scholarly journals A Spatial and Temporal Study of the Green and Blue Water Flow Distribution in Typical Ecosystems and its Ecosystem Services Function in an Arid Basin

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuanfu Zang ◽  
Ganquan Mao
Keyword(s):  
Water Flow ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Flow Distribution ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Heihe River ◽  
Corn Yield ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Green And Blue Water

Research on relationship between green and blue water flow and ecosystem service functions has great significance for improving water resources management and for ecological protection. In this study, the distribution patterns and service functions of green and blue water flow in different ecosystems were analysed by Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model simulation and Correlational Analysis. In the entire basin, the amount of green and blue water flow in the grassland was greater than that in the cropland, and that in the cropland was larger than that in the forest. The corn yield per hectare of cropland was highest in the Heihe River Basin, followed by wheat, and the lowest yield was the oil yield from 2000 to 2010. The mutton yield in the grassland ecosystem was greater than the beef yield from 2000 to 2010, which shows that the beef production would consume more water flow. Results show an obvious positive correlation between green or blue water flow and wheat and corn yields. Beef and mutton had a significant correlation with blue water flow, whereas mutton had a stronger correlation with green water flow.

scholarly journals Impacts of human activities and climate variability on green and blue water flows in the Heihe River Basin in Northwest China

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 9477-9504 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Zang ◽  
J. Liu ◽  
L. Jiang ◽  
D. Gerten
Keyword(s):  
Climate Variability ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Heihe River ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Water Flows ◽  
Green And Blue Water

Abstract. Human activities and climate factors both affect the availability of water resources and the sustainability of water management. Especially in already dry regions, water has become more and more scarce with increasing requirements from growing population, economic development and diet shifts. Although progress has been made in understanding variability of runoff, the impacts of climate variability and human activities on flows of both green water (actual evapotranspiration) and blue water (discharge accumulated in the river network) remain less well understood. We study the spatial patterns of blue and green water flows and the impacts on them of human activities and climate variability as simulated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for an inland Heihe river basin located in Northwest China. The results show that total green and blue water flow increased from 1980 to 2005, mainly as a result of climate variability (upward precipitation trends). Direct human activities did not significantly change the total green and blue water flow. However, land use change led to a transformation of 206 million m3 from green to blue water flow, while farmland irrigation expansion resulted in a transformation of 66 million m3 from blue to green water flow. The synchronous climate variability caused an increase of green water flow by 469 million m3 and an increase of blue water flow by 146 million m3 at the river basin level, while the geographical distribution showed an uneven change even with reductions of water flows in western sub-basins at midstream. The results are helpful to benchmark the water resources in the context of global change in the inland river basins in China. This study also provides a general approach to investigate the impacts of historical human activities and climate variability on green and blue water flows at the river basin level.

Influence of human activities and climate variability on green and blue water provision in the Heihe River Basin, NW China

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 800-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuanfu Zang ◽  
Junguo Liu ◽  
Dieter Gerten ◽  
Luguang Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Variability ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Heihe River Basin ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Heihe River ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Green And Blue Water ◽  
Water Provision

Human activities and climate simultaneously affect water cycling and provision. Here, we study the impacts of climate variability and human activities on green and blue water provision (or the flows of both green water and blue water) in the inland Heihe River Basin as simulated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The results show that total green and blue water flow varied significantly from 1980 to 2010. Direct human activities did not significantly change the sum of green and blue water flow volumes. However, land use change led to a transformation of 206 million m3/year in the entire river basin from green to blue water flow, while farmland irrigation expansion resulted in a transformation of 66 million m3 from blue to green water flow. The synchronous climate variability, with an upward precipitation trend, caused an increase of green water flow by 469 million m3/year and an increase of blue water flow by 146 million m3/year at the river basin level over the study period. The results provide a general approach to investigate the impacts of historical human activities and climate variability on water provision at the river basin level.

scholarly journals Dynamics of green and blue water flows and their controlling factors in Heihe River basin of northwestern China

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaisheng Luo ◽  
Fulu Tao
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Heihe River Basin ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Heihe River ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Water Flows ◽  
Green And Blue Water ◽  
County Scale

