Evaluation of the contributions of climate change and overgrazing to runoff in a typical grassland inland river basin

Yajun Zhou; Okke Batelaan; Huade Guan; Limin Duan; Tingxi Liu; Yixuan Wang; Xia Li; Bin Yang

Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies (Apr 2024)

Evaluation of the contributions of climate change and overgrazing to runoff in a typical grassland inland river basin

Yajun Zhou,
Okke Batelaan,
Huade Guan,
Limin Duan,
Tingxi Liu,
Yixuan Wang,
Xia Li,
Bin Yang

Affiliations

Yajun Zhou: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Water Resources, Hohhot 010018, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River, Hohhot 010018, China; College of Science & Engineering, National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Okke Batelaan: College of Science & Engineering, National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Huade Guan: College of Science & Engineering, National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Limin Duan: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Water Resources, Hohhot 010018, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River, Hohhot 010018, China; Corresponding authors at: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China.
Tingxi Liu: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Water Resources, Hohhot 010018, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River, Hohhot 010018, China; Corresponding authors at: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China.
Yixuan Wang: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Water Resources, Hohhot 010018, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River, Hohhot 010018, China
Xia Li: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Water Resources, Hohhot 010018, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River, Hohhot 010018, China; College of Science & Engineering, National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Bin Yang: Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention Technology Center, Water Conservancy Department of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot 010020, China

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 52
p. 101725

Abstract

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Study region: The Xilin River Basin in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Study focus: This study aims to identify the components and change patterns of runoff in the basin, and quantitatively assess the impacts of climate change and overgrazing on runoff. Future changes in river basin runoff were simulated under three climate change scenarios. New hydrological insights for the region: This study quantitatively assessed the impacts of climate change and overgrazing on runoff in the Xilin River Basin using the HYPE model and five attribution scenarios. The assessment results are as follows: (1) Monthly runoff in the basin shows typical bimodal characteristics. Snowmelt is the primary contributor to runoff from March to mid-April, while precipitation has the largest contribution in the remaining months. (2) During the growing season, overgrazing has a more significant impact in reducing runoff than climate change, and runoff changes caused by climate change are more complex on a monthly scale than at the annual scale. (3) Among the three development scenarios, SSP126 with low levels of greenhouse gas emissions appeared to be the most suitable for the sustainable and healthy development of the grassland inland river basin.

Published in Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies

ISSN: 2214-5818 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Physical geography; Science: Geology
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-hydrology-regional-studies/

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