Oasis System and Its Reasonable Development in Sangong River Watershed in North of the Tianshan Mountains,Xinjiang,China

Under the guide of system theory, taking the oasis in the Sangong River watershed as a case study, this paper analyzes the oasis structure and function from 4 aspects including oasis spatial structure, water resources structure, vegetation structure, economic structure and their corresponding functions. The results indicate that as a typical small-scale watershed, Sangong River watershed has the relatively complete mountain-basin structure, and ecological and productive function. Because of human drastic activity the utilization rate of water resources was as high as 98.7%, and the utilization of groundwater was not reasonable, which resulted in an average annual decline of 0.353m in the water table of alluvial-diluvial-fan oasis, and an average annual increase of 0.047m in the alluvial-plain. The layout of crop and shelter forest benefits to the utilization of water and land resources. The development of oasis economy is at low level, and its eco-economic function is weak.

Impact of climate factors on runoff in the Kaidu River watershed:path analysis of 50-year data

Runoff formation is a complex meteorological-hydrological process impacted by many factors,especially in the inland river basin.Based on the data of daily mean air temperature,precipitation and runoff during the period of 1958-2007 in the Kaidu River watershed,this paper analyzed the changes in air temperature,precipitation and runoff and revealed the direct and indirect impacts of daily air temperature and precipitation on daily runoff by path analysis.The results showed that mean temperature time series of the annual,summer and autumn had a significant fluctuant increase during the last 50 years（P 0.05）.Only winter precipitation increased significantly（P 0.05） with a rate of 1.337 mm/10a.The annual and winter runoff depthes in the last 50 years significantly increased with the rates of 7.11 mm/10a and 1.85 mm/10a,respectively.The driving function of both daily temperature and precipitation on daily runoff in annual and seasonal levels is significant in the Kaidu River watershed by correlation analysis.The result of path analysis showed that the positive effect of daily air temperature on daily runoff depth is much higher than that of daily precipitation in annual,spring,autumn and winter,however,the trend is opposite in summer.

APPLICATION OF SWAT MODEL IN THE UPSTREAM WATERSHED OF THE LUOHE RIVER

In the Huanghe (Yellow) River basin,soil erosion is a serious problem,while runoff and sediment yield simulation has not been extensively studied on the basis of GIS (Geographic Information System) and distributed hydrological model. GIS-based SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model was used to simulate runoff and sediment in the Huanghe River basin. The objective of this paper is to examine the applicability of SWAT model in a large river basin with high sediment runoff modulus,which could reach 770t/(km2·a). A two-stage "Brute Force" optimization procedure was used to calibrate the parameters with the observed monthly flow and sediment data from 1992 to 1997,and with input parameters set during the calibration process without any change the model was validated with 1998-1999’s observed data. Coefficient of examination (R2) and Nash-Suttcliffe simulation efficiency (Ens) were used to evaluate model prediction. The evaluation coefficients for simulated flow and sediment,and observed flow and sediment were all above 0.7,which shows that SWAT model could be a useful tool for water resources and soil conservation planning in the Huanghe River basin.

Understanding the impact of mountain landscapes on water balance in the upper Heihe River watershed in northwestern China

Estimating the impact of mountain landscape on hydrology or water balance is essential for the sus- tainable development strategies of water resources. Specifically, understanding how the change of each landscape influences hydrological components will greatly improve the predictability of hydrological responses to mountain landscape changes and thus can help the government make sounder decisions. In the paper, we used the VIC （Variable Infiltration Capacity） model to conduct hydrological modeling in the upper Heihe River watershed, along with a frozen-soil module and a glacier melting module to improve the simulation. The improved model performed satisfactorily. We concluded that there are differences in the runoff generation of mountain landscape both in space and time. About 50% of the total runoff at the catchment outlet were generated in mid-mountain zone （2,900-4,000 m asl）, and water was mainly consumed in low mountain region （1,700-2,900 m asl） because of the higher requirements of trees and grasses. The runoff coefficient was 0.37 in the upper Heihe River watershed. Barren landscape produced the largest runoff yields （52.46% of the total runoff） in the upper Heihe River watershed, fol- lowed by grassland （34.15%）, shrub （9.02%）, glacier （3.57%）, and forest （0.49%）. In order to simulate the impact of landscape change on hydrological components, three landscape change scenarios were designed in the study. Scenario 1, 2 and 3 were to convert all shady slope landscapes at 2,000-3,300 m, 2,000-3,700 m, and 2,000-4,000 m asl respectively to forest lands, with forest coverage rate increased to 12.4%, 28.5% and 42.0%, respectively. The runoff at the catchment outlet correspondingly declined by 3.5%, 13.1% and 24.2% under the three scenarios. The forest landscape is very important in water conservation as it reduced the flood peak and increased the base flow. The mountains as ＂water towers＂ play important roles in water resources generation and the impact of mountain landscapes on hydrology is significant.

