The Ecological Environment Problems and Countermeasures of Resources Development and Economy Development in Tibet "One River and Two Streams" Agricultural Ecological Basin during the New Period

The integrated development of Tibet "one river and two streams" agricultural ecological basin should control the generated environmental problems and prevent new environmental problems,thereby promoting coordinated development of agricultural economy in the region. It is very necessary and urgent to explore main environmental problems of Tibet " one river and two streams" agricultural ecological basin and effective countermeasures. When developing resources and economy,the principle of combining prevention with control,dominated by prevention and integrated control should be followed; regional advantages,characteristics and environmental self restoring ability should be sufficiently played and used; the policy of integrated prevention and utilization should be used; compensation method,prevention control measures and planning assumption for main environmental problems should be proposed,which could prevent that systemic development of Tibet " one river and two streams" agricultural ecological basin takes the old path of " firstly destroying and then controlling".

Problems in the Development of Plateau Modern Agriculture in Tibet“One River and Two Streams”Agroecological Basin and Countermeasures

Tibet Autonomous Region is located in the southwest of China. As a special area with high altitude,low temperature,abundant and diverse resources,the development of agricultural modernization has itself development attribute and feature. Agricultural development area of Tibet mainly concentrates in the " one river and two streams" basin. In this paper,combining the development of modern agriculture on the plateau,the connotation and characteristics of the development of plateau modern agriculture are illustrated from the angle of environment economics. Based on the observation method,linking theory with practice and combining literature research method,descriptive study is conducted,and the specific problems in the development of plateau modern agriculture in the agricultural basin are found. For example,the development of agriculture in Tibet has low utilization rate of resources and unbalanced distribution,agricultural mechanization shows gradient development,productivity and agricultural extension are backward,efforts to promote innovation and science knowledge are not enough,agricultural pollution expands,and the awareness of environmental protection is low. In view of the above problems,we put forward some countermeasures and suggestions: developing local advantage characteristic agriculture,developing cooperative economic organization,establishing the training promotion mode of theory combining with practice,establishing agricultural industry system of sightseeing tourism ecology. The research could provide theoretical suggestions for the future development of plateau modern agriculture.

Initial Exploration on Eco-environmental Issues in Tibet “One River and Two Streams” Agricultural Basin during New Period

Agricultural economic development of Tibet Autonomous Region mainly concentrates in the "One River and Two Streams" agricultural production basin. The basin is main concentrated place for agricultural resources development,economic construction and population aggregation,and the region playing the advantages of Tibetan agriculture,corresponding with the practice,and enhancing self development and innovation. In the multi-year development and construction,it develops regional large agriculture,builds irrigation and water conservancy facilities,vigorously changes medium and low-yield land,actively develops animal husbandry and agriculture,and gradually promotes the effective combination of traffic industry and transportation industry,which has made considerable achievements. But in the face of today's increasingly advocated theme of "building beautiful Tibet and constructing ecological home",the construction of environmental problems lacking the systemic research is the prominent and fundamental problem in the "One River and Two Streams" agricultural production basin. Meanwhile,environment construction is an important part of economic development planning,and the solving of environmental protection problem is the historical mission in the contemporary and future generations. Therefore,it is very necessary to study the environment problems in Tibet "One River and Two Streams" agricultural production basin. The "One River and Two Streams" agricultural production basin is preliminarily explored for providing reference for the relevant environmental departments.

Assessment of sediment connectivity using modelling and field-based approaches in the Slavíč River catchment(MoravskoslezskéBeskydy Mts,Czech Republic)

