Land-use change and its ecological responses: a pilot study of typical agro-pastoral region in the Heihe River,northwest China

Although rapid land-use change has taken place in many arid and semi-arid regions of northwestern China, relatively less attention has been paid to studying the characteristics of land use change, as well as the ecological responses of land use change in these regions, especially in fragile agro-pastoral regions. This paper analyzes the land use change and its ecological responses during 1985–2005 based on the landscape metrics change and transition matrix of land use types by the combined use of satellite remote sensing and geographical information systems in Shandan County, a typical agro-pastoral region in the middle and upper reaches of Heihe River, northwest China. The results indicate significant changes in land use have occurred and the landscape has become more continuous, clumped and more homogeneous within the examined area. Land use change was mainly characterized by remarkable expansion of barred land and water area, slight increase of cropland and urbanized land, and evident shrinkage of grassland and woodland. The study also demonstrates that the land cover suffered severe degeneration and the ecological environment tended to deteriorate over the study period, mainly as follows: grassland degradation, land desertification and ecosystem services decline.     

Evolution of the groundwater system under the impacts of human activities in middle reaches of Heihe River Basin (Northwest China) from 1985 to 2013

Investigation of the evolution of the groundwater system and its mechanisms is critical to the sustainable management of water in river basins. Temporal and spatial distributions and characteristics of groundwater have undergone a tremendous change with the intensity of human activities in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin (HRB), the second largest arid inland river basin in northwestern China. Based on groundwater observation data, hydrogeological data, meteorological data and irrigation statistical data, combined with geostatistical analyses and groundwater storage estimation, the basin-scaled evolution of the groundwater levels and storage (from 1985 to 2013) were investigated. The results showed that the unbalanced allocation of water sources and expanded cropland by policy-based human activities resulted in the over-abstraction of groundwater, which induced a general decrease in the water table and groundwater storage. The groundwater level has generally fallen from 4.92 to 11.49 m from 1985 to 2013, especially in the upper and middle parts of the alluvial fan (zone I), and reached a maximum depth of 17.41 m. The total groundwater storage decreased by 177.52?×?10⁸ m³; zone I accounted for about 94.7 % of the total decrease. The groundwater balance was disrupted and the groundwater system was in a severe negative balance; it was noted that the groundwater/surface-water interaction was also deeply affected. It is essential to develop a rational plan for integration and management of surface water and groundwater resources in the HRB.     

黑河中游绿洲灌溉区土地覆盖与种植结构空间格局遥感监测

以高空间分辨率、高光谱分辨率CASI航空遥感数据作为采样带,对黑河中游绿洲灌溉区土地覆盖和农作物种植结构空间格局进行遥感监测。设计了分层分类方法,综合采用基于像素和基于对象的2种遥感图像分类方法对航空样带区域进行土地覆盖制图。根据实地土地覆盖类型调查与目视解译,对样带土地覆盖和农作物种植结构的分类结果进行精度评价,总体分类精度为84.2%,Kappa系数为0.793。与样带区域2007年Landsat TM/ETM+土地覆盖产品相比,高分辨率CASI航空数据能够对树木、草地与农作物类别进行有效监测。监测结果表明,中游绿洲灌溉区内接近59.1%的地区为裸地与建筑用地;植被覆盖区域占39.8%,其中,农田34.9%,树木5.3%,草地仅有0.1%;而在农田区域中玉米为大宗作物,分类成数占96.1%。研究结果表明高质量与高分辨率的航空遥感数据能够实现对流域下垫面异质性进行有效监测,为生态—水文过程研究提供高分辨率的下垫面类型信息。     

