Mutual optimization of water utilization structure and industrial structure in arid inland river basins of Northwest China

Water is a key restricting factor of the economic development and eco-environmental protection in arid inland river basins of Northwest China. Although water supplies are short, the water utilization structure and the corresponding industrial structure are unbalanced. We constructed a System Dynamic Model for mutual optimization based on the mechanism of their interaction. This model is applied to the Heihe River Basin where the share of limited water resources among ecosystem, production and human living is optimized. Results show that, by mutual optimization, the water utilization structure and the industrial structures fit in with each other. And the relationships between the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Heihe River Basin can be harmonized. Mutual benefits of ecology, society and economy can be reached, and a sustainable ecology-production-living system can be obtained. This study gives a new insight and method for the sustainable utilization of water resources in arid inland river basins.

Dominant roles but distinct effects of groundwater depth on regulating leaf and fine-root N,P and N:P ratios of plant communities

Aims As the determinant of water availability in drylands,groundwater plays a fundamental role in regulating vegetation distribution and ecosystem processes.Although considerable progress has been made over the past years in the relationship between environment stress and plant community-level traits,the potential influence of water stress induced by groundwater changes on plant community-level stoichiometry remains largely unclear.Here,we examined whether belowground and aboveground community-level stoichiometry responded differently to groundwater changes.Methods We measured nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)concentrations in plant leaves and fine-roots of 110 plots under a broad range of groundwater depths in a typical arid inland river basin.We examined the spatial patterns and drivers of community-level N:P stoichiometry in leaves and fine-roots.Important Findings Community-level leaf and fine-root N,P and N:P ratios were mainly determined by groundwater,vegetation types and species composition,among which groundwater played a dominant role.Groundwater indirectly regulated community-level N:P stoichiometry through affecting vegetation types and species composition.Vegetation types and species composition had significant direct influences on communitylevel N:P stoichiometry.Furthermore,groundwater depth had opposite influences on community-level leaf and fine-root N:P stoichiometry.Groundwater depth regulated vegetation types and further decreased leaf N,P but increased leaf N:P ratios and fine-root N.Groundwater depth had a positive indirect impact on fine-root P but a negative indirect impact on fine-root N:P ratios primarily by affecting species composition.Our findings indicate that groundwater rather than climate conditions effectively regulates community-level N:P stoichiometry,and below-and aboveground N:P stoichiometry has opposite responses to groundwater.