Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.5
3.4
Journals
Water
Special Issues
Advances in Studies on Ecohydrological Processes in the Arid Area
share announcement

Advances in Studies on Ecohydrological Processes in the Arid Area

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecohydrology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 21980

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yaning Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Interests: climate change; water resources; ecohydrology; water management; arid regions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Bin He

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Interests: climate change; global carbon cycle; remote sensing; drought
Prof. Dr. Zhi Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Interests: drought; eco-hydrological process; climate change; land surface processes; water resource management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Gonghuan Fang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Interests: water cycle; hydrological modeling; sensitivity and uncertainty analysis; climate change
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Weili Duan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Interests: remote sensing for hydrological applications; hydrological big data; sustainable water resource management; extreme climate events
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The arid regions cover 41% of the global land surface and support about 38% of the world’s population. The ecosystems in arid areas mainly include savanna, shrubs, grasslands, and deserts, and are highly vulnerable to water scarcity, floods, droughts, and desertification under ongoing climate change and human activities, probably leading to dangerous ramifications for the water–food–energy nexus, livelihood and wellbeing of their populations. Therefore, understanding the current advances in ecohydrology sciences in the arid regions is very important and necessary to optimize water resources usage, maintain ecological security, and realize the sustainable development of these regions.

This Special Issue aims to investigate the advances in ecohydrological processes in the arid regions and the responses and feedbacks of ecosystems to climate change, droughts, water conveyance, etc. Similarly, the investigations on water resources management, ecological restoration, degradation, and ecological stress are also essential to promote a stable ecosystem condition.

Submissions will address one or more of the following issues, and closely related topics are also welcome:

  • Ecohydrological processes in the arid regions;
  • Responses and feedbacks of vegetation to climate change and extreme events;
  • Ecological responses to regional/local water conveyance projects;
  • Evaluation of ecosystem security in the arid regions;
  • Impact of climate and water resource changes on ecosystems;
  • Land use changes in arid and semi-arid environments;
  • Water resources management and water use efficiency in arid areas;
  • Function of arbuscular mycorrhiza on soil and ecological processes;
  • Role of hydraulic redistribution in water availability and ecosystem function;
  • Degradation and restoration of ecosystems in arid regions; and
  • Satellite observations of ecohydrological process in arid regions.

Prof. Dr. Yaning Chen
Prof. Dr. Bin He
Prof. Dr. Zhi Li
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gonghuan Fang
Prof. Dr. Weili Duan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ecohydrological processes
  • responses and feedbacks
  • ecosystem security
  • climate change
  • water conveyance
  • arid region
  • water-related disasters

