Assessment of land use change and potential eco-service value in the upper reaches of Minjiang River,China

The remote sensing （RS） and geographical information system （GIS） technologies were adopted and a mathematic method was developed to evaluate the changes of ecosystem services in the upper reaches of Minjiang River-valley for providing advices to manage the ecosystem. The results showed that the land use change mainly occurred on forest, farmland and grassland. From 1986 to 1994, the area of farmland increased by 477% （60801 hm^2）, while the area of forest decreased by 4.97% （89012.17 hm^2）. From 1986 to 2000, the eco-service value of forest was degressive but that of farmland increased greatly as the increasing of planting area, while the total eco-service value decreased by 771.11×10^8 yuan RMB due to the rapid increase of population in this region. The driving force of eco-service change was also discussed in the paper. The nation policy of Natural Forest Protection Project has taken effect in preventing the decline of eco-services.

Landslide Developmental Characteristics and Response to Climate Change since the Last Glacial in the Upper Reaches of the Yellow River, NE Tibetan Plateau

The upper reaches of the Yellow River in northeastern Tibetan Plateau are geohazards areas.The evolution of the Yellow River,chronology of some landslides,and spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of super large scale and giant landslides within the region are summarized using paleoclimate evidence,and the relationship between the intensive landslide period and climatic changes since the Last Glacial period is analyzed.It is concluded that （1） Super large scale and giant landslides are distributed widely within the region,particularly in the Qunke-Jianzha basin.（2） The chronological sequence of landslides is established by dating the slip zones of landslides and analyzing the relations between landslides and their overlying or underlying loess formations.Five landslide development periods are determined：53-49 ka BP,33-24 ka BP,10-8 ka BP,5-3.5 ka BP,and the present.（3） These correspond closely to warm and wet periods during the last 100,000 years,i.e.,two weak paleosol development stages of Malan loess deposited during the last Glacial period in the Chinese loess Plateau,L1-4 and L1-2 that belong to the marine oxygen isotope stage 3,the last deglaeial period,the Holocene Optimum,and the modern global warming period.（4） Landslide triggers may be closely linked to warm and wet periods related to rapid climatic transitions.

Tree-ring-based reconstruction of temperature variability(1445–2011) for the upper reaches of the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China

Long-term temperature variability has significant effects on runoff into the upper reaches of inland rivers. This paper developed a tree-ring chronology of Qilian juniper (Sabina przewalskii Kom.) from the upper tree-line of the middle Qilian Mountains within the upper reaches of Heihe River Basin, Northwest China for a long-term reconstruction of temperature at the study site. In this paper, tree-ring chronology was used to examine climate-growth associations considering local climate data obtained from Qilian Meteorological Station. The results showed that temperatures correlated extremely well with standardized growth indices of trees (r=0.564, P<0.001). Tree-ring chronology was highest correlated with annual mean temperature (r=0.641, P<0.0001). Annual mean temperature which spans the period of 1445–2011 was reconstructed and explained 57.8% of the inter-annual to decadal temperature variance at the regional scale for the period 1961–2011. Spatial correlation patterns revealed that reconstructed temperature data and gridded temperature data had a significant correlation on a regional scale, indicating that the reconstruction represents climatic variations for an extended area surrounding the sampling sites. Analysis of the temperature reconstruction indicated that major cold periods occurred during the periods of 1450s–1480s, 1590s–1770s, 1810s–1890s, 1920s–1940s, and 1960s–1970s. Warm intervals occurred during 1490s–1580s, 1780s–1800s, 1900s–1910s, 1950s, and 1980s to present. The coldest 100-year and decadal periods occurred from 1490s–1580s and 1780s–1800s, respectively, while the warmest 100 years within the studied time period was the 20th century. Colder events and intervals coincided with wet or moist conditions in and near the study region. The reconstructed temperature agreed well with other temperature series reconstructed across the surrounding areas, demonstrating that this reconstructed temperature could be used to evaluate regional climate change. Compared to the tree-ring reconstructed temperature from nearby regions and records of glacier fluctuations from the surrounding high mountains, this reconstruction was reliable, and could aid in the evaluation of regional climate variability. Spectral analyses suggested that the reconstructed annual mean temperature variation may be related to large-scale atmospheric–oceanic variability such as the solar activity, Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and El Ni?o–Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

Formation Mechanisms and Geomorphic Evolution of the Erlian Mudflow Fans, Eastern Guide Basin of the Upper Reaches of Yellow River

