The runoff and sediment load of the Loess Plateau have changed significantly due to the implementation of soil and water conservation measures since the 1970s. However, the effects of soil and water conservation measures on hydrological extremes have rarely been considered. In this study, we investigated the variations in hydrological extremes and flood processes during different periods in the Yanhe River Basin (a tributary of the Loess Plateau) based on the daily mean runoff and 117 flood event data from 1956 to 2013. The study periods were divided into reference period (1956–1969), engineering measures period (1970–1995), and biological control measures period (1996–2013) according to the change points of the annual streamflow and the actual human activity in the basin. The results of the hydrological high extremes (HF1max, HF3max, HF7max) exhibit a decreasing trend (P?<?0.01), whereas the hydrological low extremes (HBF1min, HBF3min, HBF7min) show an increasing trend during 1956–2013. Compared with the hydrological extremes during the reference period, the hydrological high extremes increased during the engineering measures period at low (<?15%) and high frequency (>?80%), whereas decreased during the biological control measures period at almost all frequencies. The hydrological low extremes generally increased during both the engineering measures and biological control measures periods, particularly during the latter period. At the flood event scale, most flood event indices in connection with the runoff and sediment during the engineering measures period were significantly higher than those during the biological control measures period. The above results indicate that the ability to withstand hydrological extremes for the biological control measures was greater than that for the engineering measures in the studied basin. This work reveals the effects of different soil and water conservation measures on hydrological extremes in a typical basin of the Loess Plateau and hence can provide a useful reference for regional soil erosion control and disaster prevention policy-making.
To accurately evaluate ecological risks trigged by groundwater exploitation, it must be clarified the relationship between vegetation and groundwater. Based on remote sensing data sets MOD13Q1, groundwater table depth (WTD) and total dissolved solids (TDS), the relationship between groundwater and natural vegetation was analyzed statistically in the main plain areas of Qaidam Basin. The results indicate that natural vegetation is groundwater-dependent in areas where WTD is less than 5.5 m and TDS is less than 7.5 g/L. Aquatic vegetation, hygrophytic vegetation and hygrophytic saline-alkali tolerant vegetation are mainly distributed in areas with WTD <1.1 m. Salt-tolerant and mesophytic vegetation mainly occur in areas with WTD of 1.4-3.5 m, while the xerophytic vegetation isprimarily present in areas where WTD ranges from 1.4 m to 5.5 m. Natural vegetation does not necessarily depend on groundwater in areas with WTD >5.5 m. For natural vegetation, the most suitable water TDS is less than 1.5 g/L, the moderately suitable TDS is 1.5-5.0 g/L, the basically suitable TDS is 5.0-7.5 g/L, and the unsuitable TDS is more than 7.5 g/L. 相似文献