Using the concept of ecological groundwater level to evaluate shallow groundwater resources in hyperarid desert regions

Abstract

This paper, based on the analysis and calculation of the groundwater resources in an arid region from 1980 to 2001, put forward the concept of ecological groundwater level threshold for either salinity control or the determination of ecological warning. The surveys suggest that soil moisture and soil salinity are the most important environmental factors in determining the distribution and changes in vegetation. The groundwater level threshold of ecological warning can be determined by using a network of groundwater depth observation sites that monitor the environmental moisture gradient as reflected by plant physiological characteristics. According to long-term field observations within the Ejin oases, the groundwater level threshold for salinity control varied between 0.5 m and 1.5 m, and the ecological warning threshold varied between 3.5 m and 4.0 m. The quantity of groundwater resources (renewable water resources, ecological water resources, and exploitable water resources) in arid areas can be calculated from regional groundwater level information, without localized hydrogeological data. The concept of groundwater level threshold of ecological warning was established according to water development and water resources supply, and available groundwater resources were calculated. The concept not only enriches and broadens the content of groundwater studies, but also helps in predicting the prospects for water resources development.

Public perception of an ecological rehabilitation project in inland river basins in northern China: Success or failure

“…(Feng et al, 2000). The main goals include grassland protection and restoration, abandoning low-yield farmlands, planting grasses on desertified lands, establishing an environmental protection system, improving salinised and alkali soils, as well as establishing water rights and a water pricing system (Feng et al, 2012). The National Forestry Bureau and National Environmental Protection Agency jointly coordinate the implementation of watershed rehabilitation projects, organise forest protection efforts, and establish conservation areas designed to protect water sources in mountainous regions.…”

Groundwater evapotranspiration under psammophilous vegetation covers in the Mu Us Sandy Land, northern China

“…Within groundwater systems, groundwater evapotranspiration (ET g ) is an important part of the groundwater budget, especially in arid and semi-arid areas where many plants are groundwater-dependent. To restore the degraded ecosystems or/and to maintain the existing healthy ecosystems, the need is thus pressing to further our understanding of the ET g in arid and semi-arid areas (Feng et al, 2012).…”

Carbon Dioxide Fluxes and Their Environmental Controls in a Riparian Forest within the Hyper-Arid Region of Northwest China

“…For example, the Ejin oasis, which is surrounded by a wide desert and located in the lower Heihe River Basin (HRB), exhibits harsh natural conditions with a dry climate, and the ecosystems in this region are highly vulnerable to climate change [26]. In this hyper-arid region, the Ejin oasis on river sides represents some of the richest desert ecosystems, populated with riparian forest, which is internally controlled and interacts with surrounding deserts [27]. Although the area of the riparian forest in Ejin is not large, there are lot of species of biological importance, and their growth and succession reflect the overall health and stability of the Ejin Oasis [28].…”