Several argillaceous platforms lie along the Yellow River（YR） of the eastern Guide Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau, and their compositions, formation processes, and geomorphic evolution remain debated. Using field survey data, sample testing, and high-resolution remote sensing images, the evolution of the Erlian mudflow fans are analyzed. The data show significant differences between fans on either side of the YR. On the right bank, fans are dilute debris flows consisting of sand and gravel. On the left bank, fans are viscosity mudflows consisting of red clay. The composition and formation processes of the left bank platforms indicate a rainfall-induced pluvial landscape. Fan evolution can be divided into two stages： early-stage fans pre-date 16 ka B.P., and formed during the last deglaciation; late-stage fans post-date 8 ka B.P.. Both stages were induced by climate change. The data indicate that during the Last Glacial Maximum, the northeastern Tibetan Plateau experienced a cold and humid climate characterized by high rainfall. From 16–8 ka, the YR cut through the Erlian early mudflow fan, resulting in extensive erosion. Since 8 ka, the river channel has migrated south by at least 1.25 km, and late stage mudflow fan formation has occurred.

Major elements in the Holocene loess-paleosol sequence in the upper reaches of the Weihe River valley,China

Palaeohydmlogical investigations were carried out in the Guchuan Basin in the upper reaches of the Weihe River valley, China. A set of palaeoflood slackwater deposits （SWDs） was found interbedded in the Holocene Ioess-paleosol sequence at the Guchuanzhen site （GCZ）. These palaeoflood SWDs were studied by field observations and laboratory analyses including concentrations of chemical elements and optically stimulated luminescence （OSL） dating. The results showed that the palaeoflood SWDs were the result of the secondary separations of the surface soil and weathered soil layers during the process of water transport and deposition, and without obvious weathering during soil development. These extraordinary flood events were dated back to 3,200-3,000 a B.P. with the OSL method and checked by archaeological dating of the human remains retrieved from the profile. These extraordinary flood events were therefore considered as regional expression of known climatic events and demonstrated the climatic instability in the Holocene. This result is important for understanding the effects of global climate change on the dynamics of river systems.

Distribution Regularity of Debris Flow and Its Hazard in Upper Reaches of Yangtze River and Other Rivers of Southwestern China

In the upper reaches of Yangtze River and other rivers of southwestern China, the debris flows develop and lead to most serious disasters because of the various landforms, complex geological structures and abundant rainfall. The distribution of debris flows has regularity in the regions with different landform, geological structure, and precipitation. The regularities of distribution of debris flows are as following： （1） distributed in transition belts of different morphologic regions; （2） distributed in the area with strong stream trenching; （3） distributed along fracture zones and seismic belts： （4） distributed in the area with abundant precipitation; （5） distribution of debris flow is azonal. The activity of abundant debris flows not only brings harm to Towns, Villages and Farmlands, Main Lines of Communication, Water-Power Engineering, Stream Channels etc., but also induces strong water and soil loss. According to the present status of debris flow prevention, the problems in disasters mitigation and soil conservancy are found out, and the key works are brought up for the future disasters prevention and soil conservancy.

Influence of climate change on hydrological process in the upper reaches of Shiyang River:A case study of the Xiying River,China

Climate change is the dominant factor affecting the hydrological process, it is of great significance to simulate and predict its influence on water resources management, socio-economic activities, and sustainable development in the future. In this paper, the Xiying River Basin was taken as the study area, China Atmospheric Assimilation Driven Data Set(CMADS) and observation data from the Jiutiaoling station were used to simulate runoff of the SWAT model and calibrate and verify model parameters. On this basis, runoff change of the basin under the future climate scenario of CMIP6 was predicted. Our research shows that:(1) The contribution rates of climate change and human activities to runoff increase of the Xiying River are 89.17% and 10.83%, respectively. Climate change is the most important factor affecting runoff change of the Xiying River.(2) In these three different emission scenarios of SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 in CMIP6 climate model, the average temperature increased by0.61, 1.09 and 1.74 C, respectively, in the Xiying River Basin from 2017 to 2050. Average precipitation increased by 14.36, 66.88, and 142.73 mm, respectively, and runoff increased by 15, 24, and 35 million m3, respectively.The effect of climate change on runoff will continue to deepen in the future.