Application of Land-use Change Model in Guiding Regional Planning:A Case Study in Hun-Taizi River Watershed,Northeast China

This paper firstly investigated the land-use and land-cover change （LUCC） in the Hun-Taizi River water- shed, Northeast China from 1988 to 2004 based on remotely sensed images and geographic information systems （GIS） technology. Then, using the famous land-use change model of Conversion of Land Use and its Effects at Small re- gional extent （CLUE-S）, this paper simulated the land use changes under historical trend （HT）, urban planning （UP） and ecological protection （EP） scenarios considering urban planning and ecological protection over the next 20 years. The simulated results under UP scenario in 2020 were compared with the planning map to assess the feasibility of us- ing land-use change model to guide regional planning. Results show that forest land, dry farmland, paddy, and shrub land were the main land-use categories. Paddy and dry farmland being converted to urban area and rural settlement characterized the land-use change from 1988 to 2004. The main land-use categories changed over time. Landscape-pattem fragmentation will be worse under HT and UP scenarios, but better in EP scenario. The comparing results of simulated map with planning map in 2020 show that land-use change model is powerful tool to guide regional planning. Land-use scenarios can support regional planning and policy-making through analyzing future consequences scientifically.

Snowmelt modeling using two melt-rate models in the Urumqi River watershed, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China

In this paper,the performance of the classic snowmelt runoff model(SRM)is evaluated in a daily discharge simulation with two different melt models,the empirical temperature-index melt model and the energy-based radiation melt model,through a case study from the data-sparse mountainous watershed of the Urumqi River basin in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.The classic SRM,which uses the empirical temperature-index method,and a radiation-based SRM,incorporating shortwave solar radiation and snow albedo,were developed to simulate daily runoff for the spring and summer snowmelt seasons from 2005 to 2012,respectively.Daily meteorological and hydrological data were collected from three stations located in the watershed.Snow cover area(SCA)was extracted from satellite images.Solar radiation inputs were estimated based on a digital elevation model(DEM).The results showed that the overall accuracy of the classic SRM and radiation-based SRM for simulating snowmeltdischarge was relatively high.The classic SRM outperformed the radiation-based SRM due to the robust performance of the temperature-index model in the watershed snowmelt computation.No significant improvement was achieved by employing solar radiation and snow albedo in the snowmelt runoff simulation due to the inclusion of solar radiation as a temperature-dependent energy source and the local pattern of snowmelt behavior throughout the melting season.Our results suggest that the classic SRM simulates daily runoff with favorable accuracy and that the performance of the radiation-based SRM needs to be further improved by more ground-measured data for snowmelt energy input.

Functional Rehabilitation of the "Soil Reservoir"in Degraded Soils to Control Floods in the Yangtze River Watershed

The reasons for the Yangtze River flood calamity in 1998 are briefly introduced. The authors believe that using a 'soil reservoir' concept is an important means to help control flooding of the Yangtze River.A 'soil reservoir' has a large potential storage capacity and its water can be rapidly 'discharged' into the underground water in a timely fashion. The eroded, infertile soils of the Yangtze River Watershed are currently an obstacle to efficient operation of the 'soil reservoir'. The storage capacity of this 'soil reservoir'has been severely hampered due to intensive soil erosion and the formation of soil crusts. Therefore, possible measures to control floods in the Yangtze River Watershed include: rehabilitating the vegetation to preserve soil and water on the eroded infertile soils, enhancing infiltration of the different soil types, and utilizing the large 'soil reservoir' of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

Centennial Analysis of Human Activity Intensity and Associated Historical Events in Heilongjiang River Sino-Russo Watershed

