Changes in the status of freshwater resources are a topic of major global, regional and local concern. This is especially so in the arid and semi-arid regions of China, where shortage of water resources plays a crucia...Changes in the status of freshwater resources are a topic of major global, regional and local concern. This is especially so in the arid and semi-arid regions of China, where shortage of water resources plays a crucial role in limiting sustainable socioeconomic development, as well as in sustaining natural ecosystems. Recent climate change, as well as the effects of localized human activity, such as the use of water for irrigation agriculture, may have significant effects on the status of the water resources in the region. Here, we report the results of a study of changes in the areas of lakes in Gonghe Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau of China, over the last 60 years. The data were acquired from optical satellite images and demonstrate that the total water area of lakes in Gonghe Basin decreased significantly from the 1950s to 1980s. The cause is ascribed mainly to human activity including exploitation of farmland, against a background of increasing population; in addition, climatic data for the region demonstrate a minor drying trend during this period as the temperature increased slightly. After the construction of several reservoirs, significant amounts of water were redistributed to promote irrigation agriculture and we conclude that this caused a significant shrinkage of the natural lakes. However, both the area of farmland and the population size remained approximately constant after 1990. We conclude that the variation of the total area of lakes during the second period was mainly controlled by climatic factors （precipitation and temperature）. As the regional temperature reached a new high, the area of some of the lakes decreased sharply before finally maintaining a relatively steady state. We emphasize that anthropogenic climate change and human activity have both significantly influenced the status of water resources in the arid and semi-arid regions of China.展开更多
The shrinking and drying up of wetlands in arid and semiarid areas of China have been widely observed in the recent years, but there has been no consensus on whether the aggravation is caused by human activities or by...The shrinking and drying up of wetlands in arid and semiarid areas of China have been widely observed in the recent years, but there has been no consensus on whether the aggravation is caused by human activities or by global climate warming. For a better understanding of the cause, this study investigates the dynamic changes of Baiyangdian Lake wetland over the last 40 years. It is shown that since the 1980s, Baiyangdian Lake has suffered from an insufficient water input and shrunk considerably. By using SPSS 11.0, this study urines a detailed Analysis on the signifficance of the effects of the possible driving factors for the degradation. It is identified that the North China Plain has been warrnin~ up significantly in recent years, which causes a significant reduction in the precipitation and inflow to the lake. Although human disturbances such as the irrigation and storage of water in reservoirs do not play a decisive role, they accelerate the degradation and their effects should be minimized.展开更多
The annual highest water level of Taihu Lake （Zm） is very significant for flood management in the Taihu Basin. This paper first describes the inter-annual and intra-annual traits of Zm from 1956 to 2000. Then, using...The annual highest water level of Taihu Lake （Zm） is very significant for flood management in the Taihu Basin. This paper first describes the inter-annual and intra-annual traits of Zm from 1956 to 2000. Then, using the Mann-Kenall （MK） and Spearman （SP） nonparametric tests, the long-term change trends of area precipitation and pan evaporation in the Taihu Basin are determined. Meanwhile, using the Morlet wavelet transformation, the fluctuation patterns and change points of precipitation and pan evaporation are analyzed. Also, human activities in the Taihu Basin are described, including land use change and hydraulic project construction. Finally, the relationship between Zm, the water level of Taihu Lake 30 days prior to the day of Zm （Z0）, and the 30-day total precipitation and pan evaporation prior to the day of Zm （P and E0, respectively） is described based on multi-linear regression equations. The relative influence of climate change and human activities on the change of Zm is quantitatively ascertained. The results demonstrate that： （1） Zm was distinctly higher during the 1980-2000 period than during the 1956-1979 period, and the 30 days prior to the day of Zm are the key phase influencing Zm every year; （2） P increased significantly at a confidence level of 95% during the 1956-2000 period, while the reverse was true for E0; （3） The relationship between Zm, P and E0 distinctly changed after 1980; （4） Climate change and human activities together caused frequent occurrences of high Zm after 1980; （5） Climate change caused a substantially greater Zm difference between the 1956-1979 and 1980-2000 periods than human activities. Climate change, as represented by P and E0, was the dominant factor raising Zm, with a relative influence ratio of 83.6%, while human activities had a smaller influence ratio of 16.4%.展开更多
