Identification of dominant drivers of streamflow spatiotemporal variations in typical mountainous areas in the Hexi Corridor, China

Study region: Typical mountain areas in the Hexi Corridor, China. Study focus: Water security and ecosystem sustainability of arid inland river basins are highly dependent on upstream streamflow. However, due to the complex geographical environment and limited observation data in the study region, t...

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Main Authors: Lemin Wei, Wenzhi Zhao, Chuandong Wu, Xiangyan Feng, Dacheng Song
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581824003732
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author Lemin Wei
Wenzhi Zhao
Chuandong Wu
Xiangyan Feng
Dacheng Song
author_facet Lemin Wei
Wenzhi Zhao
Chuandong Wu
Xiangyan Feng
Dacheng Song
author_sort Lemin Wei
collection DOAJ
description Study region: Typical mountain areas in the Hexi Corridor, China. Study focus: Water security and ecosystem sustainability of arid inland river basins are highly dependent on upstream streamflow. However, due to the complex geographical environment and limited observation data in the study region, the attribution of spatiotemporal variations in streamflow influenced by climate change and/or human activities remains unclear. Here, we used partial least squares regression (PLSR) and the Budyko framework to unravel the dominant drivers of spatiotemporal variation in streamflow over the past 30 yr. New hydrological insight for the region: Precipitation, topographic wetness index, slope, forest land, gross primary productivity, hydrological connectivity, soil organic carbon content, silt content, relative relief, NDVI and gravel content dominated spatial variation in streamflow. Temporal variation of streamflow was sensitive to precipitation and land surface. Specifically, increased precipitation and land surface alteration dominated the increase in streamflow in 50 % of the watersheds and the decrease in streamflow in 33 % of them, respectively. Further, land surface alteration was dominated by expansion of agricultural and built-up areas, weakened hydrological connectivity, increased landscape aggregation and forest cover. Controlling agricultural and built-up areas and the scale of afforestation, and focusing on the dynamics of hydrological connectivity and landscape patterns in the upstream reaches are imperative to maintain the security and sustainability of water resources in the arid inland river basins.
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publishDate 2024-12-01
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series Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
spelling doaj-art-af5023cfb28947559f98d384325a3cfe2024-12-08T06:10:42ZengElsevierJournal of Hydrology: Regional Studies2214-58182024-12-0156102024Identification of dominant drivers of streamflow spatiotemporal variations in typical mountainous areas in the Hexi Corridor, ChinaLemin Wei0Wenzhi Zhao1Chuandong Wu2Xiangyan Feng3Dacheng Song4Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaLinze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Corresponding author.Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaLinze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaGansu Hexi Corridor Forest Ecosystem National Research Station, Gansu Desert Control Research Institute, Lanzhou 730070, China; College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaStudy region: Typical mountain areas in the Hexi Corridor, China. Study focus: Water security and ecosystem sustainability of arid inland river basins are highly dependent on upstream streamflow. However, due to the complex geographical environment and limited observation data in the study region, the attribution of spatiotemporal variations in streamflow influenced by climate change and/or human activities remains unclear. Here, we used partial least squares regression (PLSR) and the Budyko framework to unravel the dominant drivers of spatiotemporal variation in streamflow over the past 30 yr. New hydrological insight for the region: Precipitation, topographic wetness index, slope, forest land, gross primary productivity, hydrological connectivity, soil organic carbon content, silt content, relative relief, NDVI and gravel content dominated spatial variation in streamflow. Temporal variation of streamflow was sensitive to precipitation and land surface. Specifically, increased precipitation and land surface alteration dominated the increase in streamflow in 50 % of the watersheds and the decrease in streamflow in 33 % of them, respectively. Further, land surface alteration was dominated by expansion of agricultural and built-up areas, weakened hydrological connectivity, increased landscape aggregation and forest cover. Controlling agricultural and built-up areas and the scale of afforestation, and focusing on the dynamics of hydrological connectivity and landscape patterns in the upstream reaches are imperative to maintain the security and sustainability of water resources in the arid inland river basins.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581824003732Inland river basinsUpstream streamflowPartial least squares regressionBudyko frameworkSpatiotemporal variation
spellingShingle Lemin Wei
Wenzhi Zhao
Chuandong Wu
Xiangyan Feng
Dacheng Song
Identification of dominant drivers of streamflow spatiotemporal variations in typical mountainous areas in the Hexi Corridor, China
Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
Inland river basins
Upstream streamflow
Partial least squares regression
Budyko framework
Spatiotemporal variation
title Identification of dominant drivers of streamflow spatiotemporal variations in typical mountainous areas in the Hexi Corridor, China
title_full Identification of dominant drivers of streamflow spatiotemporal variations in typical mountainous areas in the Hexi Corridor, China
title_fullStr Identification of dominant drivers of streamflow spatiotemporal variations in typical mountainous areas in the Hexi Corridor, China
title_full_unstemmed Identification of dominant drivers of streamflow spatiotemporal variations in typical mountainous areas in the Hexi Corridor, China
title_short Identification of dominant drivers of streamflow spatiotemporal variations in typical mountainous areas in the Hexi Corridor, China
title_sort identification of dominant drivers of streamflow spatiotemporal variations in typical mountainous areas in the hexi corridor china
topic Inland river basins
Upstream streamflow
Partial least squares regression
Budyko framework
Spatiotemporal variation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581824003732
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