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A case study of regional eco-hydrological characteristics in the Tao River Basin, northwestern China, based on evapotranspiration estimated by a coupled Budyko Equation-crop coefficient approach

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Abstract

In a case study in Tao River Basin, China, we derived a high spatial-resolution regional distribution of evapotranspiration (ET) using the single crop coefficient method and Budyko equation. We then further analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics of this diverse eco-hydrological basin from 2001–2010. The results suggest that the single crop coefficient method based on leaf area index captures better spatial and temporal dynamics of the regional ET than did the Budyko Equation method. The rising temperature was the main reason for the increasing ET in the Tao River Basin during 2001–2010. Areas with high ET efficiency were distributed mainly in the areas where the vegetation coverage was high, and a lower runoff coefficient responded. The estimated spatial patterns of ET allowed an improved understanding of the eco-hydrological processes within the Tao River Basin and the method used might be generalized as a reference for future regional-scale eco-hydrological research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    ChangBin Li, XueLei Zhang, ShuaiBing Wang, LinShan Yang, WenJin Yang, GaoFeng Zhu & Qiang Hao

  2. Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    JiaGuo Qi

  3. Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA

    ChangBin Li & JiaGuo Qi

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  1. ChangBin Li
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  2. XueLei Zhang
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  3. JiaGuo Qi
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  4. ShuaiBing Wang
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  7. GaoFeng Zhu
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Correspondence to ChangBin Li.

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Li, C., Zhang, X., Qi, J. et al. A case study of regional eco-hydrological characteristics in the Tao River Basin, northwestern China, based on evapotranspiration estimated by a coupled Budyko Equation-crop coefficient approach. Sci. China Earth Sci. 58, 2103–2112 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-015-5087-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-015-5087-5

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