a long history of human activities. As a result of climate change, deforestation and sparse vegetative cover, the region suffers from water shortages and severe soil erosion, significantly influencing efforts for sustainable social development. In order to understand the impacts of climatic variability and human activities on runoff and other hydrological factors in this region, the Luoyugou catchment and its paired catchments (Qiaozidong and Qiaozixi) were selected. Statistical analysis indicated precipitation did not vary significantly whereas the annual runoff decreased from 1986 to 2008, with an abrupt change in 1994. Actual evapotranspiration (AET) increased slightly but not significantly. A comparison of runoff in the paired catchments showed land use changes reduced runoff by more than 38% under the same rainfall conditions. Human activities were the strongest contributor to changes in runoff and AET, at 67% and 90% respectively, while the remaining contributor was climate variation. The influence of various human activities on runoff is quite different, and soil-water conservation initiatives have a greater impact on runoff (about 41%). Thus, human activities were the primary reason for the reduction in runoff in the study catchment compared to climate. Greater emphasis should be given to afforestation and soil-water conservation measures.

scholarly journals Quantitative Analysis of Hydrological Responses to Climate Variability and Land-Use Change in the Hilly-Gully Region of the Loess Plateau, China

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youcai Kang ◽  
Jianen Gao ◽  
Hui Shao ◽  
Yuanyuan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Upstream Region ◽  
The Loess Plateau

Climate and land-use change are the two main driving forces that affect watershed hydrological processes. Separately assessing their impacts on hydrology is important for land-use planning and water resource management. In this research, the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and statistical methods were applied to evaluate the effects of climate and land-use change on surface hydrology in the hilly-gully region of the Loess Plateau. The results showed that surface runoff and soil water presented a downward tendency, while evapotranspiration (ET) presented an upward tendency in the Yanhe watershed from 1982 to 2012. Climate is one the dominant factors that influence surface runoff, especially in flooding periods. The average contribution rate of surface runoff on stream flow accounted for 55%, of which the flooding period accounted for 40%. The runoff coefficient declined by 0.21 after 2002 with the land-use change of cropland transformed to grassland and forestland. The soil water exhibited great fluctuation along the Yanhe watershed. In the upstream region, the land-use was the driving force to decline soil water, which reduced the soil water by 51%. Along the spatial distribution, it converted from land-use change to climate variability from northwest to southeast. The ET was more sensitive to land-use change than climate variability in all sub-basins, and increased by 209% with vegetation restoration. To prevent the ecosystem degradation and maintain the inherent ecological functions of rivers, quantitative assessment the influence of climate variability and land-use change on hydrology is of great importance. Such evaluations can provide insight into the extent of land use/cover change on regional water balance and develop appropriate watershed management strategies on the Loess Plateau.

scholarly journals Detecting the Quantitative Hydrological Response to Changes in Climate and Human Activities at Temporal and Spatial Scales in a Typical Gully Region of the Loess Plateau, China

Water ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 257
Author(s):  
Peng Guo ◽  
Jiqiang Lyu ◽  
Weining Yuan ◽  
Xiawan Zhou ◽  
Shuhong Mo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Hydrological Response ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Temporal And Spatial

This study examined the Chabagou River watershed in the gully region of the Loess Plateau in China’s Shaanxi Province, and was based on measured precipitation and runoff data in the basin over a 52-year period (1959–2010), land-use types, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and other data. Statistical models and distributed hydrological models were used to explore the influences of climate change and human activity on the hydrological response and on the temporal and spatial evolution of the basin. It was found that precipitation and runoff in the gully region presented a downward trend during the 52-year period. Since the 1970s, the hydrological response to human activities has become the main source of regional hydrological evolution. Evapotranspiration from the large silt dam in the study area has increased. The depth of soil water decreased at first, then it increased by amount that exceeded the evaporation increase observed in the second and third change periods. The water and soil conservation measures had a beneficial effect on the ecology of the watershed. These results provide a reference for water resource management and soil and water conservation in the study area.

Assessing the impact of human activities on hydrological and sediment changes (1953-2000) in nine major catchments of the Loess Plateau, China

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 322-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Yang ◽  
Chong-Yu Xu ◽  
Xi Chen ◽  
Vijay P. Singh ◽  
Quan Xi Shao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Integrating a mini catchment with mulching for soil water management in a sloping jujube orchard on the semiarid Loess Plateau of China

Solid Earth ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. C. Li ◽  
X. D. Gao ◽  
X. N. Zhao ◽  
P. T. Wu ◽  
L. S. Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Fish Scale ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Bare Land ◽  
Water Compensation

Abstract. Conserving more soil water is of great importance to the sustainability of arid and semiarid orchards. Here we integrated fish-scale pits, semicircular mini-catchments for hill slope runoff collection, with mulches to test their effects on soil water storage in a 12-year-old dryland jujube orchard on the Loess Plateau of China, by using soil water measurements from April 2013 to November 2014. This experiment included four treatments: fish-scale pits with branch mulching (FB), fish-scale pits with straw mulching (FS), fish-scale pits without mulching (F), and bare land treatment (CK). Soil water was measured using the TRIME®-IPH time-domain reflectometer (TDR) tool in 20 cm intervals down to a depth of 180 cm, and was measured once every 2 weeks in the 2013 and 2014 growing seasons. The results showed that fish-scale pits with mulching were better in soil water conservation. Average soil water storage (SWS, for short) of FB at soil layer depths of 0–180 cm increased by 14.23 % (2013) and 21.81 % (2014), respectively, compared to CK, but only increased by 4.82 % (2013) and 5.34 % (2014), respectively, for the F treatment. The degree of soil water compensation, WS, was employed here to represent to what extent soil water was recharged from precipitation at the end of the rainy season relative to that at the beginning of the rainy season. A positive (negative) WS larger (lower) soil water content at the end of rainy season than at the beginning. For the treatment of FB, the values of WS over the entire soil profile were greater than 0; for the treatment of F, negative values of WS were observed in depths of 60–100 cm in both years. However, the bare land treatment showed negative values in depths of 40–180 cm. This indicated that integrating fish-scale pits with mulching could significantly increase soil water storage by increasing infiltration and decreasing evaporation, and it showed greater soil water storage and degree of soil water compensation compared to fish-scale pits alone. Since the branches used for mulching here were trimmed jujube branches, the cost of mulching materials was largely reduced. Therefore, integration of fish-scale pits with branch mulching is recommended in orchards for soil water conservation on the Loess Plateau and potentially for other regions.