Abstract. Climate variation will affect hydrological cycle, as well as the availability of water resources. In spite of large progresses have been made in the dynamics of hydrological cycle variables, the dynamics and drivers of blue water flow, green water flow and total flow (three flows), as well as the proportion of green water (GWC), in the past and future at county scale, were scarcely investigated. In this study, taking the Heihe River basin in China as an example, we investigated the dynamics of green and blue water flows and their controlling factors during 1980–2009 using five statistical approaches and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). We found that there were large variations in the dynamics of green and blue water flows during 1980–2009 at the county scale. Three flows in all counties showed an increasing trend except Jiayuguan and Jianta county. The GWC showed a downward trend in the Qilian, Suzhou, Shandan, Linze and Gaotai counties, but an upward trend in the Mingle, Sunan, Jinta, Jiayuguan, Ganzhou and Ejilaqi counties. In all the counties, the three flows and GWC had strong persistent trends in the future, which are mainly ascribed to rainfall variation. In the Qilian and Shandan counties, rainfall was the major controlling factor for the three flows and GWC. Rainfall controlled the green water and total flows in the Mingle, Linze and Gaotai counties; green water flow and GWC in the Suzhou county; green water flow, total flow and GWC in the Jinta and Ejilaqi counties. Our results also showed that the "Heihe River basin allocation project" had significant influences on the abrupt changes of the flows above-mentioned. Our results illustrate the status of the water resources at county scale, providing a reference for water resources management of inland river basins.

scholarly journals Assessment of spatial and temporal patterns of green and blue water flows under natural conditions in inland river basins in Northwest China

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 2859-2870 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. F. Zang ◽  
J. Liu ◽  
M. van der Velde ◽  
F. Kraxner
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Heihe River Basin ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Heihe River ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Water Flows ◽  
Inland River ◽  
Green And Blue Water

Abstract. In arid and semi-arid regions freshwater resources have become scarcer with increasing demands from socio-economic development and population growth. Until recently, water research and management has mainly focused on blue water but ignored green water. Furthermore, in data poor regions hydrological flows under natural conditions are poorly characterised but are a prerequisite to inform future water resources management. Here we report on spatial and temporal patterns of both blue and green water flows that can be expected under natural conditions as simulated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for the Heihe river basin, the second largest inland river basin in Northwest China. Calibration and validation at two hydrological stations show good performance of the SWAT model in modelling hydrological processes. The total green and blue water flows were 22.05–25.51 billion m3 in the 2000s for the Heihe river basin. Blue water flows are larger in upstream sub-basins than in downstream sub-basins mainly due to high precipitation and a large amount of snow and melting water in upstream. Green water flows are distributed more homogeneously among different sub-basins. The green water coefficient was 87%–89% in the 2000s for the entire river basin, varying from around 80%–90% in up- and mid-stream sub-basins to above 90% in downstream sub-basins. This is much higher than reported green water coefficients in many other river basins. The spatial patterns of green water coefficients were closely linked to dominant land covers (e.g. snow cover upstream and desert downstream) and climate conditions (e.g. high precipitation upstream and low precipitation downstream). There are no clear consistent historical trends of change in green and blue water flows and the green water coefficient at both the river basin and sub-basin levels. This study provides insights into green and blue water endowments under natural conditions for the entire Heihe river basin at the sub-basin level. The results are helpful to benchmark the natural flows of water in the basin as part of improved water resources management in the inland river basins of China.

scholarly journals Assessment of spatial and temporal patterns of green and blue water flows in inland river basins in Northwest China

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 3311-3338 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. F. Zang ◽  
J. Liu ◽  
M. van der Velde ◽  
F. Kraxner
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Heihe River Basin ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Heihe River ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
Water Flows ◽  
Inland River ◽  
Green And Blue Water

Abstract. In arid and semi-arid regions freshwater resources have become scarcer with increasing demands from socio-economic development and population growth. Until recently, water research and management in these has mainly focused on blue water but ignored green water. Here we report on spatial and temporal patterns of both blue and green water flows simulated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for the Heihe river basin, the second largest inland river basin in Northwest China. Calibration and validation at two hydrological stations show good performance of the SWAT model in modelling hydrological processes. The total green and blue water flows were 22.09 billion m3 in the 2000s for the Heihe river basin. Blue water flows are larger in upstream sub-basins than in downstream sub-basins mainly due to high precipitation and large areas of glaciers in upstream. Green water flows are distributed more homogeneously among different sub-basins. The green water coefficient was 88.0% in the 2000s for the entire river basin, varying from around 80–90% in up- and mid-stream sub-basins to above 95% in downstream sub-basins. This is much higher than reported green water coefficient in many other river basins. The spatial patterns of green water coefficient were closely linked to dominant land covers (e.g. glaciers in upstream and desert in downstream) and climate conditions (e.g. high precipitation in upstream and low precipitation in downstream). There are no clear consistent historical trends of change in green and blue water flows and green water coefficient at both the river basin and sub-basin levels. This study provides insights into green and blue water endowments for the entire Heihe river basin at sub-basin level. The results are helpful for formulating reasonable water policies to improve water resources management in the inland river basins of China.