Analysis on River Sediment Changes of the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River

The sediment load and river sedimentation of the upper reaches of YangtzeRiver has been undergoing constant changes as complex landform, large mountain area and plentifulprecipitation make the drainage area of Yangtze River very vulnerable to watererosion and gravityerosion. Through analyzing the hydrological and sediment load statistics recorded by majorhydrological stations along Yangtze River since 1950s, and editing the accumulation graph of annualrunoff volume and annual sediment load, wefind out that the suspended-sediment of Yangtze river hasbeen decreasing year by year in Wulong Hydrological Station on Wujiang River, Beibei HydrologicalStation on Jialingjiang River, Lijiawan Hydrological Station on Tuojiang River and GaochangHydrological Station on Minjiang River, Yichang Hydrological Station, Cuntan Hydrological Stationalong Yangtze River mainstream share the same experience too. But the statistics obtained atPingshan Hydrological Station on Jinshajiang River shows the sedimentload there has increased.Taking ecological construction, hydraulic engineering construction and precipitation changes intoconsideration, the thesis analyses the causes for the sediment load decrease of Jialingjiang River,Tuojiang River, Minjiang River and Wujiang River and provides us both scientific foundation forfurther study of river sediment changes of the upper reaches of Yangtze River, and measures tocontrol river sedimentation.

Risk Assessment of Highway in the Upper Reaches of Minjiang River under the Stress of Debris Flow

The southwest mountainous area is a frequent debris flow disaster area in China, which poses a serious threat to the regional roads and greatly affects the normal traffic operation and the safety of residents’ lives and property. The debris flow risk assessment of highway can quantify the threat degree of debris flow to the roads. In this paper, from the perspective of villages and towns, taking the upper reaches of Minjiang River as the research area, four factors including road network density, highway disaster resistance capacity, population density and highway cost are selected, and the weight is obtained by using entropy weight method, and the debris flow vulnerability evaluation results of highway are obtained by weighted calculation. Four indexes of debris flow density, shape factor, relative height difference and annual rainfall are selected to evaluate the debris flow hazard of highway by using the information method. Based on the vulnerability and hazard evaluation results, the risk of highway debris flow is evaluated, and the results are classified and discussed. The results show that: the risk of debris flow on the upper reaches of Minjiang River is relatively low, the overall spatial distribution shows a trend of high in the East and low in the west, and the overall risk of township roads in Wenchuan county is the highest;The risk of debris flow is generally high within -10 to 30 km from the central fault zone of Longmenshan.

Based on the Theory of Optimizing the Allocation of Research of Sustainable Utilization of Water Resources of the Upper Reaches of Minjiang River

Water resource is an important supporting material for life support system and economic development, and the sustainable development and utilization of water resource are the guarantee of social sustainable development. The upper Minjiang River is the most important source of water supply for the Chengdu Plain. With the water resources of the upper Minjiang River facing the problems of overall water volume reduction, flood and water pollution, etc., based on the optimal allocation theory, this paper constructs an optimal allocation model of water resources in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River, analyzes its characteristics and proposes some relevant countermeasures and suggestions to solve the existing problems, aiming to provide references for the sustainable utilization of water resources in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River.

Research on Spatial Distribution of Settlements in the Upper Reaches of the Minjiang River

Under the background of the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the settlements in the upper reaches of the Min River are significantly affected by the mountain environment, and their spatial distribution is typical and representative. In this study, the relationship between settlements and topography, rivers and transportation, and the spatial distribution patterns of settlements, such as the aggregation and orientation characteristics of settlements, have been studied. The main conclusions include: 1) The settlement density decreases with the increase of elevation, slope, and distance from rivers and roads;76.25% and 63.17% of the settlements are distributed in the range of elevation 1500 - 3000 m and slope 6° - 25°, the upper reaches of the Min River are mostly alpine valley terrain, the bottom of the river has a low altitude, the landscape is undulating. The warm and humid climate is suitable for farming, conducive to agricultural production, and an ideal living environment for mountain residents. 2) The nuclear density of the settlement is distributed in strips along the axis of the river, and the closer to the river, the greater the nuclear density value. 3) Mathematical statistical methods were applied for the first time to realize the quantitative expression of the coupling of settlement and river direction. The influence of topographic conditions in different watersheds on the coupling degree of settlement extension and river flow direction was revealed. The slope of the fitted straight line between the settlement and river direction was 0.897, and the two directions were consistent. Except for the mainstream of the Min River, the larger values of the standard deviation ellipse flattening of settlements in each basin appeared in the upper reaches of the bay, and the overall trend showed a gradual decrease from the upstream to the downstream, which was consistent with the topographic change characteristics of the basin.