黑河流域土地利用与覆被变化特征

在土地类型划分的基础上, 利用黑河流域1987年和2000年两期TM遥感数据, 从土地利用与覆被变化幅度、变化速率及动态度等角度, 定量分析了流域上、中、下游及全流域总体土地利用与覆被变化的特征并进行了对比.结果表明: 在变化幅度上, 全流域各类土地利用与覆被变化均十分强烈, 中游地区最为显著, 综合土地利用与覆被变化指数达到7.6%, 耕地、城镇建设用地、水域和草地等是全流域变化最为剧烈的利用类型; 在变化速度方面, 流域上游地区的耕地、城镇居民用地和沙漠化土地年平均递增速度最高, 中游地区明显小于上游和下游地区, 但沙漠化除外, 为全流域水平的4.7倍, 下游耕地、城镇用地、水域面积和其它难利用土地变化较快, 说明上、下游生态系统极不稳定, 变化剧烈. 对中游动态度的分析表明, 耕地、城镇居民用地和较难利用土地较稳定, 其它土地类型的利用与覆被动态变化都很活跃, 说明中游地区土地利用与覆被变化复杂而强烈, 具有变化的多向性和互动性, 从而为流域合理调整土地利用方式和环境改善提供了一定的科学依据.     

黑河下游生态调水对水资源时空变化的影响分析

分析了黑河流域地表水、地下水资源在调水前后的时空分布变化,评价了黑河生态调水引起水资源的时空变化规律。黑河在调水前进入下游的水量明显受中游用水影响,20世纪90年代后,进入黑河下游地区的水量逐年减少,导致地下水位下降,出现草场大面积沙化和沙漠化、林地面积减少等生态环境问题。自2000年开始至2003年,按照分步实施、逐步到位的原则,国家对黑河水资源实行统一管理和调度,实现国务院批准的分水方案,自2004年开始转入正常调度,下游来水量比调水前有明显增加,2000～2004年、2005～2008年正义峡断面增加下泄量分别为1.62×108m3、2.35×108m3,哨马营断面来水增加1.34×108m3、1.18×108m3,狼心山断面来水增加1.64×108m3、1.41×108m3。调水后黑河下游区域地下水位逐年回升,整个额济纳绿洲地下水位回升了0.56m,东西河上游、赛汉桃来、吉日格朗图区域地下水位分别回升了0.26m、0.05m、0.78m。使东居延海得到恢复,最大水面面积达35.7km2,西居延海得到一定的水量补给,环湖地区生态环境逐步得到恢复。     

Occurrence of soluble salts and moisture in the unsaturated zone and groundwater hydrochemistry along the middle and lower reaches of the Heihe River in northwest China

Deforestation, over-development of water resources and population growth have contributed to degeneration of vegetation in the Heihe River Basin in northwest China. Salts and water contents are the most important factors affecting the growth of vegetation in this arid area. This study was conducted to determine soluble salt levels of soils in the unsaturated zone and the hydrochemistry of groundwater at 14 sites in this region. Concentrations of soluble ions in the soils deceased with depth. Soil ion contents increased at depths below the root system of native plants. Sulfate was the dominant anion in both the unsaturated zone and the groundwater. Total dissolved solids (TDS) in groundwater ranged from less than 1 g/L in the middle reaches of the watershed to about 10 g/L in the arid lower reaches. In the middle and upper reaches of the watershed, salinity in soil and groundwater decreased. Groundwater was highly variable in hydrochemistry. The lower reaches was predominated by SO₄–Na•Mg and SO₄–Mg•Na type water, whereas in the middle reaches groundwater is characterized by lower TDS and HCO₃-dominated type water. Evapotranspiration is responsible for occurrence of the soluble salts in the soil profiles. Dissolution is the dominant chemical process in the middle reaches, whereas evapotranspiration prevails in the lower reaches of the Heihe River.     

基于网格化模型的黑河流域中游历史时期耕地分布模拟

黑河流域悠久的农业开发史和历史文献为研究历史时期耕地空间分布格局变化提供了有利条件.根据黑河流域历史时期土地开发利用的特点,深入分析了海拔、坡度、土壤、人口等自然及人文主导因子与耕地分布的关系,遴选出对耕地分布具有明显作用且易量化的影响因子,并以此为依据设计了一套历史耕地数据网格化模型,模拟了黑河流域历史时期耕地分布趋势.采用人均耕地面积与粮食单产2种途径,估算了明代以前黑河中游耕地面积总量.基于该模型并结合古遗址、遥感影像判别的结果,重建了黑河流域中游地区明代以前耕地的空间分布.     