scholarly journals Application and Evaluation of the China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Datasets for the SWAT Model (CMADS) in Poorly Gauged Regions in Western China

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianyong Meng ◽  
Xuesong Zhang ◽  
Mingxiang Yang ◽  
Hao Wang ◽  
Ji Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Spatial Differentiation ◽  
The Other ◽  
Western China ◽  
Surface Processes ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Heihe River ◽  
Observation Data

The temporal and spatial differentiation of the underlying surface in East Asia is complex. Due to a lack of meteorological observation data, human cognition and understanding of the surface processes (runoff, snowmelt, soil moisture, water production, etc.) in the area have been greatly limited. With the Heihe River Basin, a poorly gauged region in the cold region of Western China, selected as the study area, three meteorological datasets are evaluated for their suitability to drive the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT): China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Datasets for the SWAT model (CMADS), Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR), and Traditional Weather Station (TWS). Resultingly, (1) the runoff output of CMADS + SWAT mode is generally better than that of the other two modes (CFSR + SWAT and TWS + SWAT) and the monthly and daily Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency ranges of the CMADS + SWAT mode are 0.75–0.95 and 0.58–0.77, respectively; (2) the CMADS + SWAT and TWS + SWAT results were fairly similar to the actual data (especially for precipitation and evaporation), with the results produced by CMADS + SWAT lower than those produced by TWS + SWAT; (3) the CMADS + SWAT mode has a greater ability to reproduce water balance than the other two modes. Overestimation of CFSR precipitation results in greater error impact on the uncertainty output of the model, whereas the performances of CMADS and TWS are more similar. This study addresses the gap in the study of surface processes by CMADS users in Western China and provides an important scientific basis for analyzing poorly gauged regions in East Asia.

Integrated numerical model for irrigated area water resources management

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 980-991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aidi Huo ◽  
Xiaofan Wang ◽  
Yan Liang ◽  
Cheng Jiang ◽  
Xiaolu Zheng
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Hydrologic Model ◽  
Heihe River Basin ◽  
Irrigation District ◽  
Heihe River ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Long Term Effects

Abstract The likelihood of future global water shortages is increasing and further development of existing operational hydrologic models is needed to maintain sustainable development of the ecological environment and human health. In order to quantitatively describe the water balance factors and transformation relations, the objective of this article is to develop a distributed hydrologic model that is capable of simulating the surface water (SW) and groundwater (GW) in irrigation areas. The model can be used as a tool for evaluating the long-term effects of water resource management. By coupling the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and MODFLOW models, a comprehensive hydrological model integrating SW and GW is constructed. The hydrologic response units for the SWAT model are exchanged with cells in the MODFLOW model. Taking the Heihe River Basin as the study area, 10 years of historical data are used to conduct an extensive sensitivity analysis on model parameters. The developed model is run for a 40-year prediction period. The application of the developed coupling model shows that since the construction of the Heihe reservoir, the average GW level in the study area has declined by 6.05 m. The model can accurately simulate and predict the dynamic changes in SW and GW in the downstream irrigation area of Heihe River Basin and provide a scientific basis for water management in an irrigation district.

scholarly journals Predicting hydrologic responses to climate changes in highly glacierized and mountainous region Upper Indus Basin

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 191957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Izhar Shah ◽  
Asif Khan ◽  
Tahir Ali Akbar ◽  
Quazi K. Hassan ◽  
Asim Jahangir Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Indus Basin ◽  
Upper Indus Basin

