The ecological features and significance of hydrology within arid inland river basins of China

 Hydrology and ecology are two important factors affecting the rational utilization of limited water resources within the arid inland basins of China. They depend on, are influenced by, and interact with each other. But, the functions and significance of the hydrological ecology vary from upper through intermediate to lower reaches. Abundant rainfall and large runoff in the upper regions favor the vegetation growth, and the bushy vegetation helps conserve water resources. The large-scale reclamation in the intermediate regions leads to many sustainable oases, but with severely changed hydrological conditions and destroyed ecological systems. Human activities result in the degradation of the vegetation and declination of the ecological system at the intermediate and lower regions. It is necessary to establish study approaches to ecological hydrology in arid inland river basins. Received: 30 October 1997 · Accepted: 26 May 1998