Groundwater replenishment analysis by using natural isotopes in Ejina Basin, Northwestern China

The Ejina Basin underlying complex aquifers is located in the lower reaches of the Heihe River with an arid climate and 40 mm mean annual precipitation. As the balance of the natural ecosystem in the Ejina Basin is fragile and easily upset, it is very important to estimate and rationally use the limited groundwater resources to maintain the balance. Water samples were collected from the Heihe River and wells for chemical and isotopic measurements across the basin. The Piper diagram gives two main types of hydrochemical features. Against the background of the regional geology, combining isotope ¹⁸O, tritium, and chemical analysis with groundwater flows indicated by a shallow groundwater level contour map, different kinds of groundwater sources and ways to replenish groundwater were discovered. North of the study area are artesian wells that are replenished by the mountainous area at the boundary between China and Mongolia. Replenishment for most of the groundwater resources of the Gurinai oasis comes from the Heihe River seepage flow of the highly conductive paleochannel, not from the Badain Jaran Desert as indicated by TDS and tritium analysis. The different groundwater ages which are younger than 35 years were approximately estimated by radioactive isotope tritium (T). By such efforts, groundwater resources can be effectively evaluated with the engineering impact of the Heihe River Project.     

The origin of groundwater in Zhangye Basin,northwestern China,using isotopic signature

Zhangye Basin, in arid northwestern China, has recently been repeatedly flooded by rising groundwater. Isotope signatures of sampled waters gained insight into the recharge source of the groundwater. The summer Heihe River water and most of the spring water in Zhangye and Yongchang basins plotted above the global meteoric water line (GMWL) on the δ¹⁸O-δD plot. The spring water had R/Ra ratio >1, low TDS and high tritium, which indicates origin from Qilian Mountain glacier meltwater. The groundwater of Qilian Mountains was transported to the Hexi Corridor (in which Zhangye Basin is located) through underground fault zones. Additionally, some of the groundwater in the alluvial plain, and all spring water surrounding Zhangye Basin, plotted below the GMWL on the δ¹⁸O-δD plot along an evaporation line, and had R/Ra ratio?<?1 and high TDS. It is proposed that the Tibetan rivers or lakes source the Hexi Corridor groundwater through either the NE-trending or NW-trending buried fault zones. The isotopic signatures presented as part of this study rule out the conventional viewpoint that groundwater of the Zhangye Basin was recharged by local precipitation and infiltration of Heihe River water on the alluvial plain.     

近10年中国耕地资源时空变化特征

利用80年代末与90年代末期遥感图像解译得到的中国土地利用矢量图,分析了近10年来全国耕地资源的动态变化及空间特征,利用土地利用转移矩阵的方法分析了中国耕地资源的来源、去向及其空间分布特征。研究表明,城乡建设用地扩张、生态退耕是耕地资源减少的主要原因,城镇扩张造成耕地减少最大的依次是江苏、山东、河南、河北、广东、北京、浙江、四川、广西、上海;农村居民点扩张造成耕地减少最大的依次是江苏、河北、安徽、山东、广东、新疆、河南。退耕还林主要集中在浙江、东北、西南、内蒙古、广东等地区,退耕还草主要分布在内蒙古及宁夏地区。广东、湖北、江苏、山东由于农业结构调整,部分耕地被转变为库塘。新开垦耕地资源主要来源于草地、林地,毁林开荒主要发生在东北及内蒙古东部地区,开垦草地主要发生在内蒙古、黑龙江和新疆地区。中国耕地资源的动态变化表现为沿海地区耕地资源的减少及东北、西北地区耕地资源开垦,耕地开垦的结果是对西北及东北的生态环境造成破坏。     

