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Land use/land cover change responses to ecological water conveyance in the lower reaches of Tarim River, China

  • Geography, geology and natural resources in Central Asia (Guest Editorial Board Member: Prof. Dr. XIAO Wenjiao)
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Abstract

The Tarim River is the longest inland river in China and is considered as an important river to protect the oasis economy and environment of the Tarim Basin. However, excessive exploitation and over-utilization of natural resources, particularly water resources, have triggered a series of ecological and environmental problems, such as the reduction in the volume of water in the main river, deterioration of water quality, drying up of downstream rivers, degradation of vegetation, and land desertification. In this study, the land use/land cover change (LUCC) responses to ecological water conveyance in the lower reaches of the Tarim River were investigated using ENVI (Environment for Visualizing Images) and GIS (Geographic Information System) data analysis software for the period of 1990–2018. Multi-temporal remote sensing images and ecological water conveyance data from 1990 to 2018 were used. The results indicate that LUCC covered an area of 2644.34 km2 during this period, accounting for 15.79% of the total study area. From 1990 to 2018, wetland, farmland, forestland, and artificial surfaces increased by 533.42 km2 (216.77%), 446.68 km2 (123.66%), 284.55 km2 (5.67%), and 57.51 km2 (217.96%), respectively, whereas areas covered by grassland and other land use/land cover types, such as Gobi, bare soil, and deserts, decreased by 103.34 km2 (14.31%) and 1218.83 km2 (11.75%), respectively. Vegetation area decreased first and then increased, with the order of 2010<2000<1990<2018. LUCC in the overflow and stagnant areas in the lower reaches of the Tarim River was mainly characterized by fragmentation, irregularity, and complexity. By analyzing the LUCC responses to 19 rounds of ecological water conveyance in the lower reaches of the Tarim River from 2000 to the end of 2018, we proposed guidelines for the rational development and utilization of water and soil resources and formulation of strategies for the sustainable development of the lower reaches of the Tarim River. This study provides scientific guidance for optimal scheduling of water resources in the region.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Key Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China-Xinjiang Joint Fund (U1803241), the Key Project of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Talent Special Plan-Tianshan Outstanding Youth (2019Q033), the West Light Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2017-XBQNXZ-B-019), and the Science and Technology Plan Major Projects of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China (2021A03001-3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China

    Shanshan Wang, Kefa Zhou, Jinlin Wang & Wei Wang

  2. Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources and Digital Geology, Urumqi, 830011, China

    Shanshan Wang, Kefa Zhou, Jinlin Wang & Wei Wang

  3. Xinjiang Research Centre for Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China

    Shanshan Wang, Kefa Zhou, Jinlin Wang & Wei Wang

  4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Shanshan Wang & Jinlin Wang

  5. School of Water Conservancy & Environment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China

    Qiting Zuo

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  1. Shanshan Wang
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  2. Kefa Zhou
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  3. Qiting Zuo
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  4. Jinlin Wang
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  5. Wei Wang
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Correspondence to Shanshan Wang.

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Wang, S., Zhou, K., Zuo, Q. et al. Land use/land cover change responses to ecological water conveyance in the lower reaches of Tarim River, China. J. Arid Land 13, 1274–1286 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-021-0089-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-021-0089-y

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