Mountain streams act as conveyors of sediments within the river continuum,where the physical transport of sediments between river reaches through the catchment or between individual parts(e.g.,between hillslopes and channels)of the catchment is assumed.This study focused on sediment connectivity analysis in the SlavíčRiver catchment in the MoravskoslezskéBeskydy Mts in the eastern part of the Czech Republic.The connectivity index and connectivity index target modelling were combined with an analysis of anthropogenic interventions.Additionally,field mapping,grain size of bed sediments and stream power analysis were used to obtain information about connectivity in the catchment.Based on the analysis and obtained results,terrain topography is the current main driving factor affecting the connectivity of sediment movement in the SlavíčRiver catchment.However,the modelling provided valuable information about high sediment connectivity despite different recent land use conditions(highly forested area of the catchment)than those in historical times from the 16th to 19th centuries when the SlavíčRiver catchment was highly deforested and sediment connectivity was probably higher.The analysis of anthropogenic interventions,field mapping,grain size of bed sediments and stream power analysis revealed more deceleration of sediment movement through the catchment,decreased sediment connectivity with bed erosion,and gradual river channel process transformation in some reaches.Field mapping has identified various natural formations and human-induced changes impacting the longitudinal and lateral connectivity in the SlavíčRiver.For instance,embankments along 48%of the river's length,both on the right and left banks,significantly hinder lateral sediment supply to the channel.Stream power index analysis indicates increased energy levels in the flowing water in the river's upper reaches(up to 404.8 W m^(-2)).This high energy is also observed in certain downstream sections(up to 337.6 W m^(-2)),where it is influenced by human activities.These conditions lead to intensified erosion processes,playing a crucial role in sediment connectivity.Similar observations were described in recent studies that pointed out the long-term human interventions on many streams draining European mountains,where a decrease in sediment connectivity in these streams is linked with sediment deficits and the transformation of processes forming channels.

Discovery of eclogites in Jinsha River suture zone, Gonjo County, eastern Tibet and its restriction on Paleo-Tethyan evolution

As the important component of the eastern Tethys tectonic region,the Jinsha River-Ailao Mountain suture zone is often considered to be an ophiolitic mé1ange belt.However,the P-T-t path and chronological framework of the metamorphic evolution in the collisional orogenetic process of this zone are still poorly understood owing to the lack of metamorphism research of symbolic high-pressure rocks.During a regional geological survey on a scale of 1:50000 in Gonjo County,Tibet Autonomous Region involved in this paper,(retrograde)eclogites lenses of different scales were found in Jinsha River suture zone,eastern Tibet for the first time.The(retrograde)eclogites can be divided into garnet-albite-chlorite-actinolite schists and eclogites according to retrograde degrees.The mainly mineral components of eclogites include garnet(45%-50%),clinopyroxene(about 25%),and hornblende(5%-10%)primarily,and biotite,quartz,rutile,and muscovite secondarily.According to the data of electron probe micro analysis(EPMA),clinopyroxenes feature high content of Na2O(5.6%-6%)and corresponding jadeite(Jd)molecules of 37%-44%,and they fall within the omphacite region in Quad-Jd-Ae diagram.The temperature and pressure of the metamorphism at peak are P≈2.2-2.34 GPa and T≈622-688℃respectively as measured with geobarometry Grt-Omp-Phe and geothermometer Grt-Omp.This will provide a new reference for the understanding of Paleo-Tethyan evolution.In this paper,two samples of eclogites were chosen for LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating and their 206pb/238U ages obtained are 240±3 Ma and 244±1 Ma respectively.Furthermore,the zircons feature extremely low Th/U ratio(<0.01),extremely low content ofNb,Ta,and HREE,and invisible negative Eu anomaly.Therefore,the genesis of the zircons shall be eclogites-facies metamorphism,indicating that the 240-245 Ma determined in this paper shall be the age of eclogites-facies metamorphism and may represent the westward subduction-collision epoch of Paleo-Tethys Ocean located between Zhongza Block and Qamdo Block.

Features of sampling stream sediments of large river valleys under cryolithogenesis conditions in the Balygychan-Sugoy trough,North-East of Russia

Comprehensive research has been implemented to raise the efficiency of the geochemical survey of stream sediments(SSs)that formed under the cryolithogenesis conditions.The authors analysed the composition,structure and specific features of the formation of exogenous anomalous geochemical fields(AGFs)identified through SSs of large river valleys of IV order.In our case,these were the valleys of Maly Ken,Ken and Tap Rivers.These rivers are located in the central and southern parts of the Balygychan-Sugoy trough enclosed in the Magadan region,North-East of Russia.The authors proposed a new technique to sample loose alluvium of SSs in the large river valleys along the profiles.The profiles were located across the valleys.The AGFs of Au,Ag,Pb,Zn,Sn,Bi,Mo and W were studied.Correlations between elements have been established.These elements are the main indicator elements of Au-Ag,Ag-Pb,Sn-Ag,Mo-W and Sn-W mineralization occurring on the sites under study.The results obtained were compared with the results of geochemical surveys of SSs.It is concluded that the AGFs recognized along the profiles reflect the composition and structure of eroded and drained ore zones,uncover completely and precisely the pattern of element distribution in loose sediments of large water flows.The alluvium fraction<0.25 mm seems to be most significant in a practical sense,as it concentrated numerous ore elements.Sampling of this fraction in the river valleys of IV order does not cause any difficulty,for this kind of material is plentiful.The developed technique of alluvium sampling within large river valleys is efficient in searching for diverse mineralization at all stages of prognostic prospecting.It is applicable for geochemical survey of SSs performed at different scales both in the North-East of Russia,as well as other regions with similar climatic conditions,where the SSs are formed under the cryolithogenesis conditions.

