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A review of the ecohydrology discipline: Progress, challenges, and future directions in China

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Abstract

In recent decades, the ecohydrology discipline was developed to provide theoretical and technical foundations for the protection and restoration of complex ecological systems (e.g., mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, and lakes), and to further ecological civilization construction and green development in China. In this study, the progress and challenges of the ecohydrology discipline are elaborated, and the future development directions are proposed according to international scientific frontiers and national ecological civilization construction demands. Overall, the main discipline directions are to develop new ecohydrological monitoring methods, to comprehensively understand ecohydrological mechanisms and their basic theories, to promote integration of multi-scale and multi-variable models by considering both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and to encourage multidisciplinary integration, particularly with the social sciences. Furthermore, the future research interests in China include: combining multi-source information, constructing comprehensive monitoring systems, studying spatiotemporal patterns of key ecohydrological variables and their variation characteristics, developing integrated models of ecological, hydrological, and economic processes, estimating their uncertainty; and conducting interdisciplinary studies that include the natural and social sciences. The application prospects in China are further explored for a variety of ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, rivers, lakes, wetlands, farmlands, and cities. This study will provide a reference to support the development of the ecohydrology discipline in China, and will provide a solid theoretical and technical foundation for the implementation of national ecological civilization construction.

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Acknowledgement

This paper is one of the achievements of the developmental strategies of the discipline of the academic divisions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Thanks to the team members, including Cai Qinghua, Chang Jianbo, Chen Qiuwen, Cui Baoshan, Liu Min, Lu Hongwei, Mo Xingguo, Qin Boqiang, Qin Huapeng, Qiu Guoyu, Shen Yanjun, Song Jinxi, Wang Genxu, Wang Yanhui, Wei Xiaohua, Xu Xianli, Yu Pengtao, Zhang Mingfang, Zhang Xiang, Zhang Guangxin, Zhao Changsen, Zhou Guoyi, Zhu Guangwei (Alphabetically listed according to the surname) and reviewers for their valuable suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Jun Xia

  2. Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China

    Yongyong Zhang & Yujian Zhou

  3. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, CAS and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Xingmin Mu & Guangju Zhao

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

    Qiting Zuo

  5. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest Agriculture & Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Xingmin Mu & Guangju Zhao

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  1. Jun Xia
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  2. Yongyong Zhang
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  3. Xingmin Mu
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  4. Qiting Zuo
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  5. Yujian Zhou
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  6. Guangju Zhao
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Correspondence to Yongyong Zhang.

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Foundation

The Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.XDA23040301; The Developmental Strategies of the Discipline of the Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.2017DXA; National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.42071041

Author

Xia Jun (1954-), Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor, specialized in hydrology and water resources. E-mail: xiajun666@whu.edu.cn

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Xia, J., Zhang, Y., Mu, X. et al. A review of the ecohydrology discipline: Progress, challenges, and future directions in China. J. Geogr. Sci. 31, 1085–1101 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-021-1886-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-021-1886-0

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