Land use history and status of land desertification in the Heihe River basin

An analysis, over historical times, of the influence of natural factors such as climate, geological activity, existing landforms, and the activity of aeolian sands on the desertification of oases and other lands in the Heihe River basin of northwestern China revealed that desertification occurred more or less quickly according to whether the prevailing climate was cold or warm, respectively. In the 1990s, the area of desertified lands in the lower reaches of the Heihe River (Ejin region) was 29.1% greater than in the mid 1980s. However, the rate of desertification in the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin was relatively slower, only 9.4% from 1949 to 1990 (or 0.27% per year). Since 1990, the rate of desertification has been stable. By 2000, the total area of land desertification in the mid to lower reaches of the Heihe River basin was 13,508.4 km², or 11.8% of the region monitored. Of the total land desertification area, the regions of Linze, Gaotai, Sunan, Jiuquan, Jia Yuguan, and Jinta accounted for 1.70, 1.71, 1.43, 0.85, 0.28, and 9.39%, respectively, whereas the Ejin region’s 11,434.64 km² accounted for 84.65%, indicating that land desertification in the lower Heihe River basin was particularly severe. The causes responsible for the occurrence and development of land desertification in the Heihe River basin were analyzed.     

黑河上游土地利用动态变化及影响因素的定量分析

由于特殊的自然地理属性和人类活动方式, 西北干旱区黑河上游的土地利用方式有别于中下游地区, 土地利用格局演变过程对全流域水资源和生态环境的影响巨大.以黑河上游为研究对象, 以1987年, 1999年和2010年的遥感影像为基础数据, 运用转移矩阵法和主成分分析等方法定量分析了林地、 草地、 耕地3种主要土地利用类型的动态变化过程, 揭示了其变化的动力机制.结果表明: 1)黑河上游土地利用变化阶段明显, 林地、 草地和耕地3种土地利用类型在1987-1999年和1999-2010年两个阶段转化显著, 林地持续减少, 草地先减少后增加, 耕地持续增加; 2)单一土地类型分布格局差异大, 林地呈东多西少, 北多南少的分布格局; 草地呈东多西少, 南多北少格局; 耕地集中分布于河谷和城镇居民点周围及山前地带; 3)人为因素是影响黑河上游土地利用动态变化的关键因素.     

长江流域地下水资源特征与开发利用现状

为提升对长江流域水文地质和地下水资源的认知程度,突破以往单独从地表水或地下水角度进行评价的局限性,长江流域水文地质调查工程以地球系统科学理论和水循环理论为指导,充分考虑地表水与地下水的转化关系,将水文地质单元和地表水流域有机结合,划分长江流域地下水评价单元,建立典型地下水资源评价模型,开展了新一轮长江流域地下水资源评价。评价结果表明:(1)长江流域水循环要素时空分布不均,降水以中游最多,并由东南向西北递减;地表径流主要集中在夏季,且长江北岸比南岸集中程度更高;蒸散发量总体上呈现东部高于西部的特征,最大值集中在长江中游一带;长江流域地下水位总体保持稳定,丰枯季水位变化总体不大,一般小于2 m;长三角超采区的地下水漏斗面积已明显减小,相关环境地质问题得到了有效控制。(2)2020年长江流域的地下水资源总量2421.70亿m~3/a,其中山丘区地下水资源量2092.79亿m~3/a,平原区地下水资源量331.35亿m~3/a;地下水储存量较2019年整体略有增加趋势,其中四川盆地最为明显,共增加23.72亿m~3。(3)长江流域的水质上游优于下游,优质地下水主要分布在赣南地区和大别山南麓一带,部分地区水质较差的主要原因是原生劣质水的广泛分布。长江流域地下水开发利用水平整体很低,局部地区由于过往不合理的开发所引发的环境地质问题已得到缓解,岩溶塌陷、地面沉降等问题得到了较好控制。建议适当开发利用赣南地区和大别山南麓一带优质的基岩裂隙水。     

1985-2013年黑河中游流域地下水位动态变化特征

在气候变化和人类活动的影响下, 黑河流域地表水和地下水的时空分布特征发生了很大变化. 研究水系统演化及其驱动机制对流域水资源可持续管理非常关键. 基于甘肃河西黑河中游流域地下水位动态、水文气象、土地利用和灌溉统计数据, 研究了1985-2013年黑河中游流域地下水位时空变化. 结果表明: 地表水的不合理分配和耕地的扩展导致了地下水的过量开采和地下水位的剧烈变化. 1985-2004年区域地下水位以下降为主; 2005-2013年呈现下降和回升两极发展趋势, 冲洪积扇群带地下水最大下降达17.41 m, 而黑河干流沿岸地下水位最大回升了3.3 m, 地下水埋深普遍增加了1.0~3.0 m. 尽管地下水位在2005-2013年表现出回升趋势, 但干流中游盆地地下水系统处于严重负均衡状态, 制定合理的“生态分水”方案和水资源综合管理规划非常紧迫.     