Published Papers (9 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 4557 KiB  
Article
River–Lake System Connectivity Effectively Reduced the Salinity of Lake Water in Bosten Lake, Northwest China
by Honghua Zhou, Yaning Chen, Zhaoxia Ye, Yupeng Li and Chenggang Zhu
Water 2022, 14(24), 4002; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14244002 - 08 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1460
Abstract
High salinity in water constitutes a serious problem for the aquatic environment management of Bosten Lake. Weak water exchange and water movement are the essential factors for the high total dissolved solids (TDS) content of lake water. To improve the water quality of [...] Read more.
High salinity in water constitutes a serious problem for the aquatic environment management of Bosten Lake. Weak water exchange and water movement are the essential factors for the high total dissolved solids (TDS) content of lake water. To improve the water quality of Bosten Lake, a river–lake system connectivity project (water diversion) was introduced starting at the end of 2018, which diverted fresh water from the Kaidu River and the Huangshuigou River to Bosten Lake. In this study, the effect and its mechanism of water diversion on the TDS content of Bosten Lake were evaluated using continuous-field monitoring data. The results showed that the water diversion effectively reduced the TDS content of the lake water and changed Bosten Lake from a brackish lake back to a freshwater lake. Water diversion also improved the spatial distribution of TDS content. One year, two years, and three years after the implementation of the water diversion project, the TDS content of northern, southern, and eastern lake water significantly decreased by more than 20%, 25%, and 30%, respectively. Our study demonstrated that water diversion significantly increased the annual endogenous TDS pollutant amount discharged from the lake and reduced and homogenized the TDS content of the whole lake. TDS content reduction of the lake was realized by water diversion accelerating water movement and water exchange in the lake, especially for the northern, southern, and eastern waters. Therefore, water diversion could be used as an effective measure for water quality improvement in semi-closed inland lakes in arid areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Studies on Ecohydrological Processes in the Arid Area)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 13542 KiB  
Article
Changes in Soil Moisture, Temperature, and Salt in Rainfed Haloxylon ammodendron Forests of Different Ages across a Typical Desert–Oasis Ecotone
by Qianqian Gou, Changsheng Shen and Guohua Wang
Water 2022, 14(17), 2653; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14172653 - 28 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1764
Abstract
Soil water and salt movement during the freeze–thaw period facilitate soil and water conservation and agroecological environment maintenance in the desert–oases transition zone of the Hexi Corridor; however, our understanding of soil salinization and the shifting water, heat, and salt states in soil [...] Read more.
Soil water and salt movement during the freeze–thaw period facilitate soil and water conservation and agroecological environment maintenance in the desert–oases transition zone of the Hexi Corridor; however, our understanding of soil salinization and the shifting water, heat, and salt states in soil ecosystems of Haloxylon ammodendron forests at different ages is poor. We analyzed the soil moisture, temperature, and salinity characteristics of Haloxylon ammodendron forests of different ages in the Hexi Corridor of Northwest China and determined their coupling. Our results indicated that shallow (0–120 cm) soil temperatures significantly correlated with air temperatures. With increased forest age, the soil freezing period shortened and the permafrost layer shallowed. Changes in soil temperature lagged those in air temperature, and this lag time increased with forest age and soil depth. With increases in forest age and planting years, the water in the shallow soil layer gradually declined, and the surface aggregation of salt increased. In deep soils (120–200 cm), both soil moisture and salinity increased with the number of planting years. Accordingly, the clay layer and deep root system of Haloxylonammodendron greatly influenced the transport of soil water and salt; and temperature is a key driving force for their transport. Thus, water, temperature, and salt content dynamics were synergetic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Studies on Ecohydrological Processes in the Arid Area)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 4575 KiB  
Article
Variability in Minimal-Damage Sap Flow Observations and Whole-Tree Transpiration Estimates in a Coniferous Forest
by Junjun Yang, Zhibin He, Pengfei Lin, Jun Du, Quanyan Tian, Jianmin Feng, Yufeng Liu, Lingxia Guo, Guohua Wang, Jialiang Yan and Weijun Zhao
Water 2022, 14(16), 2551; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14162551 - 19 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1560
Abstract
Transpiration is fundamental to the understanding of the ecophysiology of planted forests in arid ecosystems, and it is one of the most uncertain components in the ecosystem water balance. The objective of this study was to quantify differences in whole-tree transpiration estimates obtained [...] Read more.
Transpiration is fundamental to the understanding of the ecophysiology of planted forests in arid ecosystems, and it is one of the most uncertain components in the ecosystem water balance. The objective of this study was to quantify differences in whole-tree transpiration estimates obtained with a heat ratio probe in a secondary Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) forest. To do this, we analyzed the sap flux density values obtained with sensors installed in (1) holes drilled in the preceding growing season (treatment) and (2) holes drilled in the current year (control). The study was conducted in a catchment in the Qilian Mountains of western China. The results showed that an incomplete diameter at breast height (DBH) range contributed to 28.5% of the overestimation of the sapwood area when the DBH > 10 cm and 22.6% of the underestimation of the sapwood area when the DBH < 5 cm. At daily scales, there were significant differences in both the quantity and magnitude of the sap flux density between the treatment and control groups. Furthermore, a linear regression function (R2 = 0.96, p < 0.001), which was almost parallel to the 1:1 reference line, was obtained for the sap flux density correction for the treatment group, and the daily sap flux density and whole-tree transpiration were underestimated by 36.8 and 37.5%, respectively, at the half-hour scale. This study illustrates uncertainties and a correction function for sap flow estimations in young Qinghai spruce trees when using heat ratio sensors with minimal damage over multiple growing seasons. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Studies on Ecohydrological Processes in the Arid Area)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1865 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Plant Community and Its Relationship with Groundwater Depth of the Desert Riparian Zone in the Lower Reaches of the Ugan River, Northwest China
