Responses of Nutrients to the Precipitation Variation and Land Use in Subtropical Monsoonal Small Mountainous Rivers:A Case Study of Baixi Watershed

Small mountainous rivers are characterized by large instantaneous fluxes and susceptible to extreme weather events,which can rapidly transport materials into the sea and have a significant impact on the ecological environment of estuaries and bays.In order to investigate the seasonal characteristics of nutrients in small mountainous rivers in the subtropical monsoon region and the output pattern to the sea during heavy precipitation,surveys on the mountainous rivers were carried out in Baixi watershed in August 2020(wet season),March 2021(dry season)and June 2021(Meiyu period).The results showed that the dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN)of the rivers has an average concentration of 752μg L^(−1)in the wet season and 1472μg L^(−1)in the dry season.The concentrations of dissolved inorganic phosphorus(DIP)in wet season and dry season were 63μg L^(−1)and 51μg L^(−1),respectively.Influenced by the changes of land use in sub-watersheds,DIN concentrations in the mainstream increased from 701μg L^(−1)in the upper reaches to 1284μg L^(−1)in the middle reaches.Two rainstorms during the Meiyu period in the watershed caused the pulse runoff in the river.The maximum daily runoff reached 70 times that before rains.The maximum daily fluxes of DIN and DIP were 109 and 247 times that before rains,respectively.In view that the watershed experienced several rainstorms in the wet season,the river,with pulse runoff,carries a large amount of nutrients into the sea in a short time,which will have a significant impact on the environment of Sanmen bay and its adjacent sea.

Oxygen and hydrogen isotope characteristics of different water bodies in the Burqin River Basin of the Altay Mountains,China

Characterization of the spatial and temporal variability of stable isotopes in surface water is essential for interpreting hydrological processes.In this study,we collected the water samples of river water,groundwater,and reservoir water in the Burqin River Basin of the Altay Mountains,China in 2021,and characterized the oxygen and hydrogen isotope variations in different water bodies via instrumental analytics and modeling.Results showed significant seasonal variations in stable isotope ratios of oxygen and hydrogen(δ18O andδ2H,respectively)and significant differences inδ18O andδ2H among different water bodies.Higherδ18O andδ2H values were mainly found in river water,while groundwater and reservoir water had lower isotope ratios.River water and groundwater showed differentδ18O-δ2H relationships with the local meteoric water line,implying that river water and groundwater are controlled by evaporative enrichment and multi-source recharge processes.The evaporative enrichment experienced by reservoir water was less significant and largely influenced by topography,recharge sources,local moisture cycling,and anthropogenic factors.Higher deuterium excess(d-excess)value of 14.34‰for river water probably represented the isotopic signature of combined contributions from direct precipitation,snow and glacial meltwater,and groundwater recharge.The average annual d-excess values of groundwater(10.60‰)and reservoir water(11.49‰)were similar to the value of global precipitation(10.00‰).The findings contribute to understanding the hydroclimatic information reflected in the month-by-month variations in stable isotopes in different water bodies and provide a reference for the study of hydrological processes and climate change in the Altay Mountains,China.

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.

Importance of Comprehensive Ecological Restoration of Mountains,Rivers,Forests,Farmland,Lakes and Grass:A Case Study of the Shichuan River

With China's economic development and population growth,China's ecological environment continues to deteriorate.The comprehensive ecosystem restoration of the Shichuan River aims to build an ecosystem containing"mountains,rivers,forests,farmland,lakes and grass"by determining scientific and reasonable thickness of foreign soil,pollution restoration,ecological reconstruction,safeguard measures,etc.It brings new vitality to local ecological environment remodeling and economic development.

Sensitivity of mountain runoff to climate change for Urumqi and Kaidu rivers originating from the Tianshan Mountains

The mountain watersheds of Kaidu River and Urumqi River, which separately originate from the south and north-side of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, are selected as the study area. The characteristics and trends on variation of temperature, precipitation and runoff, and the correlativity between temperature, precipitation, and runoffwere analyzed based on the past 40 years of observational data from the correlative hydrological and weather stations in the study areas. Various weather scene combinations are assumed and the response models of runoff to climate change are established in order to evaluate the sensitivity of runoff to climate change in the study areas based on the foregoing analysis, Results show that all variations of temperature, precipitation, and runoff overall present an oscillating and increasing trend since the 1960s and this increase are quite evident after 1990. There is a markedly positive correlation between mountain runoff, temperature, and precipitation while there are obvious regional differences of responding degree to precipitation and temperature between mountain runoff of Ummqi River and Kaidu River Basins Also, mountain runoff of Urumqi River Basin is more sensitive to precipitation change than that of Kaidu River Basin, and mountain runoff of Kaidu River Basin is more sensitive to temperature change than that of Ummqi River Basin.

A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains Leading the Exhibition of Blue-green Landscape Paintings from across Chinese History in the Palace Museum in September

A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains is a silk scroll painting which is hard to preserve. The color of azurite and mineral green on the painting is rich. After nearly a thousand years, it is so fragile that it may be spalled by opening the painting. That is why the painting has seldom been shown to the public. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the painting has been on display for just three times.