Global analysis of land-use changes in karst areas and the implications for water resources

Karst areas contain valuable groundwater resources and high biodiversity, but are particularly vulnerable to climate change and human impacts. Land-use change is the cause and consequence of global environmental change. The releases of the Climate Change Initiative-Land Cover (CCI-LC) and World Karst Aquifer Map (WOKAM) datasets have made it possible to explore global land-use changes in karst areas. This paper firstly analyses the global karst land-use distribution in 2020, as well as the land-use transition characteristics between 1992 and 2020. Then, two indicators, proportion of land-use change and dominant type of land-use change, are proposed to identify the spatial characteristics of land-use change in global karst areas. Finally, three examples of land-use change in karst areas are analyzed in detail. Land-use types and proportions of the global karst areas from large to small are as follows: forest (31.78%), bare area (27.58%), cropland (19.02%), grassland (10.87%), shrubland (7.21%), wetland (1.67%), ice and snow (1.16%) and urban (0.71%). The total area of global karst land-use change is 1.30 million km², about 4.85% of global karst surface. The land-use change trend of global karst is dominated by afforestation, supplemented by scattered urbanization and agricultural reclamation. The tropical climate has a higher intensity of land-use change. Regions of agricultural reclamation are highly consistent with the population density. These results reflect the impact of human activities and climate change on land-use changes in global karst areas, and serve as a basis for further research and planning of land resource management.

     

松花江—辽河流域地下水资源及其生态环境问题

松花江—辽河流域(简称松辽流域)是中国重要的商品粮基地,地下水资源对维护中国粮食安全具有重要作用。2019年松辽流域地下水资源量为797.31×10~8m~3/a,地下水开发利用量为276.4×10~8m~3。松辽流域地下水面临着水资源局部短缺,局部水位持续下降,"三氮"污染加剧,以及湿地萎缩、土地荒漠化、盐渍化等资源、环境与生态问题。本文对这些问题进行驱动因素分析,主要是气温升高导致水稻适宜区扩大,土地利用方式改变,耕地面积特别是水田面积大幅增加,造成地下水过量开采、地下水面源污染加剧;水库的大量修建加剧干旱缺水地区河道径流减少,地下水补给来源不足,造成地下水供水能力下降,地下水位下降。针对这些问题,提出了加强水资源调查监测,开展水资源合理配置研究,实行地表水和地下水联合调度;加强水资源管理制度建设,强化制度刚性约束;调整农业种植结构,推进节水灌溉,提高水资源利用效率等建议措施。     

黑河流域中游盆地地下水动态特征及其调蓄能力分析

40 多年来,我国西北地区大规模的地下水开发利用造成了部分地区地下水水位持续下降甚至泉水干涸,部分地区地下水仍能维持动态稳定,判断这类地区水资源开发利用是否具有可持续性是必须解决的重大科学问题。以黑河流域中游盆地作为研究对象,采用MK检验和连续小波分析等方法,分析长时间序列地下水水位数据的变化特点,研究区域地下水动态特征;结合区域水文地质条件,综合划分黑河流域中游盆地地下水补排平衡区与非平衡区;利用克里金插值法估算1990—2020 年盆地含水层对水资源的调节水量,并评价不同动态平衡区的调蓄能力。结果显示,黑河流域中游盆地地下水水位动态类型有:水文型、水文-开采型、开采型和蒸发-开采型4种长周期动态稳定型,过量开采型或上游过度引用地表水型2 种长周期持续下降型。黑河-梨园河倾斜平原、酒泉盆地和黑河中游下段侵蚀堆积平原的大厚度含水层是黑河流域中游盆地的地下水补排平衡区,其在1990—2001 年共输出地下水12.06×108 m3,2001—2020年共储存地下水9.06×108 m3。大厚度含水层为地下水的长周期调蓄提供了充足的空间,在合理控制开采量的前提下,该类含水层的天然调蓄能力可满足生产生活和下游生态用水需要。盆地地下水补排非平衡区,如黑河以东诸河倾斜平原、盐池盆地和榆木山山前诸小河流域等地区,目前的地下水开发利用方式和强度是不可持续的,应适当减少地下水开采量,调节盆地上游的引水量和开采量,抑制地下水资源枯竭。本研究成果可为西北干旱内陆地区水资源管理和持续开发利用提供参考。     