by Tianju Zhang, Yaning Chen, Wanrui Wang, Yongjin Chen and Xigang Liu
Water 2022, 14(10), 1663; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14101663 - 23 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1834
Abstract
The vegetation in the desert riparian zone represents a critical barrier in the maintenance of the ecosystem’s balance. However, in recent years, the vegetation degradation of the riparian zone has seriously hindered economic development and ecological environment conservation. Based on a field investigation [...] Read more.
The vegetation in the desert riparian zone represents a critical barrier in the maintenance of the ecosystem’s balance. However, in recent years, the vegetation degradation of the riparian zone has seriously hindered economic development and ecological environment conservation. Based on a field investigation and literature, the mechanisms of vegetation degradation in the lower reaches of the Ugan River are discussed in this study through the analysis of plant coverage, diversity, substitution rate, distribution pattern, grey correlation analysis, and the relationship with groundwater depth. The results showed that the vegetation coverage in this region is relatively low when the water depth exceeds 4 m. Furthermore, the Shannon–Wiener index, the Simpson index, and the Pielou index all decreased with increases in water depth. Woody plants are the main species maintaining the ecological balance of the region with an aggregation distribution pattern. The degradation of vegetation is the result of the lack of water sources and the intense water consumption caused by human activities (especially agricultural). To promote ecological balance and vegetation restoration, the relative optimal water depth range should be maintained within 2 to 5 m as well as proper control of human activities. In addition, the degraded vegetation can gradually be restored using point and surface (i.e., flowering in the center and spreading to the surrounding areas). The results can provide a scientific basis for vegetation restoration and ecological conservation in the lower reaches of China’s Ugan River. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Studies on Ecohydrological Processes in the Arid Area)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 6807 KiB  
Article
Evaluation and Analysis of Influencing Factors of Ecosystem Service Value Change in Xinjiang under Different Land Use Types
by Yang Wang, Remina Shataer, Zhichao Zhang, Hui Zhen and Tingting Xia
Water 2022, 14(9), 1424; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14091424 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2074
Abstract
Based on the data on land-use change in Xinjiang from 1990 to 2020, this study uses a combination of land-use dynamics, the equivalence factor method, the sensitivity index, and a spatial correlation study to quantitatively analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of land-use [...] Read more.
Based on the data on land-use change in Xinjiang from 1990 to 2020, this study uses a combination of land-use dynamics, the equivalence factor method, the sensitivity index, and a spatial correlation study to quantitatively analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of land-use change and ecosystem service values in the study area from 1990 to 2020. We also use a geographic probe model to explore the driving mechanism of the spatial variation of ecosystem service values in Xinjiang. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) land use in the Xinjiang region from 1990 to 2020 shows a more drastic change, with the main characteristics being an increase in the area of arable land and construction land, and a decrease in the area of forest and grassland, water, and unused land; and (2) with the change in the land-use types, the total value of the ESV in the Xinjiang region from 1990 to 2020 showed an increasing and then decreasing trend, with an average annual contribution value of about 13,730.33 × 108 yuan and a cumulative loss of about 1741.00 × 108 yuan in the last 30a. The value of each individual ecosystem service was dominated by functions such as waste treatment and water connotation. Based on the analysis of the geographic probe model, we found that the single factor influence degree of the ESV was HAI > NDVI > precipitation > GDP > temperature > elevation > population density > slope, and the overall ecosystem service value in the Xinjiang region showed a decreasing trend due to the interaction coefficients of natural factors and socio-economic factors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Studies on Ecohydrological Processes in the Arid Area)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3225 KiB  
Article
Diurnal Evapotranspiration and Its Controlling Factors of Alpine Ecosystems during the Growing Season in Northeast Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
by Qiwen Liao, Xiaoyan Li, Fangzhong Shi, Yuanhong Deng, Pei Wang, Tingyun Wu, Junqi Wei and Fenglin Zuo
Water 2022, 14(5), 700; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14050700 - 23 Feb 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2034
Abstract
It is generally believed that evapotranspiration at night is too miniscule to be considered. Thus, few studies focus on the nocturnal evapotranspiration (ETN) in alpine region. In this study, based on the half-hour eddy and meteorological data of the growing [...] Read more.