Changing climatic conditions and extensive human activities have influenced the global water cycle.In recent years,significant changes in climate and land use have degraded the watershed ecosystem of the Ebinur Lake B...Changing climatic conditions and extensive human activities have influenced the global water cycle.In recent years,significant changes in climate and land use have degraded the watershed ecosystem of the Ebinur Lake Basin in Xinjiang,Northwest China.In this paper,variations of runoff,temperature,precipitation,reference evapotranspiration,lake area,socio-economic water usage,groundwater level and water quality in the Ebinur Lake Basin from 1961 to 2015 were systematically analyzed by the Mann-Kendall test methods(M-K)mutation test,the cumulative levelling method,the climate-sensitive method and land-use change index.In addition,we evaluated the effects of human activities on land use change and water quality.The results reveal that there was a significant increase in temperature and precipitation from 1961 to 2015,despite a decrease in reference evapotranspiration.The Wenquan station was not significantly affected by human activities as it is situated at a higher altitude.Runoff at this station increased significantly with climate warming.In contrast,runoff at the Jinghe station was severely affected by numerous human activities.Runoff decreased without obvious fluctuations.The contributions of climate change to runoff variation at the Jinghe and Wenquan stations were 46.87%and 58.94%,respectively;and the contributions of human activities were 53.13%and 41.06%,respectively.Land-use patterns in the basin have changed significantly between 1990 and 2015:urban and rural constructed lands,saline-alkali land,bare land,cultivated land,and forest land have expanded,while areas under grassland,lake,ice/snow and river/channel have declined.Human activities have dramatically intensified land degradation and desertification.From 1961 to 2015,both the inflow into the Ebinur Lake and the area of the lake have declined year by year;groundwater levels have dropped significantly,and the water quality has deteriorated during the study period.In the oasis irrigation area below the runoff pass,human activities mainly influenced the utilization mode and quantity of water resources.Changes in the hydrology and quantity of water resources were driven primarily by the continuous expansion of cultivated land and oasis,as well as the growth of population and the construction of hydraulic engineering projects.After 2015,the effects of some ecological protection projects were observed.However,there was no obvious sign of ecological improvement in the basin,and some environmental problems continue to persist.On this basis,this study recommends that the expansion of oasis should be limited according to the carrying capacity of the local water bodies.Moreover,in order to ensure the ecological security of the basin,it is necessary to determine the optimal oasis area for sustainable development and improve the efficiency of water resources exploitation and utilization.展开更多
The sediments of crater lakes are one of the ideal archives for high-resolution paleoenvironmental reconstruction.This paper presents sedimentary records of 21 crater lakes in monsoonal China and systematically discus...The sediments of crater lakes are one of the ideal archives for high-resolution paleoenvironmental reconstruction.This paper presents sedimentary records of 21 crater lakes in monsoonal China and systematically discusses the geographical distribution and formation ages of these crater lakes.Sediment provenance of the crater lakes and its influencing factors were analyzed,and paleoenvironmental sequences and human activities records on different timescales reconstructed by crater lake sediments in monsoonal China were reviewed.The following points are highlighted:(1)Crater lakes in monsoonal China have been shown to preserve continuous long-time sediments that can exceed even 400 ka,although the chronology of some sediments in the southern part is debated and there were currently fewer long time records from the northern part;(2)the sediment provenance of crater lakes in northern China(e.g.,aeolian inputs)was different from that in the south(e.g.,the volcanic-lake rim),due to the different location and deposition conditions of crater lakes;(3)crater lake sediments have been used to reconstruct the history of climate changes on different timescales,but reconstruction studies of glacial-interglacial and decadal-annual scale records and studies of spatial comparisons of records on different timescales still need to be strengthened;(4)the anthropogenic signals,which include cultivation,logging,and industrial activity,are well documented in crater lake sediments from different areas and can therefore provide key evidence for the study of the Anthropocene.展开更多
Lakes in China have undergone considerable environmental changes during the past 50 years, e.g. lake level, water area changes, as did in the past several thousands years. The enhanced human activities, such as land r...Lakes in China have undergone considerable environmental changes during the past 50 years, e.g. lake level, water area changes, as did in the past several thousands years. The enhanced human activities, such as land reclamation, application of chemical fertilizer, land use and cover, irrigation and industrialization in the catchment etc., have played an important role on the recent decades＇ changes of these lakes, although constrained to a great extent by the natural impact. Comparative study on variations of lake volume （water level, depth and area） in the eastern and western lake regions of China during 1950-2000 indicated that, lake volume in the eastern region had approximately undergone a two-stage change, i.e. a dramatic decrease from the 1950s to 1970s, and a continuous increase between the 1980s and 1990s; while, in the western region, lake volume had been decreasing nearly all the time. Further studies on some typical lakes concluded that, climatic change was a primary factor for the variations of lake volume during the past 50 years, although human activities showed important effect.展开更多