The research of groundwater flow model in Ejina Basin,Northwestern China

Water resources is a primary controlling factor for economical development and ecological environmental protection in the inland river basins of arid western China. Groundwater, as the important component of total water resources, plays a dominant role in the development of western China. In recent years, with the utilization ratio of surface water raised, the groundwater recharge rate has been reduced by surface water, and groundwater was exploited on a large-scale. This has led to the decline of groundwater levels and the degradation of eco-environments in the lower reaches of Heihe watershed, especially. Therefore, the study on the groundwater-level change in recent years, as well as simulating and predicting groundwater levels changes in the future is very significant to improve the ecological environment of the Heihe River Basin, coordinate the water contradiction, and allocate the water resources. The purpose of this study is to analyze the groundwater-level variations of the Ejina region basin on a large-scale, to develop and evaluate a conceptual groundwater model in Ejina Basin; according to the experimental observation data, to establish the groundwater flow model combining MODFLOW and GIS Software; simulated the regional hydrologic regime in recent 10 years and compared with various delivery scenarios from midstream; determined which one would be the best plan for maintaining and recovering the groundwater levels and increasing the area of Ejina Oasis. Finally, this paper discusses the possible vegetation changes of Ejina Basin in the future.     

霍林河流域下游地区土地利用变化动态及趋势预测

霍林河流域下游地区为半农半牧区,土地利用的变化对该地区的生态环境会产生重大的影响。采用空间分析测算模型,揭示了1989～2001年期间该地区土地利用的空间变化特征以及土地利用类型三减（草地、水体、湿地）两增（耕地和未利用土地）的变化规律;并通过马尔可夫模型预测出未来24年内该区土地利用类型的演变趋势,得出水田、旱田、林地、城乡用地的继续增加是以草地、水域、湿地的减少为代价的结论,对生态环境的保护和土地资源的合理利用具有参考价值。     

Changes of groundwater flow field of Luanhe River Delta under the human activities and its impact on the ecological environment in the past 30 years

The Luanhe River Delta is located in the center of the Circum-Bohai Sea Economic Zone. It enjoys rapid economic and social development while suffering relatively water scarcity. The overexploitation of groundwater in the Luanhe River Delta in recent years has caused the continuous drop of groundwater level and serious environmental and geological problems. This study systematically analyzes the evolution characteristics of the population, economy, and groundwater exploitation in the Luanhe River Delta and summarizes the change patterns of the groundwater flow regime in different aquifers in the Luanhe River Delta according to previous water resource assessment data as well as the latest groundwater survey results. Through comparison of major source/sink terms and groundwater resources, the study reveals the impacts of human activities on the groundwater resources and ecological environment in the study area over the past 30 years from 1990 to 2020. The results are as follows. The average annual drop rate of shallow groundwater and the deep groundwater in the centers of depression cones is 0.4 m and 1.64 m, respectively in the Luanhe River Delta in the past 30 years. The depression cones of shallow and deep groundwater in the study area cover an area of 545.32 km² and 548.79 km², respectively, accounting for more than 10% of the total area of the Luanhe River Delta. Overexploitation of groundwater has further aggravated land subsidence. As a result, two large-scale subsidence centers have formed, with a maximum subsidence rate of up to 120 mm/a. The drop of groundwater level has induced some ecological problems in the Luanhe River Delta area, such as the zero flow and water quality deterioration of rivers and continuous shrinkage of natural wetlands and water. Meanwhile, the proportion of natural wetland area to the total wetland area has been decreased from 99% to 8% and the water area from 1776 km² to 263 km². These results will provide data for groundwater overexploitation control, land subsidence prevention, and ecological restoration in plains and provide services for water resources management and national land space planning.© 2021 China Geology Editorial Office.