Researchers Propose Improved Method for Assessing Hydrological Connectivity in Tarim River Basin, China

Hydrological connectivity facilitates the movement and exchange of water, and regulates the ecohydrological processes between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, traditional assessment methods of hydrological connectivity are not applicable to arid regions where intermittent flows are widely distributed.

In a recent study published in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, a research team led by Prof. CHEN Yaning from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, proposed an improved method for assessing hydrological connectivity, and analyzed its spatiotemporal patterns and driving mechanisms in mountains and plains of the Tarim River Basin, China.

The researchers used remote sensing datasets to detect water bodies, and replaced the stream length variables which were traditionally used, with water body variables in the assessment process. The improved method increased the feasibility and objectivity of the assessment.

The results indicated that the hydrological connectivity of the Tarim River Basin showed an overall increasing trend from 1990 to 2020, with about 60% of the basin exhibiting significant increases, and the hydrological connectivity of the plains was generally higher than that of the mountains.

In addition, the researchers used the random forest model and partial least squares-structural equation modeling to identify the drivers of hydrological connectivity.

They found that in mountains, climate change was the main factor for changes in hydrological connectivity with an influence coefficient as high as 0.65, while in plains, anthropogenic activities have dominated the change of hydrological connectivity.

"The increasing hydrological connectivity can help improve water supply and water-related disaster resilience," said CHEN Yaning, corresponding author of this study.

This study offers a new framework for assessing hydrological connectivity in arid regions, and provides scientific support for soil and water conservation.

Article Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41612-024-00800-4 

Contact

LONG Huaping

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography

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

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