The Upper Indus Basin (UIB) is a major source of supplying water to different areas because of snow and glaciers melt and is also enduring the regional impacts of global climate change. The expected changes in temperature, precipitation and snowmelt could be reasons for further escalation of the problem. Therefore, estimation of hydrological processes is critical for UIB. The objectives of this paper were to estimate the impacts of climate change on water resources and future projection for surface water under different climatic scenarios using soil and water assessment tool (SWAT). The methodology includes: (i) development of SWAT model using land cover, soil and meteorological data; (ii) calibration of the model using daily flow data from 1978 to 1993; (iii) model validation for the time 1994–2003; (iv) bias correction of regional climate model (RCM), and (v) utilization of bias-corrected RCM for future assessment under representative concentration pathways RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 for mid (2041–2070) and late century (2071–2100). The results of the study revealed a strong correlation between simulated and observed flow with R 2 and Nash–Sutcliff efficiency (NSE) equal to 0.85 each for daily flow. For validation, R 2 and NSE were found to be 0.84 and 0.80, respectively. Compared to baseline period (1976–2005), the result of RCM showed an increase in temperature ranging from 2.36°C to 3.50°C and 2.92°C to 5.23°C for RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 respectively, till the end of the twenty-first century. Likewise, the increase in annual average precipitation is 2.4% to 2.5% and 6.0% to 4.6% (mid to late century) under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively. The model simulation results for RCP4.5 showed increase in flow by 19.24% and 16.78% for mid and late century, respectively. For RCP8.5, the increase in flow is 20.13% and 15.86% during mid and late century, respectively. The model was more sensitive towards available moisture and snowmelt parameters. Thus, SWAT model could be used as effective tool for climate change valuation and for sustainable management of water resources in future.

scholarly journals Minimum forest cover required for sustainable water flow regulation of a watershed: a case study in Jambi Province, Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 581-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suria Tarigan ◽  
Kerstin Wiegand ◽  
Bejo Slamet ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Elaeis Guineensis ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Control Surface ◽  
Direct Runoff

Abstract. In many tropical regions, the rapid expansion of monoculture plantations has led to a sharp decline in forest cover, potentially degrading the ability of watersheds to regulate water flow. Therefore, regional planners need to determine the minimum proportion of forest cover that is required to support adequate ecosystem services in these watersheds. However, to date, there has been little research on this issue, particularly in tropical areas where monoculture plantations are expanding at an alarming rate. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the influence of forest cover and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantations on the partitioning of rainfall into direct runoff and subsurface flow in a humid, tropical watershed in Jambi Province, Indonesia. To do this, we simulated streamflow with a calibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model and observed several watersheds to derive the direct runoff coefficient (C) and baseflow index (BFI). The model had a strong performance, with Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency values of 0.80–0.88 (calibration) and 0.80–0.85 (validation) and percent bias values of −2.9–1.2 (calibration) and 7.0–11.9 (validation). We found that the percentage of forest cover in a watershed was significantly negatively correlated with C and significantly positively correlated with BFI, whereas the rubber and oil palm plantation cover showed the opposite pattern. Our findings also suggested that at least 30 % of the forest cover was required in the study area for sustainable ecosystem services. This study provides new adjusted crop parameter values for monoculture plantations, particularly those that control surface runoff and baseflow processes, and it also describes the quantitative association between forest cover and flow indicators in a watershed, which will help regional planners in determining the minimum proportion of forest and the maximum proportion of plantation to ensure that a watershed can provide adequate ecosystem services.

scholarly journals Increasing Rainfall and Runoff in Alpine Mountainous Areas Can't Completely Eliminate Drought Driven by Temperature Rise 

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Deng ◽  
Zhifeng Guo ◽  
Fuquan Ni ◽  
Lianqing Xue ◽  
Yiping Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Temperature Rise ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Heihe River ◽  
Mountainous Area ◽  
Mountainous Areas ◽  
Runoff Change ◽  
Scientific Significance ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Drought research under climate change is of great scientific significance. For Land Use and Land Cover Change (LUCC), temperature and rainfall in climate change, which factor has a greater impact on runoff change in alpine mountainous areas? Can the increase of rainfall in the alpine mountainous area completely eliminate the drought driven by temperature rise? This study takes the upper reaches of Heihe River basin (URHRB) as an example, the URHRB's Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is constructed. Based on 58 scenarios and The Budyko Framework, here we show that a)climate change has a greater contribution to runoff than LUCC, effect of increased rainfall greater than temperature rising on runoff in alpine mountainous area; b)the drought of 57.14% of UHRRB’s sub-basins have eased, 42.86% of the sub-basins is more serious, the increase in rainfall can't completely eliminate the drought driven by temperature rise. This study coupling SWAT simulation with Budyko Framework and other methods solves the problem of lack of data in alpine mountainous areas, and more accurately quantifies the impact of climate change, LUCC on runoff changes, realizing theoretical and method innovation. The results of this study provide a scientific paradigm for solving scientific problems in similar regions in China and other countries, and have important promotion value.

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