Qinghai Lake is the largest inland lake in China. It is a closed-drainage saline lake located at 3194m above sea level in the northeastern Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau. Qinghai Lake region, about 36°15' -38...Qinghai Lake is the largest inland lake in China. It is a closed-drainage saline lake located at 3194m above sea level in the northeastern Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau. Qinghai Lake region, about 36°15' -38°20' N and 97°50, - 101°20' E,is a closed basin展开更多
Understanding the redistribution of soil organic carbon(OC)driven by erosion contributes to the global carbon budget and watershed management.Quantifying the sources of eroded OC in sediments provides new insights to ...Understanding the redistribution of soil organic carbon(OC)driven by erosion contributes to the global carbon budget and watershed management.Quantifying the sources of eroded OC in sediments provides new insights to addressing this issue.However,limited quantitative information on the factors influencing OC sources has constrained the behavior of regulating the OC exported from the watershed.Here,we explored the sources of OC in lake sediments over the last 100 years and quantified the effects of climate change and human activities on OC sources.Results from the stable isotope fingerprinting and MixSIAR model indicated that phragmites(30.34%)and croplands(21.48%)were consistently the main OC sources.Therefore,efforts should be concentrated on controlling soil erosion from cropland and managing the endogenous environment.In addition,the partial least squares pathways(PLS-PM)and random forests revealed that human activities(Path coefficients(r∂):0.45 to 0.61)have controlled the OC sources over the last hundred years.Agricultural activities,urbanization,and land use change altered the quality of OC sources by affecting the vegetation productivity in source areas.The quantity of OC sources was also influenced by underlying surface and surface connectivity changes.The effects of climate change(temperature(r∂):-0.41 to 0.1;precipitation(r∂):0.1 to 0.29)on OC sources have not been significant,but their long-term effects cannot be ignored.These findings provide a better insight into the origin and behavior of OC in lake sediments under global change,which is crucial for basin management and lake governance.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41372180)the Open Foundation of MOE Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental System,Lanzhou University and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (lzujbky-2015-bt01)
文摘Changes in the status of freshwater resources are a topic of major global, regional and local concern. This is especially so in the arid and semi-arid regions of China, where shortage of water resources plays a crucial role in limiting sustainable socioeconomic development, as well as in sustaining natural ecosystems. Recent climate change, as well as the effects of localized human activity, such as the use of water for irrigation agriculture, may have significant effects on the status of the water resources in the region. Here, we report the results of a study of changes in the areas of lakes in Gonghe Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau of China, over the last 60 years. The data were acquired from optical satellite images and demonstrate that the total water area of lakes in Gonghe Basin decreased significantly from the 1950s to 1980s. The cause is ascribed mainly to human activity including exploitation of farmland, against a background of increasing population; in addition, climatic data for the region demonstrate a minor drying trend during this period as the temperature increased slightly. After the construction of several reservoirs, significant amounts of water were redistributed to promote irrigation agriculture and we conclude that this caused a significant shrinkage of the natural lakes. However, both the area of farmland and the population size remained approximately constant after 1990. We conclude that the variation of the total area of lakes during the second period was mainly controlled by climatic factors （precipitation and temperature）. As the regional temperature reached a new high, the area of some of the lakes decreased sharply before finally maintaining a relatively steady state. We emphasize that anthropogenic climate change and human activity have both significantly influenced the status of water resources in the arid and semi-arid regions of China.
基金Under the auspices of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30570303)
文摘The shrinking and drying up of wetlands in arid and semiarid areas of China have been widely observed in the recent years, but there has been no consensus on whether the aggravation is caused by human activities or by global climate warming. For a better understanding of the cause, this study investigates the dynamic changes of Baiyangdian Lake wetland over the last 40 years. It is shown that since the 1980s, Baiyangdian Lake has suffered from an insufficient water input and shrunk considerably. By using SPSS 11.0, this study urines a detailed Analysis on the signifficance of the effects of the possible driving factors for the degradation. It is identified that the North China Plain has been warrnin~ up significantly in recent years, which causes a significant reduction in the precipitation and inflow to the lake. Although human disturbances such as the irrigation and storage of water in reservoirs do not play a decisive role, they accelerate the degradation and their effects should be minimized.