High Temperature Strain Structures and Quartz C-Axis Fabrics from Mylonitic Rocks in the Ailaoshan-Red River Shear Zone,Yunnan,and Their Tectonic Implication

The Ailaoshan-Red River（ASRR） shear zone is one of the major Southeast Asian tectonic discontinuities that have figured the present tectonic framework of the eastern Tibet.Several metamorphic massifs are distributed linearly along the shear zone,e.g.Xuelongshan,Diancangshan, Ailaoshan and Day Nui Con Voi from north to south.They bear a lot of lines of evidence for the tectonic evolution of the eastern Tibetan at different crustal levels in different tectonic stages.Controversy still exists on the deformation structures,microstructures and their relationship with metamorphisms along the ASRR.In this paper detailed microstructural and EBSD（Electron Backscattered Diffraction） fabric analysis of some highly sheared granitic rocks from different massifs along the ASRR are conducted.High temperature structures and microstructures are preserved in unsheared gneisses,in weakly sheared xenoliths or in some parts of the highly sheared rocks（mylonites）.Several types of high temperature quartz c-axis fabrics show symmetrical patterns or transitions from symmetrical to asymmetrical patterns.The former are attributed to coaxial deformation during regional shortening in an early stage of the Indian-Eurasian tectonic interaction and the latter are related to the transitions from coaxial compression to noncoaxial shearing during the post-collisional ASRR left lateral shearing.

Grain-size Characteristics of Sediments Formed Since 8600 yr B.P. in Middle Reaches of Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet and Their Paleoenvironmental Significance

Widespread aeolian sediments have been found in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, China, The grain-size characteristics of sediments from Cha＇er Section in the area were analyzed. The results show that the section include one stratum of paleo-mobile dunes, four strata of paleo-semi-fixed dunes, two strata of paleo-fixed dunes, one stratum of sandy immature soils. The paleo-mobile and paleo-semi-fixed dune sand in this section are similar to modem aeolian sand in either grain-size composition or Mz and c distribution. Compared the above types of dunes each other, the content of sand substance decreases, while the content of silt and clay increases for paleo-fixed dunes and sandy immature soils. Combined with age data for each stratum, the analysis shows that these strata are the products of climate changes and the evolution of aeolian landforms. The evolutionary sequence of the paleoclimate and of aeolian activities in the valley since 8600 yr B.P. reveals four stages： 8600-5700 yr B.P., when the paleoclimate was cold and dry, with strong winds, thereby activating dunes; 5700-3600 yr B.P., when it was warm and wet, with weak winds, causing dunes to undergo soil-forming processes; 3600-1900 yr B.P., when climate shifted from cold-dry with strong winds to warm-wet with weak winds, and activated dunes were fixed again; and 1900 yr B.P. -present, when the climate became fine, with weak winds, fixing dunes again.

Population dynamics and habitat use of the Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) in the Yarlung Tsangpo River basin, Tibet, China

Background:The Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis)is an internationally threatened crane living on the plateau, mainly in winter, in the Yarlung Tsangpo River basin in Tibet,western China. In the past five years,some economic development projects have been conducted in this area,posing potential threats to the wintering populations of the cranes and their habitats. Therefore, the current population dynamics of wintering Black-necked Cranes and habitat suitability in the Yarlung Tsangpo River basin were investigated. Methods: Twenty counties were surveyed using the line transect method in December 2017 and January 2018, and we recorded the location,flock size,number of individuals,habitat types and presence of human disturbance in which they occurred.We compared the results from the middle wintering period in this survey with those from 2014. Results: The highest number of cranes recorded was 8291,and the results showed that the cranes were mainly distributed in Lhaze, Namling, Samzhubze, and Lhunzub.A total of 577 and 495 flocks were recorded in the early and middle wintering periods, respectively. In the early wintering period,there were signi ficant differences in the number of individuals across the di fferent habitats,with crop stubble land and plowed land representing more than 30% of the total habitat utilization.In the middle wintering period, there were also signi ficant differences in the number of individuals, and the utilization of crop stubble land represented over 60% of the total. Conclusions: Wintering Black-necked Cranes mainly fed on spilled grains in stubble habitat after harvest. In the middle wintering period, some of the farmlands were plowed and irrigated,which resulted in food shortages in these areas,and the cranes tended to gather in mixed flocks of large size instead of as a single family.There were still considerable regional wintering populations decreases in Quxu,Nedong,and Sakya in 2018 compared with 2014,and these decreases were mainly due to some recently emerging threats,including farmlands being converted into areas of greenhouse cultivation,highway and railway construction, river dredging,the rapid development of the manufacturing and mining industries,and the lack of protection of important wintering sites.

