Revealing spatiotemporal heterogeneity of water conservation and its drivers: Enlightenment to water ecology protection and restoration

Yayu Gao; Yu Song; Linshan Yang; Yupei Hu; Jianbin Hao; Jinhua Tian; Zexia Li

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122517

Revealing spatiotemporal heterogeneity of water conservation and its drivers: Enlightenment to water ecology protection and restoration

J Environ Manage. 2024 Sep 20:370:122517. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122517. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yayu Gao¹, Yu Song¹, Linshan Yang², Yupei Hu¹, Jianbin Hao¹, Jinhua Tian³, Zexia Li³

Affiliations

¹ College of Energy and Power Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050, China.
² Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China. Electronic address: yanglsh08@lzb.ac.cn.
³ Gansu Provincial Soil and Water Conservation Research Institute, Lanzhou, 730000, China.

PMID: 39305870
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122517

Abstract

Water conservation (WC) has emerged as one of the most vital services provided by basin ecosystems. Climate change, the conversion of farmland to forests, and the implementation of check dam projects significantly impact the WC function in the Malian River Basin (MRB) of the gully region, Loess Plateau. This study systematically and comprehensively reveals the variation rules of WC and the mechanisms of action of influence factors in the MRB and selects factors representing natural environmental changes and human activities, such as climate, geomorphology, vegetation, and soil, influencing the WC. The InVEST model and a modified formula were used to evaluate the WC and its spatial-temporal changes in the MRB. The response of influence factors to the WC was explored using a "geographical detection - spatial drive/inhibition - influence degree" framework. The results indicate that under the comprehensive influence of multiple factors, the spatial distribution of WC in the MRB remained relatively consistent over different periods, characterized by higher values in the southeast and lower in the northwest. The WC values in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020 were 2.57 × 10⁴, 1.48 × 10⁴, 2.19 × 10⁴, and 1.93 × 10⁴ m³, respectively. The interaction of two factors on WC had a more significant effect than single-factor interactions, particularly the interaction between Soil Saturated Water Conductivity (Ksat) and Annual Precipitation (Pre), Annual Evapotranspiration (AET), and Net Primary Productivity (NPP). Pre, Plant Available Water Content (PAWC), and Ksat are key positive drivers, while AET, Temperature (Temp), and Elevation (DEM) are crucial negative drivers. Climate factors had the largest explanatory power for the WC spatial pattern (34.03-36.54%), geomorphic factors had the least (16.60-17.50%), and vegetation factors more than soil factors. This study provides valuable insights for optimal water resource allocation and sustainable development of the gully region, Loess Plateau.

Keywords: GTWR model; InVEST model; Influence factors; Malian river basin; Water conservation.