Diminished groundwater recharge and circulation relative to degrading riparian vegetation in the middle Tarim River, Xinjiang Uygur, Western China

Pang, Zhonghe; Huang, Tianming; Chen, Yaning

doi:10.1002/hyp.7438

Cited by 57 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(32 reference statements)

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“…From the present data, the discharge hydrograph of Yingibazar can differ into small (Qpeak = 250 m /a) events. In the near future (2050), a higher discharge is expected, but by 2100, the discharge will decrease significantly and small discharge will be expected [11]. This is demonstrated by the extent of flooding, distance to groundwater table in summer and winter, and the water stress coefficient (Figure 6).…”

Section: Scenariosmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Land Use and Climate Change on Groundwater and Ecosystems at the Middle Reaches of the Tarim River Using the MIKE SHE Integrated Hydrological Model

Keilholz

Disse

Halik

2015

Water

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Abstract:The Tarim basin is a unique ecosystem. The water from the Tarim River supports both wildlife and humans. To analyze the effects of both land use and climate changes on groundwater, a research site was established at Yingibazar, which is a river oasis along the middle section of the Tarim River. A hydrological survey was performed to assess the general water cycle in this area with special emphasis on groundwater replenishment as well as the impact of agricultural irrigation on the riparian natural vegetation with respect to salt transport and depth of groundwater. Although high-resolution input data is scarce for this region, simulation of water cycle processes was performed using the hydrological model MIKE SHE (DHI). The results of the calibrated model show that natural flooding is the major contributor to groundwater recharge. There is also a close interaction between irrigated agricultural areas and the adjacent natural vegetation for groundwater levels and salinity up to 300 m away from the fields. Furthermore, the source of water used for irrigation (i.e., river and/or groundwater) has a high impact on groundwater levels and salt transportation efficiency. The ongoing expansion of agricultural areas is rapidly destroying natural vegetation, floodplains, and their natural flow paths. Our results show that more unstable OPEN ACCESSWater 2015, 7 3041annual Tarim floods will occur in the future under the background of climate change. Therefore, integrated hydrological simulations were also performed for 2050 and 2100 using MIKE SHE. The results confirm that after the glaciers melt in the Tian Shan Mountains, serious aquifer depletion and environmental degradation will occur in the area, causing great difficulties for the local people.

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Section: Scenariosmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of the nature of the geological genesis (dry lacustrine basin) here, the groundwater level is high and has a high salinity [11][12][13]. There are almost no drainage systems in the agricultural areas to decouple the infiltrating irrigation water from the groundwater.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Land Use and Climate Change on Groundwater and Ecosystems at the Middle Reaches of the Tarim River Using the MIKE SHE Integrated Hydrological Model

Keilholz

Disse

Halik

2015

Water

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“…However, the Tarim River, which is China's largest inland river, experienced downstream water reduction from 13.5ˆ10 8 m 3 in the 1950s to the current 2.84ˆ10 8 m 3 . The fragile ecological environment and limited available water supply in the desert areas heighten the conflict between the ecological utilization of water resources and the economy [33]. Nonetheless, in this battle, the ecological use of water should be of greater concern, as the sustainability of water resources is the key element in social and economic development.…”

Section: The Sensitivity Of Glacier Rivers To Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Isotopic Characterization of River Waters and Water Source Identification in an Inland River, Central Asia

Fan

Chen

et al. 2016

Water

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Abstract:Understanding runoff generation and dynamics is the basis for water resource management, while water isotopic ratios are a potential tool for studying the mechanism on a large scale. In this paper, spatial variations of δ 18 O and δD of river water and their sources within a large region of the Tarim River were investigated. The results showed obvious spatial variations of both water isotope values along the river flow direction, and significant seasonal variation occurred within the river water isotopes. This indicated that different proportions of rain and melt water entering river water should lead to spatial variation, and for mid-stream and downstream regions, the transformation relationship between surface water and groundwater should consider less input of melt water. Furthermore, we quantitatively determine the ratio of different water sources using the stable isotope mass balance method and other stable tracer elements. Results showed the contribution of ice-snowmelt water varied from 14.97% to 40.85%, that of rain varied from 9.04% to 54.80%, and that of groundwater varied from 15.34% to 58.85%, and they also showed that baseflow is a factor connecting melt water and groundwater, which meant the Hotan River and the Yarkand River are melt water-dependent rivers, and seasonal precipitation is the main water supply source of baseflow in the Aksu River and the Kaidu River.