Effects of grassland vegetation roots on soil infiltration rate in Xiazangtan super large scale landslide distribution area in the upper reaches of the Yellow River,China

In order to study the infiltration characteristics of grassland soil in the super large scale landslides distribution area in the upper reaches of the Yellow River,this study selected the Xiazangtan super large scale distribution area in Jianzha County as the study area.Through experiments and numerical simulations,plant roots characteristics,soil physical properties and infiltration characteristics of naturally grazed grassland and enclosed grassland with different slope directions were compared and analyzed,and the influence of rainfall on seepage field and stability of the two grassland slopes were discussed.The results show that the highest soil moisture infiltration capacity(FIR)is found on the shady slope of the enclosed grassland(2.25),followed by the sunny slope of the enclosed grassland(1.23)and the shady slope of the naturally grazed grassland(-0.87).Correlation analysis show that soil water content,root dry weight density,total soil porosity,number of forks and root length are positively correlated with infiltration rate(P<0.05),whereas soil dry density is negatively correlated with infiltration rate(P<0.05).The results of stepwise regression analyses show that soil water content,total soil porosity,root length and number of forks are the main factors affecting soil infiltration capacity.And the ability of roots to increase soil infiltration by improving soil properties is higher than the effect of roots itself.After 60 min of simulated rainfall,the safety factors of the shady slopes of naturally grazed grassland and enclosed grassland are reduced by 29.56%and 19.63%,respectively,comparing to those before rainfall.Therefore,in this study,the roots play a crucial role in regulating soil infiltration and enhance slope stability by increasing soil water content,soil total porosity and shear strength while decreasing soil dry density.The results of this study provide theoretical evidence and practical guidance for the effective prevention and control of secondary geological disasters such as soil erosion and shallow landslide on the slope of river banks in the study area by using plant ecological measures.

Features and Sources of the Anomalous Moisture Transport for the Severe Summer Rainfall over the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River

Using the daily NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset and the observation rainfalldata in China for the 1980-1997 period, features of severe summer rainfall over the upper reaches ofthe Yangtze River are investigated and then sources of moisture contributing to severe rainfallover eastern and western Sichuan Province (ES and WS for short) are examined with particularreference. It turns out that the severe rainfall occurring locally dominates summer rainfall overthe upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Climatological rainfall and anomalous one constitute severerainfall, but the latter accounts much for severe rainfall. The meridional moisture transportdominates the composite moisture transport on the occurrence day for ES region, while the zonal isequivalent to the meridional for WS region. Correlation between the moisture transport fluxes overthe two regions of severe rainfall and other regions, the anomaly and variation of the moisturetransport day by day during the period of severe rainfall lend a support for the conclusion that themeeting of the moisture from the West Pacific through the South China Sea (SCS) and the one fromnorthwestern China exerts a vital effect on the occurrence of severe rainfall, which can not beneglected.

Reconstructing the extraordinary palaeoflood events during 3200-2800 a BP in the upper reaches of Hanjiang River Valley, China

Palaeoflood hydrology study is a leading subject in global change study. Through field investigation in the upper reaches of Hanjiang River, palaeoflood slackwater deposits （SWD） were found in the bedrock gorges of the Yunxi reach. The results of field observation, laboratory analysis including particle-size distribution and magnetic susceptibility, and com- parison with modern flood deposits, the SWD were identified as the most typical Holocene palaeoflood deposits of the Hanjiang River. By using stratig;aphic correlation and OSL dating method, the palaeoflood event was dated to be 3200-2800 a BP at the turn from the middle to late Holocene. According to the palaeoflood peak stage and hydraulic parameters, the peak discharges of the palaeoflood were reconstructed as 48,830-51,710 m3/s by using the slope-area method. At same time, the flood peak discharges of 1983, 2005 and 2010 severe floods were reconstructed with the same method and hydraulic parameters in the same cross section. The error between the reconstructed and gauged discharges was 1.99%-4.21%. This showed that the reconstructed palaeoflood peak discharges were reliable. The flood peak discharge-frequency relationship at 10,000-year time scale was established by a com- bination of the gauged flood, historical flood and palaeoflood hydrological data. These results are very important for hydraulic engineering and flood mitigation on the Hanjiang River.

