Dynamic changes of land use/cover and landscape pattern in a typical alpine river basin of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, China

The stable isotopic study of the mechanism of runoff replenishment in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a time-consuming and complicated process requiring complex monitoring data and scientific evaluation methods. Based on the data of water stable isotopes (18O and 2H) in the Naqu River basin, the present paper developed a framework of the variable fuzzy evaluation model (VFEM) to provide a method to classify stable isotopes and generalize the source identification of water replenishment by rainfall or snowmelt in the Naqu River basin. The grade eigenvalues of tributaries were ranked from low to high as follows: 1, 1.005, 1.089, 1.151, 1.264, 1.455 and 2.624. Three sets of tributaries were distinguished. The grade eigenvalues of the Najinqu, Bazongqu, Mumuqu, Chengqu and Gongqu Rivers were small, indicating that these tributaries were strongly supplemented by precipitation and snowmelt; the grade eigenvalue of the Zongqingqu River was in the medium range (1.455); the third group included the Mugequ River with a high status value (2.624). This study mainly highlighted the combination of the classification of stable isotopes and plots of δ2H vs. δ18O in the source identification of water replenishment, which will be helpful for studying runoff replenishment and the evolution mechanism in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

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Impact of landscape pattern change on runoff processes in catchment area of the Ulungur River Basin

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/ws.2020.027 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 1046-1058

Author(s):

Fan Gao ◽

Bing He ◽

Songsong Xue ◽

Yizhen Li

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

River Basin ◽

Landscape Pattern ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Catchment Area ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Swat Model ◽

Land Use Types ◽

Monthly Runoff ◽

Better Than

Abstract Based on the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, the monthly runoff processes of two land-use types in 2000 and 2015 were simulated in this paper. The relationship between runoff and landscape pattern was analyzed, and the spatial correlation between runoff and landscape pattern analyzed using the geographic weighted regression model combined with the change of landscape pattern in the study area from 2000 to 2015. The results show the following. (1) The SWAT model can simulate the monthly runoff processes in the catchment area of the Ulungur River Basin (URB) under different land-use types for 2000 and 2015, but the simulation effect in 2000 was found to be better than that in 2015. (2) From 2000 to 2015, the area of woodland and grassland decreased. Runoff was positively correlated with woodland, grassland, largest patch index, mean patch area (AREA_MN), and contagion index, and negatively correlated with others. This indicates that the landscape fragmentation of URB was aggravated in 2000–2015, the landscape balance was destroyed, and the ability of rainfall interception and water conservation was weakened. (3) Landscape pattern indicators of grassland had a negative spatial impact on URB runoff, and the northern region of URB was more severely affected in 2015 than in 2000. AREA_MN landscape pattern index had a positive impact on runoff in the northern part of URB, and the positive impact in northern URB in 2000 was better than that in 2015.

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