Effect of Irrigation and Rainfall on Water Consumption Characteristics and Yield of High Yield Highland Barley in Tibet River Valley

This paper was to study the effect of irrigation and rainfall on water consumption characteristics and yield of high yield highland barley in Tibet river valley.In pots, highland barley-25 of Tibet was used as the test material to provide eight water stress treatments： normal water, slight water stress, middle water stress, and severe water stress in two environmental conditions（the whole growth period water stress and the rainwater irrigation after filling stage）. Test results indicated that water consumption increased with soil water rise. The maximum consumption of water was at the joining stage and filling stage. And then, the results showed that under rainwater irrigation treatment, the more the soil moisture was, the more the water consumption was. The water stress in whole highland barely growth period reduced biomass and yield. Compared with that of normal water treatment, biomass of slight water stress, middle water stress and severe water stress treatment was decreased by 29.9%, 41.7% and 47.6%, respectively, and yield of the three treatments was decreased by 15.8%, 43.7% and 57.2%, respectively. But rainfall after filling stage was beneficial to biomass and yield of highland barely. Compared with water stress on whole growth period, the biomass and yield of rainfall treatments after the filling stage were increased by 13%, 75.8%, 128.1%, 157.8% and 42.8%, 84%, 201.6%,and 269.5%. The results indicated that biomass and yield of rainwater irrigation after the filling stage had compensatory effect for highland barley growth under water stress, and could improve the water use efficiency. Therefore, properly rainwater usage is beneficial to the increase of yield and water use efficiency of Tibet highland barley-25 under water stress.

Analysis on Landscape Ecological Risk of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateaus:A Case Study on Niyang River Basin

Taking Niyang River Basin as an example, applying with the indices of landscape pattern, the indices of ecological risk of ecosystems are calculated in this paper, which takes the value of ecological loss of main ecosystem as the evaluation standard and takes into account the impacts of probability or the velocity of main hazards and event of the ecosystem. And the grades of ecological risk are assessed. According to the results of assessment, the ecological risk grades of the basin are divided into five classes. From the first grade risk to the fifth grade risk, the values of regional risk indices gradually reduce. The first grade risk areas mainly distribute in Niyang river and its branches downstream and the surrounding areas of main towns. And the basin area of non-valley region and the headstream regions of the branches are the fifth grades risk areas. This evaluation results provide the basis to the regional sustainable development.

The Upstream ＂Strong Signals＂ of the Water Vapor Transport over the Tibetan Plateau during a Heavy Rainfall Event in the Yangtze River Basin

A heavy rainfall event that occurred over the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin （YRB） during July 11-13 2000 is explored in this study. The potential/stream function is used to analyze the upstream ＂strong signals＂ of the water vapor transport in the Tibetan Plateau （TP）. The studied time period covers from 2000 LST 5 July to 2000 LST 15 July （temporal resolution： 6 hours）. By analyzing the three-dimensional structure of the water vapor flux, vorticity and divergence prior to and during the heavy rainfall event, the upstream ＂strong signals＂ related to this heavy rainfall event are revealed. A strong correlation exists between the heavy rainfall event in the YRB and the convective clouds over the TE The ＂convergence zone＂ of the water vapor transport is also identified, based on correlation analysis of the water vapor flux two days and one day prior to, and on the day of, the heavy rainfall. And this ＂convergence zone＂ coincides with the migration of the maximum rainfall over the YRB. This specific coupled structure actually plays a key role in generating heavy rainfall over the YRB. The eastward movement of the coupled system with a divergence]convergence center of the potential function at the upper/lower level resembles the spatiotemporal evolution of the heavy rainfall event over the YRB. These upstream ＂strong signals＂ are clearly traced in this study through analyzing the three-dimensional structure of the potential/stream function of upstream water vapor transport.