Human activities in a transborder watershed are complex under the influence of domestic policies,international relations,and global events.Understanding the forces driving human activity change is important for the development of transborder watershed.In this study,we used global historical land cover data,the hemeroby index model,and synthesized major historical events to analyze how human activity intensity changed in the Heilongjiang River(Amur River in Russia)watershed(HLRW).The results showed that there was a strong spatial heterogeneity in the variation of human activity intensity in the HLRW over the past century(1900-2016).On the Chinese side,the human activity intensity change shifted from the plain areas for agricultural reclamation to the mountainous areas for timber extraction.On the Russian side,human activity intensity changes mostly concentrated along the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Baikal-Amur Mainline.Localized variation of human activity intensity tended to respond to regional events while regionalized variation tends to reflect national policy change or broad international events.The similarities and differences between China and Russia in policies and positions in international events resulted in synchronous and asynchronous changes in human activity intensity.Meanwhile,policy shifts were often confined by the natural features of the watershed.These results reveal the historical origins and fundamental connotations of watershed development and contribute to formulating regional management policies that coordinate population,eco-nomic,social,and environmental activities.

Soil Erosion and Its Relationship to the Spatial Distribution of Land Use Patterns in the Lancang River Watershed, Yunnan Province, China

The Lancang River Watershed is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. The river flows through Yunnan Province, China, which suffered serious deforestation since the 1980s;this in turn led to increased soil erosion in the region. To investigate the influence of the spatial distribution of land use and slope on soil erosion in the Lancang River Watershed, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to establish hydrological models using two-phase land use maps (1975 and 1985), a soil map, and meteorological data from 11 gauging stations. The satisfactory values of Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency Ens and correlation coefficient R2 during the calibration and validation period indicated that SWAT can be used in this area to simulate the average annual soil erosion under different land use scenarios change. By comparing soil erosion rate under different land use scenarios change, forests and grasslands had similar effects on preventing soil erosion. A parameter, soil erosion increment (Ei), was used to assess the effects of slope on soil erosion. The results revealed that variation in sediment yield was more sensitive to land use change for slopes exceeded 25° than for slopes being 0° - 15°. The spatial distribution of land use also had a relationship to soil erosion. Compared with the soil erosion rate in each sub-watershed using two-phase land use maps, the soil erosion rate increased when the percent cover of natural vegetation decreased. The results of this study provide baseline data for soil conservation and protection of the environment and ecology of the Lancang River Watershed in Yunnan Province.

Soil and water loss in the Lancang River-Mekong River watershed (in Yunnan section, China) and its control measures

According to a lot of hydrological and environmental monitoring data, the condition of soil and water loss in the Lancang River Mekong River watershed (in Yunnan section, China) is described. The occurrence and development of soil and water loss is analyzed. The conclusion is that: (1) generally, the situation of soil and water loss in the Lancang River Mekong River watershed (in Yunnan section, China) is light, however, soil and water loss in some regions is serious, especially in the middle reach area of the river; (2) soil and water loss in the Lancang River Mekong River (in Yunnan section, China) watershed presents developing tendency and it is mainly caused by human beings. In accordance with these results, the control measures for soil and water loss are discussed.

RELATION BETWEEN PRECIPITATION AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN THE DASHA RIVER WATERSHED

The study on sediment production and its relationship with climatic and hydrological factors in watershed is a major environment issue of concern in the international community. Based on the observational records covering the period from 1954 to 1999, the characteristics of precipitation changing over the Dasha River Watershed in Anhui Province and its relation to sediment yield were studied using tendency analysis and correlation analysis.Results showed that the precipitation of the Dasha River Watershed has high variability. In those 46 years, 34% of spring rainfall, 58% of summer rainfall and 30% of annual rainfall will be considered anomaly. The gray correlation analysis shows that sediment discharge correlates most closely with the frequency of the rainstorm with a daily precipitation above 100mm, secondly with the frequency of the rainstorm with a daily precipitation of 50-100mm, and thirdly with the number of rainy days. Their correlation coefficients are 0.98,0.90 and 0.85 respectively. In addition,the paper suggests the major countermeasures and methods for controlling of soil and water losses in this area.