It is generally believed that evapotranspiration at night is too miniscule to be considered. Thus, few studies focus on the nocturnal evapotranspiration (ETN) in alpine region. In this study, based on the half-hour eddy and meteorological data of the growing season (from May to September) in 2019, we quantified the ETN of alpine desert (AD), alpine meadow (AM), alpine meadow steppe (AMS), and alpine steppe (AS) in the Qinghai Lake Basin and clarified the different response of evapotranspiration to climate variables in daytime and nighttime with the variation of elevation. The results show that: (1) ETN accounts for 9.88~15.08% of total daily evapotranspiration and is relatively higher in AMS (15.08%) and AD (12.13%); (2) in the daytime, net radiation (Rn), temperature difference (TD), vapor pressure difference (VPD), and soil moisture have remarkable influence on evapotranspiration, and Rn and VPD are more important at high altitudes, while TD is the main factor at low altitudes; (3) in the nighttime, VPD and wind speed (WS) control ETN at high altitudes, and TD and WS drive ETN at low altitudes. Our results are of great significance in understanding ETN in the alpine regions and provide reference for further improving in the evapotranspiration estimation model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Studies on Ecohydrological Processes in the Arid Area)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 6299 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Influences of Land Use Change on Groundwater Hydrochemistry in an Oasis-Desert Region of Central Asia
by Wanrui Wang, Yapeng Chen, Weihua Wang, Yuhai Yang, Yifeng Hou, Shuai Zhang and Ziyang Zhu
Water 2022, 14(4), 651; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14040651 - 19 Feb 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1771
Abstract
Land use change greatly affects groundwater hydrochemical cycling and thereby food and ecosystem security in arid regions. Spatiotemporal distribution of groundwater hydrochemistry is vital to understand groundwater water-salt migration processes in the context of land use change, while it is not well known [...] Read more.
Land use change greatly affects groundwater hydrochemical cycling and thereby food and ecosystem security in arid regions. Spatiotemporal distribution of groundwater hydrochemistry is vital to understand groundwater water-salt migration processes in the context of land use change, while it is not well known in the oasis-desert region of arid inland basins. Here, to investigate the influences of land use change on groundwater hydrochemistry and suggest sustainable management, 67 water samples were obtained in the Luntai Oasis, a typical oasis desert of Central Asia. Stable isotopes and chemical components of samples were analyzed. Piper and Gibbs plots were used to elaborate the chemical type and major mechanisms controlling water chemistry, respectively. The results showed that cultivated land area has markedly expanded in the Luntai Oasis over the last 20 years (increasing by 121.8%). Groundwater seasonal dynamics and groundwater–surface water interaction were altered dramatically by farmland expansion and groundwater exploitation. Specifically, the spatial heterogeneity and seasonal variability of groundwater hydrochemistry were significant. Compared with the desert area, the δ18O and TDS of river water and shallow groundwater in the oasis cropland exhibited lower values but greater seasonal variation. Higher TDS was observed in autumn for river water, and in spring for shallow groundwater. The chemical evolution of phreatic water was mainly controlled by the evaporation-crystallization process and rock dominance, with a chemical type of Cl-SO4-Na-Mg. Significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity of groundwater hydrochemistry demonstrated the influence of climatic, hydrogeological, land use, and anthropogenic conditions. Groundwater overexploitation would cause phreatic water leakage into confined water, promoting groundwater quality deterioration due to fresh saltwater mixing. Improving agricultural drainage ditches in conjunction with restricting farmland expansion and groundwater extraction is an effective way to alleviate groundwater environment deterioration and maintain oasis-desert ecosystems in arid regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Studies on Ecohydrological Processes in the Arid Area)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2438 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Basin Morphologic Characteristics and Their Influence on the Water Yield of Mountain Watersheds Upstream of the Xiongan New Area, North China
by Hui Yang and Jiansheng Cao
Water 2021, 13(20), 2903; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13202903 - 15 Oct 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2197
Abstract
In this study, based on the DEM, we extracted the drainage networks and watersheds of the Daqing River with ArcGIS, investigated the basin characteristics and the differences in their spatial distributions and analyzed the relations of the drainage density with some surface conditions [...] Read more.
In this study, based on the DEM, we extracted the drainage networks and watersheds of the Daqing River with ArcGIS, investigated the basin characteristics and the differences in their spatial distributions and analyzed the relations of the drainage density with some surface conditions and how the drainage density influenced the water yield. The results suggested a power function between the mainstream length and drainage area, showing that with the increase in basin area, the basins became longer. The result of the power function between the relief and drainage area with negative exponent values means the relief changed more slowly with increasing basin area. The values of the circularity ratio and elongation ratio indicate that the basin shape of the mountain watersheds in the Daqing River was narrow and predisposed to flooding during periods of heavy rainfall. The orders of the streams in the mountain watersheds ranged from five to seven. The average bifurcation ratio of those nine mountainous watersheds reveals the order of the u + 1 rivers in each basin of the Daqing River was on average 4 times larger than that of order u rivers. The drainage density (Dd) was high in the north and low in the south of the Daqing River. Rainfall was negatively correlated with drainage density, but the correlation between them was not significant at the 0.05 level. Drainages developed in places with poor vegetation cover. The drainages in the southwest, north and west developed considerably, while drainages in the east and southeast did not develop much. Yet, the available data showed the impact of the watershed area, elongation ratio and drainage density on the water yield was not significant. In contrast, there was a significant positive correlation between channel slope and the water yield modulus. The hypsometric integrals and the relation between drainage density and hypsometric integral suggest that the landform evolution of the mountain basins along the Daqing River were in the old stage with no further increase trend of drainage density in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Studies on Ecohydrological Processes in the Arid Area)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