Impacts of Global Warming Perturbation on Water Resources in Arid Zone: Case Study of Kaidu River Basin in Northwest China

The main goal of this study was to assess the long-term impacts of global warming perturbation on water resources of the Kaidu River Basin in Northwest China. Temperature, precipitation and hydrology data during the past 29 years from 1979 to 2007 were collected and analyzed using parametric and non-parametric methods, the connection between temperature and precipitation by the combination of grey correlation analysis method and the hypothesis testing for trend of climate change. The results show a high increase in temperature in the study area as well as an extreme and highly variable hydrological regime in this region, where flash floods can exceed the total runoff from a sequence of years. These variations may be due to the geographical location of the Kaidu River Basin in arid zone. It also reveals that precipitation has a much greater impact on stream flow than that of temperature. The development of new approaches was proposed as responses to climate change in this arid region.

IMPACT OF URBANIZATION ON STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF RIVER SYSTEM—Case Study of Shanghai,China

Urbanization can affect the physical process of river growth, modify stream structure and further influence the functions of river system. Shanghai is one of the largest cities in the world, which is located in Changjiang (Yangtze) River Delta in China. Since the 1970s, the whole river system in Shanghai has been planned and managed by the Shanghai Water Authority. The primary management objectives in the last 30 years have been to enhance irrigation and flood-control. By using Horton-Strahler classification and Horton laws as a reference, a novel method of stream classification, in conjunction with the traditional and specially designed indicators, was applied to understanding the structure and functions of the river system in Shanghai. Correlation analysis was used to identify the interrelations among indicators. It was found that the impact of urbanization on the river system was significant although natural laws and physical characteristics marked a super-developed river system. There was an obvious correlation between the degree of urbanization and the abnormal values of some indicators. Urbanization impacts on river system such as branches engineered out, riverbank concreting and low diversity of river style were widely observed. Each indicator had distinct sensibility to urbanization so they could be used to describe different characteristics of urban river system. The function indicators were significantly related to structure indicators. Stream structure, described by fractal dimension and complexity of river system, was as important as water area ratio for maintaining river’s multi-function.

Hydrogeochemistry of River Water in the Upper Reaches of the Datong River Basin,China:Implications of Anthropogenic Inputs and Chemical Weathering

This research investigated anthropogenic inputs and chemical weathering in the upper reaches of the Datong River Basin,a tributary of the upper Yellow River,NW China.Multiple approaches were applied to data from 52 water and 12 soil samples from the Muli,Jiangcang,and Mole basins to estimate the chemical component concentrations and to analyze hydrochemical characteristics,distribution patterns,and origins in this coal mining-affected river basin.Coal mining has enhanced the weathering of the lithosphere in the study region.The total dissolved solids in the river range from 145.4 to 701.9 mg/L,which is higher than the global average for rivers.Ion concentration spatial distributions increase around mining areas.River geochemistry is mainly controlled by coal mining activity,carbonate weathering,and silicate weathering,with variances of 33.4%,26.2%,and 21.3%,respectively.Ca^(2+),Mg^(2+),and HCO_(3)^(-)are mainly due to the dissolution of carbonate minerals(calcite>dolomite);Si and K+are mainly from potassium(sodium)feldspar weathering;and Na+and SO_(4)^(2-)mainly from coal mine production.A conceptual model of the river water ion origins from the study area is presented and management implications for improving the adverse effects of coal mining are proposed.These results provide an important standard reference for water resource and environmental management in the study region.

Population Characteristics and Future Population Countermeasures for the Studied Counties in Tibet, China

Focusing on the 18 counties along “One River and Two Tributaries” region, and based on the data from China 3nl, 4th and 5th population censuses, this article has analyzed the time and spatial changing patterns of the population in this region. The analyses show that since the 3nl population census, total population, average age and total birth rate have all changed considerably: ① Total population has grown, fast, with most counties' annual average growth rate of more than 10. ② In terms of the region's average age, in 2000 the age in the 18 counties is younger than 30 years old. ③ Compared with the 3nl population census, labor force by the 5th census is much younger. ④ Countermeasures are proposed to control population by controlling birth rate as the result of the local resident's quality improvement by education.