Chemical and Geological Control on Surface Water within the Shade River Watershed in Southeastern Ohio

The under-sampled middle and western branches of Shade River Watershed (SRW) in SE Ohio were investigated as part of the Ohio University—U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) STAR grant. This project was for monitoring the quality of watersheds in Ohio and classifying them according to their physical, chemical, and biological conditions. Water samples, as well as field parameters, were taken at twenty-two sites for chemical analyses. The ions analyzed included Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Al, NO3, SO4, HCO3, and total PO4, while the field parameters measured included pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), and alkalinity. To assess the water quality within the SRW, the analyzed ions and field parameters were compared to the USEPA criteria for the survival of aquatic life. Analytical results showed that the watershed is dominated by Ca-HCO3waters with DO, Fe, Mn, and PO4being the main causes of impairment within the streams. The relatively elevated concentrations of manganese and less extent iron may be associated with the local geology and the acidic nature of the soils. The high alkalinity and calcium concentrations are due to the limestone geology. The elevated phosphate concentration may be due to anthropogenic sources, fertilizers, or contributions from phosphorus-rich bedrock that differs geochemically from other areas.

Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics in the Urban Watershed of Kimemi River (Butembo/D.R.C)

Changes in land use and land cover (LULC) influence hydrological processes in a watershed. This study analyses the dynamics of LULC in the Kimemi watershed from 1987 to 2021. GIS and remote sensing tools as well as landscape pattern analysis were used to achieve this purpose. The results reveal that the LULC change is globally marked by an increase in the bare land and building at the expense of the low vegetation (grassland). Between 1987 and 2011, the bare land and buildings (Tg = 61.33%) and the woodland (Tg = 34.2%) classes increased, whereas the grassland class decreased (Tg = -39.5%). On the other hand, between 2011 and 2015, the bare land and building class still increased (Tg = 29.9%) while that of grassland and woodland decreased with Tg = -37.3% and Tg = -4.9%, respectively. Finally, the dynamics observed from 2015 to 2021 is marked by small changes between classes with Tg values of 2.1%, 1.9% and -8.9%, respectively, for the bare land and building, grassland and woodland classes, respectively. The main spatial transformation processes observed are creation and dissection for the bare land and building class, and the grassland class respectively. In particular, the woodland class underwent the creation process between 1987 and 2011 before undergoing attrition (2011-2015-2021). Reduced vegetated areas give rise to new planning decisions to mitigate the hydrological risks that could result from this situation.

Simulation of surface runoff in theWujiang River watershed based on GIS

Surface runoff in the Wujiang River watershed was simulated by a GIS-based method using precipitation, hydrology data, and land-use data. The volume of surface runoff is chiefly controlled by climates, topographical characteristics and types of land use at the watershed. Five subwatersheds that can represent the whole watershed were chosen and their average annual precipitation, average annual surface runoff and current land use were calculated respectively in the grid model of the Wujiang River watershed based on the climate and hydrology data from 1965 to 2000 and the land-use data acquired in the year of 2000. Surface runoff is assumed to be a function of precipitation and land use and the multiple regression tool is used to determine the relationship between surface runoff, precipitation and present land use. Thus, the rainfall-runoff model for each land-use type has been established. When calibrating these models, the results show that the percent errors are all below 7%, which indicates that the accuracy of this simulation is high.

A STUDY ON THE RELATION BETWEEN THE VARIATION OF THE PRECIPITATION IN EASTERN JIANGHUAI WATERSHED AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN CHIHE RIVER VALLEY

Rainfall resource is very important to the development of society and economy,especially to eastern Jianghuai watershed which is now facing serious challenge of water shortage. Based on the observational records covering the period from 1957 to 1999,the characteristics of precipitation changing over eastern JiangHuai watershed and its connection to sediment discharge in Chihe River valley were studied using tendency analysis and correlation analysis .Results show that the rainfall in this area had a declining tendency in Spring at a rate of -21.2mm/10a, annual and Summer precipitation was increasing at the rate of 10.6mm/10a and 14.8mm/10a. The gray correlation analysis shows that sediment discharge correlates most closely with runoffs and the frequency of the rainstorm with a daily precipitation of 50-100mm, on the second place,with the rainfall and the frequency of the rainstorm of a daily precipitation no less than 100mm;and thirdly with the number of rainy days. In addition, the paper suggests the major countermeasures and methods for controlling of soil and water losses in this area.