17 pages, 4755 KiB  
Review
Revisiting Soil Water Potential: Towards a Better Understanding of Soil and Plant Interactions
by Yuanyuan Ma, Hu Liu, Yang Yu, Li Guo, Wenzhi Zhao and Omer Yetemen
Water 2022, 14(22), 3721; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14223721 - 17 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6014
Abstract
Soil water potential (SWP) is vital for controlling the various biological and non-biological processes occurring through and across the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC). Although the dynamics and mechanisms of SWP have been investigated for several decades, they are not as widely explored in ecohydrology [...] Read more.
Soil water potential (SWP) is vital for controlling the various biological and non-biological processes occurring through and across the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC). Although the dynamics and mechanisms of SWP have been investigated for several decades, they are not as widely explored in ecohydrology research as soil moisture, due at least partly to the limitation of field observation methods. This limitation restricts the understanding of the responses of plant physiology and ecological processes to the SWP gradient and the ecohydrological functions of SWP dynamics in different contexts. Hence, in this work, we first briefly revisit the origin and development of the concept of SWP and then analyze the comprehensive factors that influence SWP and the improvement of SWP observation techniques at field scales, as well as strategies for developing new sensors for soil water status. We also propose views of focusing on the response characteristics of plant lateral roots, rather than taproots, to SWP dynamics, and using hormone signaling research to evaluate plant response signals to water stress. We end by providing potential challenges and insights that remain in related research, such as the limitations of the SWP evaluation methods and the future development direction of SWP data collection, management, and analysis. We also emphasize directions for the application of SWP in controlling plant pathogens and promoting the efficiency of resource acquisition by plants. In short, these reflections revisit the unique role of SWP in eco-hydrological processes, provide an update on the development of SWP research, and support the assessment of plant drought vulnerability under current and future climatic conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Studies on Ecohydrological Processes in the Arid Area)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-9
Back to TopTop