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“…Stable isotopic compositions for groundwaters in desert and riparian zone are similar, and located below the Global Meteoric Water Line (GMWL) (Figure 4), suggesting evaporation effect during recharge. The riparian groundwaters along the Tarim River [8,34], regardless of modern or premodern, are all enriched in heavy isotopes and are plotted in parallel to the meteoric water line in the   - plot, attributed to relatively evaporation during recharge in a rather uniform manner. The phenomenon is commonly observed in dry climate [40][41][42].…”

Section: Groundwater Circulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In groundwater-dependent ecosystems, groundwater circulation controls the overall water quality and ecosystem dynamics. As groundwater depth, flood events and salt concentration are the key factors controlling the growth of the arbor and shrub [6][7][8] in the lower reaches of the arid catchments, the variations in water table and quality and their impacts on vegetation growth need to be better understood. One of the disadvantages of high salinity water to vegetation growth is that it prevents vegetation from absorbing moisture and plagues soil fertility [9,10].…”

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confidence: 99%

Groundwater circulation relative to water quality and vegetation in an arid transitional zone linking oasis, desert and river

et al. 2013

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In groundwater-dependent ecosystems, groundwater circulation controls the overall water quality and ecosystem dynamics. Groundwater and vegetation across a 30-km groundwater transect linking oasis, desert and river in an extremely arid area were investigated with a series of soil profiles drilled into the unsaturated zone to understand groundwater circulation and its control on groundwater quality and surface vegetation in the extremely arid Lower Tarim River, NW China. Measurements have included water-table depth, water chemistry and water isotopes ( 2 H, 18 O, 3 H) for 15 water samples, soil moisture and chloride content for 11 soil profiles, and vegetation investigation. Results show that the groundwater in desert zone is characterized by slow recharge rate (pre-modern water), great water-table depth (6.17-9.43 m) and high salinity (15.32-26.50 g/L), while that in oasis (uncultivated land) and riparian zone is characterized by relatively fast recharge rate (modern water), small groundwater-table depth (3.56-8.36 m) and low salinity (1.25-1.95 g/L). Stable isotopes show that secondary evaporation takes place during irrigation in oasis. The vegetation characteristics (coverage, richness, evenness and number of plants) are closely related to soil moisture and water-table depth. Groundwater recharge from irrigation in oasis and from river in riparian zone sustains a better ecosystem than that in the desert area, where lateral and vertical groundwater recharge is limited. The more evapotranspirative enrichment may occur in the vegetated and water-rich riparian zone as compared to desert. This study also demonstrates the effectiveness of environmental tracers in studying ecohydrological processes in arid regions.isotope, soil profile, riparian zone, ecosystem, salinity, arid zone hydrology Citation:Huang T M, Pang Z H, Chen Y N, et al. Groundwater circulation relative to water quality and vegetation in an arid transitional zone linking oasis, desert and river.

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Diminished groundwater recharge and circulation relative to degrading riparian vegetation in the middle Tarim River, Xinjiang Uygur, Western China

Cited by 57 publications

References 33 publications

Effects of Land Use and Climate Change on Groundwater and Ecosystems at the Middle Reaches of the Tarim River Using the MIKE SHE Integrated Hydrological Model

Effects of Land Use and Climate Change on Groundwater and Ecosystems at the Middle Reaches of the Tarim River Using the MIKE SHE Integrated Hydrological Model

Isotopic Characterization of River Waters and Water Source Identification in an Inland River, Central Asia

Groundwater circulation relative to water quality and vegetation in an arid transitional zone linking oasis, desert and river

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