基金supported by the National Key Technology R & D Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant No. 2006BAB14B01)the Innovation Program of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Water Resources of China (Grant No. XDS2007-04)
文摘The annual highest water level of Taihu Lake （Zm） is very significant for flood management in the Taihu Basin. This paper first describes the inter-annual and intra-annual traits of Zm from 1956 to 2000. Then, using the Mann-Kenall （MK） and Spearman （SP） nonparametric tests, the long-term change trends of area precipitation and pan evaporation in the Taihu Basin are determined. Meanwhile, using the Morlet wavelet transformation, the fluctuation patterns and change points of precipitation and pan evaporation are analyzed. Also, human activities in the Taihu Basin are described, including land use change and hydraulic project construction. Finally, the relationship between Zm, the water level of Taihu Lake 30 days prior to the day of Zm （Z0）, and the 30-day total precipitation and pan evaporation prior to the day of Zm （P and E0, respectively） is described based on multi-linear regression equations. The relative influence of climate change and human activities on the change of Zm is quantitatively ascertained. The results demonstrate that： （1） Zm was distinctly higher during the 1980-2000 period than during the 1956-1979 period, and the 30 days prior to the day of Zm are the key phase influencing Zm every year; （2） P increased significantly at a confidence level of 95% during the 1956-2000 period, while the reverse was true for E0; （3） The relationship between Zm, P and E0 distinctly changed after 1980; （4） Climate change and human activities together caused frequent occurrences of high Zm after 1980; （5） Climate change caused a substantially greater Zm difference between the 1956-1979 and 1980-2000 periods than human activities. Climate change, as represented by P and E0, was the dominant factor raising Zm, with a relative influence ratio of 83.6%, while human activities had a smaller influence ratio of 16.4%.
基金supported by the Scientific Research Foundation for High-Level Talents of Shihezi University(RCZK2018C41,CXRC201801,RCZK2018C22)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41661040,U1803244)the Scientific and Technological Research Projects of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps,China(2021AB021)。
文摘Changing climatic conditions and extensive human activities have influenced the global water cycle.In recent years,significant changes in climate and land use have degraded the watershed ecosystem of the Ebinur Lake Basin in Xinjiang,Northwest China.In this paper,variations of runoff,temperature,precipitation,reference evapotranspiration,lake area,socio-economic water usage,groundwater level and water quality in the Ebinur Lake Basin from 1961 to 2015 were systematically analyzed by the Mann-Kendall test methods(M-K)mutation test,the cumulative levelling method,the climate-sensitive method and land-use change index.In addition,we evaluated the effects of human activities on land use change and water quality.The results reveal that there was a significant increase in temperature and precipitation from 1961 to 2015,despite a decrease in reference evapotranspiration.The Wenquan station was not significantly affected by human activities as it is situated at a higher altitude.Runoff at this station increased significantly with climate warming.In contrast,runoff at the Jinghe station was severely affected by numerous human activities.Runoff decreased without obvious fluctuations.The contributions of climate change to runoff variation at the Jinghe and Wenquan stations were 46.87%and 58.94%,respectively;and the contributions of human activities were 53.13%and 41.06%,respectively.Land-use patterns in the basin have changed significantly between 1990 and 2015:urban and rural constructed lands,saline-alkali land,bare land,cultivated land,and forest land have expanded,while areas under grassland,lake,ice/snow and river/channel have declined.Human activities have dramatically intensified land degradation and desertification.From 1961 to 2015,both the inflow into the Ebinur Lake and the area of the lake have declined year by year;groundwater levels have dropped significantly,and the water quality has deteriorated during the study period.In the oasis irrigation area below the runoff pass,human activities mainly influenced the utilization mode and quantity of water resources.Changes in the hydrology and quantity of water resources were driven primarily by the continuous expansion of cultivated land and oasis,as well as the growth of population and the construction of hydraulic engineering projects.After 2015,the effects of some ecological protection projects were observed.However,there was no obvious sign of ecological improvement in the basin,and some environmental problems continue to persist.On this basis,this study recommends that the expansion of oasis should be limited according to the carrying capacity of the local water bodies.Moreover,in order to ensure the ecological security of the basin,it is necessary to determine the optimal oasis area for sustainable development and improve the efficiency of water resources exploitation and utilization.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.41888101,41721002)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2022YFF0801101)+2 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2022M713024)the CAS Youth Interdisciplinary Team(No.JCTD-2021-05)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.2018498).
