Sediment Connectivity Shows Decreasing Trend in Tarim River Basin, China

Sediment connectivity can explain the sediment generation and transport from soil erosion, and is influenced by a combination of factors, such as geomorphic landscapes, climate change, and human activities.

To assess sediment connectivity, a research team led by Prof. CHEN Yaning from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, investigated the spatiotemporal changes and distribution of sediment connectivity, and identified the dominant factors in the Tarim River Basin, China. Their findings were published in Journal of Hydrology on September 16.

The researchers used the sediment connectivity model to analyze spatiotemporal variability of sediment connectivity in the Tarim River Basin from 1990 to 2020, and the Geodetector model to identified the dominant factors of sediment connectivity.

They found that the annual average sediment connectivity in the Tarim River Basin showed a decreasing trend during the last three decades, and the decreasing area accounted for 30.56%.

"Sediment connectivity in the Tarim River Basin may decrease further under continued global warming," said LIU Chuanxiu, first author of the study.

The Geodetector model results show that climatic factors (precipitation, temperature, and potential evapotranspiration) had greater explanatory power for sediment connectivity than geomorphic factors (elevation, slope). And the explanatory power of geomorphologic drivers was found to increase gradually over time.

In addition, the researchers quantified the response of sediment connectivity to land use change, and found that land restoration leads to decrease in connectivity, while land degradation leads to increase in connectivity.

The findings of the study demonstrate that sediment connectivity can be an effective indicator of land degradation.

The study provides a theoretical basis for the design and implementation of soil and water conservation programs.

Article link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022169424014239 

Temporal variations in index of sediment connectivity from 1990 to 2020 (Image by XIEG)

Contact

LONG Huaping

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography

E-mail: longhp@ms.xjb.ac.cn

Web: http://english.egi.cas.cn