Land Use Change During 1960～2000 Period and itsEco-environmental Effects in the Middle and UpperReaches of the Yangtze River:a Case Study in YiliangCounty,Yunnan,China

Land use/land cover change (LUCC) is a focus of the research of global environmental changes. The middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, which are the most ecologically fragile mountainous area in China as well as one of the areas in China with most notable LUCC, have been on the Chinese Government's list of priority areas for ecological restoration. This paper is to reveal the trend of LUCC and the ecological degradation arising from it, and to provide a basis for the future sustainable use of land resources in the region based on a detailed analysis of Yiliang County. Based on the county's land use/cover maps in 1960, 1980 and 2000 drawn with the aid of aerial photograph interpretation, field investigation and GIS based spatial-temporal data analysis, LUCC during 1960~2000 period and the ecological degradation arising from it were analyzed. Using the Markv model, the paper brings out a forecast of what the county's LUCC would be like if the county's current land use continues, as well as the reasons and countermeasures for restoring degraded ecosystems.

Holocene loess and its deposition dynamics in the upper reaches of the Huaihe River

The dust source and transporting system are two indispensable aspects in the process of Ioess-palaeosol accumulation. It has been proved that the dust of the Loess Plateau mainly comes from the northwestern inland gobi and desert, transported by the East Asia monsoon systems and westerlies. However, there are little researches with respect to the dust source and deposition dynamics of the upper reaches of the Huaihe River. In the present study, we investigated and collected the YPC section with high resolution in the upper reaches of the Huaihe River. The chronological frame was reconstructed by optically stimulated luminescence （QSL） dating and correlated with the published loess time series. By comparison of the magnetic susceptibility （MS） and grain size （GS） of loess-soil profile among YPC profile, XJN profile （western Loess Plateau） and the JYC profile （southern Loess Plateau）, we find similar climate change and pedogenic process between the upper reaches of the Huaihe River and the Loess Plateau, both experienced an extreme dry and the weakest pedogenesis during the last glacial, followed by a transitional episodes from the cold-dry last glacial to the warm-humid mid-Holocene and increased pedogenesis in the early Holocene, then a most humid-warm and strong pedogenesis in the mid-Holocene, and climate deterioration and decreased pedogenesis occurred during the late Holocene. But the MS of loess-soil profile sequences in the upper reaches of the Huaihe River was much lower than those in the Loess Plateau, and the GS was much coarser than those in the Loess Plateau. Comparison of GS for these three profiles revealed that there were different dust sources, which belonged to different aeolian transporting systems. The loess in the upper reaches of the Huaihe River was a wind blown deposition of near source, while the coarser dust mainly came from loose alluvial deposits of alluvial and proluvial fans of the Yellow River. The yield- ing and carrying dynamics of the dust in the Huaihe River is the northeast wind prevails in the winter half year.

Assessing the Impact of the Sloping Land Conversion Program on Rural Household Income in the Upper Reaches of Minjiang River,China

One secondary target of the SLCP is poverty reduction. Therefore,the impact of the SLCP on household income is a subject of much research. This study was conducted to determine whether the SLCP has affected incomes of households at different income levels13 years after its implementation. Using survey data from 2012 on rural households＇ livelihoods in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River in Sichuan Province and using the non-participating households as a reference,the current impact of the SLCP on household income is calculated with a multiple linear regression model and a quantile regression model. The socio-geographic features of participating and non-participating households are also be compared. The results show no significant differences between the SLCP participating and non-participating households in many socio-demographic characteristics. Participating in the SLCP had no significant impact on household income at all income levels in the study area in 2012. This finding suggests that the SLCP is not currently increasing household income significantly in the study area,and that the implementation plan of the SLCP should be changed in this area in order to achieve its poverty reduction goal.

Conservation and Sustainable Exploitation of Forest Ecosystem in Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River -Case Study on Gongga Mountain

The deforestation on large scale in the upper reaches of Yangtze River has caused serious problems of ecosystem and environment. Restoration of the degenerated forest ecosystems is one of the main research fields. Taking Gongga Mountain as an example, degeneration features and existing problems of forest ecosystems are analyzed in this paper, and the measures are also proposed.

Unsteadiness of COD in the Upper and Middle Reaches of Minjiang River

This paper explores and identifies the rules of the unsteady evolution of COD in the upper and middle reaches of Minjiang River through multi-scale analysis on the weekly COD data for the last six years provided by the Water Quality Monitoring Station,Minjiang River Bridge,Leshan City,Sichuan Province.The results of the wavelet analysis indicate that the COD index oscillates alternatively and differently at each time-scale in an oneyear cycle,and the density of COD,subjected to the runoff volume,the effects of Wenchuan Earthquake and agricultural seeding and industrial construction,etc.,is high in winter and spring,mild in summer and autumn.