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.

Assessing the Impacts of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Hydrology of the Mbarali River Sub-Catchment. The Case of Upper Great Ruaha Sub-Basin, Tanzania

Intensification of agricultural land use and population growth from 1990-2017 has caused changes in land cover and land use of the Mbarali River sub-catchment which is located in the Upper Great Ruaha Sub basin, Tanzania. This has affected the magnitude of the surface runoff, total water yield and the groundwater flow. This study assesses the impacts of the land cover and land use changes on the stream flows and hydrological water balance components (surface runoff, water yield, percolation and actual evapotranspiration). The land use and land cover (LULC) maps for three window period snapshots, 1990, 2006 and 2017 were created from Landsat TM and OLI_TIRS with the help of QGIS version 2.6. Supervised classification was used to generate LULC maps using the Maximum Likelihood Algorithm and Kappa statistics for assessment of accuracy. SWAT was set up and run to simulate stream flows and hydrological water balance components. The assessment of the impacts of land use and land cover changes on stream flows and hydrological water balance component was performed by comparing hydrological parameters simulated by SWAT using land use scenarios of 2006 and 2017 against the baseline land use scenario of 1990. Accuracy of LULC classification was good with Kappa statistics ranging between 0.9 and 0.99. There was a drastic increase in areal coverage of cultivated land, for periods 1990-2006 (5.84%) and 2006-2017 (12.05%) compared to other LULC. During 2006 and 2017 surface runoff increased by 4% and 9% respectively;however, water yield increased by only 0.5% compared to 1990 baseline period. This was attributed to increased proportion of cultivated land in the sub-catchment which has a high curve number (59.60) that indicates a higher runoff response and low infiltration rate.

Unit stream power,minimum energy dissipation rate,and river engineering

Unit stream power is the most important and dominant parameter for the determination of transport rate of sand,gravel,and hyper-concentrated sediment with wash load.Minimum energy dissipation rate theory,or its simplified minimum unit stream power and minimum stream power theories,can provide engineers the needed theoretical basis for river morphology and river engineering studies.The Generalized Sediment Transport model for Alluvial River Simulation computer mode series have been developed based on the above theories.The computer model series have been successfully applied in many countries.Examples will be used to illustrate the applications of the computer models to solving a wide range of river morphology and river engineering problems.

Assessing land use/land cover change impacts on the hydrology of Nyong River Basin, Cameroon

Uncontrolled land use land cover change(LULCC) is impacting watershed hydrology,particularly in tropical watersheds in developing countries. We assessed the extent of LULCC in the southern portion of the Nyong River basin through analysis of three land use maps in 1987, 2000 and2014. LULCC impact on hydrological variables of the Mbalmayo, Olama, Pont So’o, Messam, and Nsimi sub-watersheds of the southern portion of the Nyong River basin were evaluated by using the linear regression modeling and the Mann-Kendall test. This study reveals that dense forest cover decreased by16%, young secondary forest increased by 18%,agricultural/cropland increased by 10%, and built-up area/bare soil increased by 3% from 1987 to 2014.The decrease in dense forest cover at 0.6% per year on average was driven by indiscriminate expansion of subsistence agricultural/cropland through shifting and fallow cultivation farming systems. Nonsignificant trends in total discharge, high flows, and low flows were observed in the large sub-watersheds of Mbalmayo and Olama from 1998 to 2013 with LULCC within the watershed. In contrast, significant decreasing trends in stream discharge(up to-5.1%and-5.9%), and significant increasing trends in high flows(up to 2.1% and 6.3%), respectively, were observed in the small sub-watersheds of Pont So’o and Messam from 1998 to 2013, particularly with increase in agricultural/cropland cover and decrease in dense forest cover. However, we found nonsignificant trends in mean annual discharge and low flows for all and whole watershed with LULCC. The results reveal spatially varying trends of stream discharge, low flows and high flows among the subwatersheds with LULCC within the study watershed.The results suggest that the impacts of LULCC on watershed hydrology are easily detected in small subwatersheds than in large sub-watersheds. Therefore,the magnitude of dense forest cover loss must be significantly greater than 16% to cause significant changes and common trends in the hydrology of the sub-watersheds of the southern portion of the Nyong River basin. The Mann-Kendall and Regression approaches show appreciable potential for modelling the impacts of LULCC on the hydrology of the southern portion of the Nyong River basin and for informing forest management.