文摘The sediments of crater lakes are one of the ideal archives for high-resolution paleoenvironmental reconstruction.This paper presents sedimentary records of 21 crater lakes in monsoonal China and systematically discusses the geographical distribution and formation ages of these crater lakes.Sediment provenance of the crater lakes and its influencing factors were analyzed,and paleoenvironmental sequences and human activities records on different timescales reconstructed by crater lake sediments in monsoonal China were reviewed.The following points are highlighted:(1)Crater lakes in monsoonal China have been shown to preserve continuous long-time sediments that can exceed even 400 ka,although the chronology of some sediments in the southern part is debated and there were currently fewer long time records from the northern part;(2)the sediment provenance of crater lakes in northern China(e.g.,aeolian inputs)was different from that in the south(e.g.,the volcanic-lake rim),due to the different location and deposition conditions of crater lakes;(3)crater lake sediments have been used to reconstruct the history of climate changes on different timescales,but reconstruction studies of glacial-interglacial and decadal-annual scale records and studies of spatial comparisons of records on different timescales still need to be strengthened;(4)the anthropogenic signals,which include cultivation,logging,and industrial activity,are well documented in crater lake sediments from different areas and can therefore provide key evidence for the study of the Anthropocene.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.40771197 No.40472085 The Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, No.BK2007534 We are indebted to Prof. Yu Ge and Prof. Wang Sumin for their continuous supports and encouragements to this study.
文摘Lakes in China have undergone considerable environmental changes during the past 50 years, e.g. lake level, water area changes, as did in the past several thousands years. The enhanced human activities, such as land reclamation, application of chemical fertilizer, land use and cover, irrigation and industrialization in the catchment etc., have played an important role on the recent decades＇ changes of these lakes, although constrained to a great extent by the natural impact. Comparative study on variations of lake volume （water level, depth and area） in the eastern and western lake regions of China during 1950-2000 indicated that, lake volume in the eastern region had approximately undergone a two-stage change, i.e. a dramatic decrease from the 1950s to 1970s, and a continuous increase between the 1980s and 1990s; while, in the western region, lake volume had been decreasing nearly all the time. Further studies on some typical lakes concluded that, climatic change was a primary factor for the variations of lake volume during the past 50 years, although human activities showed important effect.
文摘Qinghai Lake is the largest inland lake in China. It is a closed-drainage saline lake located at 3194m above sea level in the northeastern Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau. Qinghai Lake region, about 36°15' -38°20' N and 97°50, - 101°20' E,is a closed basin
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U19A2047,42277335)athe Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province(2022JJ30390).
文摘Understanding the redistribution of soil organic carbon(OC)driven by erosion contributes to the global carbon budget and watershed management.Quantifying the sources of eroded OC in sediments provides new insights to addressing this issue.However,limited quantitative information on the factors influencing OC sources has constrained the behavior of regulating the OC exported from the watershed.Here,we explored the sources of OC in lake sediments over the last 100 years and quantified the effects of climate change and human activities on OC sources.Results from the stable isotope fingerprinting and MixSIAR model indicated that phragmites(30.34%)and croplands(21.48%)were consistently the main OC sources.Therefore,efforts should be concentrated on controlling soil erosion from cropland and managing the endogenous environment.In addition,the partial least squares pathways(PLS-PM)and random forests revealed that human activities(Path coefficients(r∂):0.45 to 0.61)have controlled the OC sources over the last hundred years.Agricultural activities,urbanization,and land use change altered the quality of OC sources by affecting the vegetation productivity in source areas.The quantity of OC sources was also influenced by underlying surface and surface connectivity changes.The effects of climate change(temperature(r∂):-0.41 to 0.1;precipitation(r∂):0.1 to 0.29)on OC sources have not been significant,but their long-term effects cannot be ignored.These findings provide a better insight into the origin and behavior of OC in lake sediments under global change,which is crucial for basin management and lake governance.