scholarly journals Impacts of Relative Elevation on Soil Nutrients and Apple Quality in the Hilly-Gully Region of the Loess Plateau, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1293
Author(s):  
Lei Hua ◽  
Jianen Gao ◽  
Meifang Zhou ◽  
Shilun Bai
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Nutrients ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Apple Orchards ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Phosphorus And Potassium ◽  
Apple Quality ◽  
The Impact

Relative elevation, as one of the decisive factors to the redistribution of soil water, nutrients, sunshine, and temperature in a region influences apple yield and quality by adjusting soil water and nutrients. To explore the impact of relative elevation on apple quality, this research investigated the conditions of soil moisture and nutrients at different elevations of terrace apple orchards in the hilly-gully region of the Loess Plateau. The results showed that soil water content decreases when the elevation increased, whereas soil nutrients fluctuated significantly at different elevations of terrace orchards and the contents were lower than the standard level of the Loess Plateau, especially soil organic matter, but total potassium was higher. The apple firmness increased when the elevation increased and had a good linear relationship with elevation. Apple vitamin C content in weed-covered orchards was higher than in the ploughing and weeding management orchards. The impact of soil nutrients, including soil water, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium on apple quality were concentrated in soluble solid and total acid. Irrational irrigation or partial use of nutrients, such as more use of nitrogen and less use of phosphorus and potassium, may deteriorate the apple quality. Therefore, we suggested that the amount of irrigation be increased appropriately with the raising of elevation. Moreover, part of the weed should be kept to cover the orchard, as well as mowing regularly and covering the surface. This would not only improve water use efficiency and increase soil organic matter content, it would also maintain apple quality and ensure sustainable development of the apple orchards.

scholarly journals Assessing the impact of climate variability and human activities on streamflow variation

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 12747-12788
Author(s):  
J. Chang ◽  
H. Zhang ◽  
Y. Wang ◽  
Y. Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Variability ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Water Withdrawal ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Hydrological Models ◽  
Moisture Index ◽  
Model Parameter ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Water resources in river systems have been changing under the impact of both climate variability and human activities. Assessing the respective impact on decadal streamflow variation is important for water resource management. By using an elasticity-based method and calibrated TOPMODEL and VIC hydrological models, we quantitatively isolated the relative contributions that human activities and climate variability made to decadal streamflow changes in Jinghe basin, located in the northwest of China. This is an important watershed of Shaanxi Province that supplies drinking water for a population of over 6 million people. The results showed that the maximum value of the moisture index (E0/P) was 1.91 and appeared in 1991–2000 and that the decreased speed of streamflow was higher since 1990. The average annual streamflow from 1990 to 2010 was reduced by 26.96 % compared with the multi-year average value. The estimates of climate variability and the impact of human activities on streamflow decreases from the hydrological models were similar to those from the elasticity-based method. The maximum contribution value of human activities was appeared in 1981–1990 due to the effects of soil and water conservation measures and irrigation water withdrawal. Climate variability made the greatest contribution to reduction in 1991–2000, the values of which were 99 and 40.4 % when averaged over the three methods. We emphasized various source of errors and uncertainties that may occur in the hydrological model (parameter and structural uncertainty) and elasticity-based method (model parameter) in climate change impact studies.

scholarly journals Assessing the impact of climate variability and human activities on streamflow variation

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 1547-1560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianxia Chang ◽  
Hongxue Zhang ◽  
Yimin Wang ◽  
Yuelu Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Variability ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Water Withdrawal ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Hydrological Models ◽  
Moisture Index ◽  
Model Parameter ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Water resources in river systems have been changing under the impact of both climate variability and human activities. Assessing the respective impact on decadal streamflow variation is important for water resource management. By using an elasticity-based method and calibrated TOPMODEL and VIC hydrological models, we quantitatively isolated the relative contributions that human activities and climate variability made to decadal streamflow changes in the Jinghe basin, located in the northwest of China. This is an important watershed of the Shaanxi province that supplies drinking water for a population of over 6 million people. The results showed that the maximum value of the moisture index (E0∕P) was 1.91 and appeared in 1991–2000, and the decreased speed of streamflow was higher since 1990 compared with 1960–1990. The average annual streamflow from 1990 to 2010 was reduced by 26.96 % compared with the multiyear average value (from 1960 to 2010). The estimates of the impacts of climate variability and human activities on streamflow decreases from the hydrological models were similar to those from the elasticity-based method. The maximum contribution value of human activities was 99 % when averaged over the three methods, and appeared in 1981–1990 due to the effects of soil and water conservation measures and irrigation water withdrawal. Climate variability made the greatest contribution to streamflow reduction in 1991–2000, the values of which was 40.4 %. We emphasized various source of errors and uncertainties that may occur in the hydrological model (parameter and structural uncertainty) and elasticity-based method (model parameter) in climate change impact studies.

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