Geological Disaster Evaluation of the Xixi Watershed of the Jinjiang River Based on the Coupling of Landscape and Multiple Factors

Six evaluation factors were selected to evaluate the susceptibility level of the Xixi Watershed to geological disasters such as collapse and landslide, namely formation lithology, rainfall, gradient, aspect, vegetation and buffer zone. The results showed that Longmen Town, Gongqiao Town, Lianhua Town, and Chengxiang Town in the lower reaches of the Xixi Watershed were more susceptible to geological disasters in case of rainstorm because of the easily-collapsed formation lithology; riverbank erosion by runoff was enhanced during rainstorm, thus both sides of the rivers in Chengxiang Town at the estuary of the Xixi Watershed were most susceptible to geological disasters; in case of rainstorm, geological disaster monitoring in location areas of Longmen Town, Guanqiao Town, Lianhua Town, Chengxiang Town in the lower reaches, particularly trunk streams in Chengxiang Town, should be enhanced. By evaluating environmental geo-disasters of the Xixi Watershed, the blank in the environmental geo-disaster evaluation of the local area will be filled in, and scientific support will be provided for the future prevention of environmental geodisaster.

Investing in Strategies to Accelerate Conservation and Measure Impact in the Delaware River Watershed

The Delaware River watershed provides drinking water to over 15 million people, critical habitat for plants and animals, including many threatened and endangered species, and recreational and economic enterprise valued at $10 billion per year in direct wages. Water quality and associated economic, environmental and social values have improved dramatically since the 1950s when the lower portion of the river was declared a dead zone during parts of the summer due to excessive inputs of domestic and industrial waste. The question today is how to ensure that progress continues in the face of persistent and growing threats to water quality. Recognizing the challenges facing the watershed, over 40 of the leading conservation groups in this 13,000 square mile region are pursuing a 10-year strategic initiative focused on water quality through the Delaware River Watershed Initiative, a conservation program advancing a combination of place-based work in watershed protection, restoration, education, collaboration and innovation through collective impact. This paper serves as an invitation for broader strategic involvement to accelerate watershed protection and restoration;it also is a springboard for stakeholders to set an agenda for ensuring that the Delaware River watershed delivers clean water for humans, plants and animals. The paper identifies eight “clusters” of sub-watersheds, constituting approximately 25 percent of the total Delaware Basin, where analysis has shown that investment in water quality could deliver significant returns. Diverse geology, land use, development patterns, population density and en-vironmental stressors are present throughout these sub-watershed clusters. Focusing conservation actions in these places contributes directly to local water quality, and by fostering experimentation and innovation, it also cultivates a wide range of effective approaches for scaling up investment across the Delaware River watershed and beyond. This paper emphasizes five strategies for investing in protection of high quality waters and restoration of impaired waters: 1. protect forested headwaters to maintain high water quality;2. manage agricultural lands to reduce polluted runoff and increase groundwater infiltration;3. implement best practices and new financial incentives to reduce urban stormwater pollution through natural processes;4. increase the evidence base for watershed protection by monitoring trends in water quality and assessing project impacts;5. improve policy and practice through applied research focused on water quality outcomes. These strategies demand place-based work, and the Delawre River Watershed Initiative will focus on advancing these efforts through the cooperation of organizations located in the eight distinct watershed clusters. Proceeding downstream from the headwaters, the eight landscapes are: Pocono Mountains and Kittatinny Ridge;New Jersey Highlands;Upper Lehigh River;Middle Schuylkill River;Schuylkill Highlands;Brandywine and Christina Rivers Upstream;Suburban Philadelphia;and Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer (comprising New Jersey’s Bayshore;and Pine Barrens). These clusters bring together many of the most ecologically valuable and significantly impaired areas of the watershed. They are strategically located where strong organizations and critical natural vatues provide measurable opportunities for advancing local water quality while having regional impact. The selection of areas and strategies was based on research and planning undertaken by the Open Space Institute (OSI) and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (ANSDU} with support from the William Penn Foundation. Researchers at OSI and ANSDU were joined by the National Fish and Wildlfe Foundation (NFWF) in engaging over 40 organizations working across the eight sub-watershed clusters to develop collaborative plans for implementing and measuring local conservation strategies essential to the long-term health and vibrancy of the region. These implementation plans tackle major threats to water quality and include strategies to track progress and share lessons learned. The plans provide a framework for public agencies and philanthropic funders seeking to pursue targeted watershed protection outcomes supported by monitoring, technical assistance and ongoing communications. Organizations large and small, public and private, are invited to read this paper and consider this program as an opportunity to align investment for greater impact and help ensure a bright future for the Delaware River watershed.

Impact of land use change on water resource allocation in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin in northwestern China

In recent decades, China has been experiencing rapid economic development, population growth and urbanization. These processes have stressed the shortages of water resources in China, especially in the arid re- gions of northwestern China. In order to sustain the expanding cropland, people increased groundwater exploitation in these regions. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively analyze the changes in land use and water resources, and their relationship in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin, a typical inland river basin in northwest China. The data of land use change were interpreted using aerial photographs （1965） and Landsat TM images （1986 and 2007）. The data of irrigation water volume in the irrigation districts were spatialized in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin. The spatial variation of the groundwater depth was interpolated using the geo- statistical method. The results showed that the cultivated cropland area along oasis fringe increased by 15.38% and 43.60% during the periods 1965-1986 and 1986-2007, respectively. Surface water amount for irrigation had almost doubled from 1956 to 2010. The decrease of grassland area mainly occurred at the alluvial fan in front of the Qilian Mountains, with 36.47% during 1965-1986 and 38.56% during 1986-2007, respectively. The groundwater depth in front of the mountain constantly increased from 1986 to 2007. We found that the overuse of surface water and overexploitation of groundwater had direct consequences on the natural environments. We suggests that the efficiency of surface water resources use among different irrigation distdcts needs to be improved, which will significantly ease the conflicts between increasing water demand for irrigation and a shortage of water resources in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin.

Spatial distribution of soil moisture,salinity and organic matter in Manas River watershed,Xinjiang,China

With the classical statistical and geostatistical methods, the study of the spatial distribution and its in- fluence factors of soil water, salinity and organic matter was carried out for 0-70 cm soil layers in Manas River watershed. The results showed that the soil moisture data from all soil layers exhibited a normal distribution, with average values of 14.08%-21.55%. Geostatistical analysis revealed that the content of soil moisture had a moder- ate spatial autocorrelation with the ratios of nugget/sill ranging from 0.500 to 0.718, which implies that the spatial pattern of soil moisture is influenced by the combined effects of structural factors and random factors. Remarkable spatial distributions with stripped and mottled features were found for soil moisture in all different soil layers. The landform and crop planting had a relatively big influence on the spatial distribution of soil moisture; total soil salinity was high in east but low in west, and non-salinized soil and lightly salinized soil appeared at the northwest and southwest of the study area. Under the effect of reservoir leakage, the heavily salinized soils are widely distributed in the middle of the study area. The areas of the non-salinized and lightly salinized soils decreased gradually with soil depth increment, which is contrary to the case for saline soils that reached a maximum of 245.67 km2 at the layer of 50-70 cm. The types of soil salinization in Manas River watershed were classified into four classes： the sulfate, chloride-sulfate, sulfate-chloride and chloride. The sulfate salinized soil is most widely distributed in the surface layer. The areas of chloride-sulfate, sulfate-chloride, and chloride salinized soils increased gradually along with the increment of soil depth; the variation range of the average values of soil organic matter content was be- tween 7.48%-11.33%. The ratios of nugget/sill reduced gradually from 0.698 to 0.299 with soil depth increment, which shows that the content of soil organic matter has a moderate spatial autocorrelation. The soil organic matter in all soil layers met normal distribution after logarithmic transformation. The spatial distribution patterns of soil or- ganic matter and soil moisture were similar; the areas with high organic matter contents were mainly distributed in the south of the study area, with the lowest contents in the middle.

Livelihood Strategy Change and Land Use Change——Case of Danzam Village in Upper Dadu River Watershed,Tibetan Plateau of China

Land use change in rural China since the 1980s, induced by institution reforms, urbanization, industrialization and population increase, has received more attention. However, case studies on how institution reforms affect farmers＇ livelihood strategies and drive land use change are scarce. By means of cropland plots investigations and interviews with farmers, this study examines livelihood strategy change and land use change in Danzam Village of Jinchuan County in the upper Dadu River watershed, eastern Tibetan Plateau, China. The results show that, during the collective system period, as surplus labor forces could not be transferred to the secondary and tertiary industries, they had to choose agricultural involution as their livelihood strategy, then the farmers had to produce more grains by land reclamation, increasing multiple cropping index, improving input of labor, fertilizer, pesticide and adopting advanced agricultural techniques. During the household responsibility system period, as labors being transferred to the secondary and tertiary industries, farmers chose livelihood diversification strategy. Therefore, labor input to grain planting was greatly reduced, which drove the transformation of grain to horticulture, vegetable or wasteland and decrease of multiple cropping index. This study provides a new insight into understanding linkages among institution reforms, livelihood strategy of smallholders and land use change in rural China.