The changes in the annual distribution of mountain runoff during the period of 1965-2018 in Hexi Corridor,Northwest China

The annual distribution characteristics of river runoff in arid regions have significant implications for water resource stability and management.Based on the mountain runoff data from 1965 to 2018,this study examines the annual change characteristics of monthly runoff of the Shiyang River Basin,Heihe River Basin,and Shule River Basin in the Hexi Corridor,Northwest China.Many indexes are used and analyzed,including the coefficient of variance,the complete regulation coefficient,the concentration degree and concentration period,the magnitude of change,the skewness coefficient,and the kurtosis coefficient of the annual distribution curves.The results reveal the following:(1)The inhomogeneity of annual runoff distribution in the Taolai River and the rivers to the west of it,except the Shiyou River,show an increasing trend.Conversely,the inhomogeneity of the rivers to the east of the Taolai River generally show a downward trend,but the coefficient of variance value is still very high.(2)In the Shiyang River Basin,the annual distribution of the concentration period is characterized by a relatively discrete pattern.Conversely,the Heihe River Basin exhibits a relatively concentrated pattern,and the distribution pattern of the Shule River Basin is quite different.Notably,all concentration periods in the three basins have shifted backward after the 2000s.(3)The Shiyang River Basin exhibits disordered annual distribution curves of runoff in different years.In contrast,the Heihe River Basin presents a typical‘single-peak’pattern with a prominent right-skewed.The Shule River Basin has regular distribution curves,with a gradually significant‘double-peak’pattern from east to west.Overall,there has been a slight change in runoff in the Shiyang River Basin,while the Heihe River Basin and Shule River Basin have experienced significant increases in runoff.The annual distribution curves of runoff in the Liyuan River and the rivers to the east of it exhibit a gentle peak pattern,and the appearance probability of extreme runoff during the year is low.Conversely,the rivers to the west of the Liyuan River,excluding the Danghe River,display a sharp peak and thick tail pattern,indicating that the appearance probability of extreme runoff during the year is high.These findings have practical implications for the planning and management of water resources in the Hexi Corridor.Moreover,they provide a solid foundation for predicting future changes in regional water resources.

Phases of Environmental Evolution Indicated by Primary Chemical Elements and Paleontological Records in the Upper Pleistocene-Holocene Series for the Salawusu River Valley,China

Studies of lithology, sedimentary facies and the distribution regularity of SiO2 and Al2O3 contents and Al2O3/SiO2 ratio allow us to divide the Upper Pleistocene-Holocene Series represented by the MUanggouwan section in China＇s Salawnsu River valley into six segments： MGS1, MGS2, MGS3, MGS4, MGS5 and MGS6. The boundary ages for MGS1 （the Dishaogouwan and Dagouwan Formations）, MGS2 （the upper Chengchuan Formation）, MGS3 （the middle Chengchuan Formation）, MGS4 （the lower Chengchuan Formation）, MGS5 （most strata of the Salawusu Formation） and MGS6 （the bottom of the Salawusu Formation and the top of the Lishi Formation） correspond to those of MIS1, MIS2, MIS3, MIS4, MISS and MIS6, respectively, from deep sea sediments or continental glaciers. MGS5 can be subdivided into five subsegments （MGS5a, MGS5b, MGS5c, MGS5d and MGS5e） and the boundary ages of these subsegments correspond to those of MISSa, MISSb, MIS5c, MIS5d and MIS5e, respectively. Based on the paleoenvironment and paleoecology indicated by the primary chemical elements, fossil vertebrates, mollusks and pollen grains, we hypothesize that MGS1, MGS2, MGS3, MGS4, MGS5 and MGS6 and the subsegments of MGS5 match the corresponding stages for oxygen isotopes in the deep sea sediments and continental glaciers, and the substages of MIS5 in terms of climatic characters, further explaining the phenomena that determined the formation of the late Quaternary strata and the paleontology of the Salawusu River valley. These phenomena relate to fluctuations in the global climate （and particularly in the East Asian monsoon） during the glacial and interglacial periods.

Grain-size distribution characteristics of red sandy sediments in Dongjiang River valley,southern Nanling Mountains,during the MIS2 stage

Layer LJ3 of Linjiang stratigraphic section in Dongjiang River valley in the south of the Nanling Mountains is a set of red sandy sediments.Measured by thermoluminescence(TL) dating,it was found to be formed in MIS2-9,500 ± 800 yr to 19,600 ± 1,800 yr B.P.After analy-sis of the grain sizes of the 16 samples(LJ3-100 to LJ3-85) in this layer,it was discovered that(1) The contents of each grain group in dif-ferent samples are similar.(2) The values of Md,Mz,,Sk,and Kg vary from LJ3-100 to LJ3-85 in a narrow range.(3) The segments of each sample in the accumulative curves extend parallel with similar slopes.All the three aspects reveal the Aeolian characteristics of Layer LJ3.Therefore,it is thought that Layer LJ3 consists of red sandy sediments formed in MIS2 in the south of Nanling Mountain,which reflects the arid climate at that time.

Monitoring and analysis of snow cover change in an alpine mountainous area in the Tianshan Mountains,China

Estimating the snow cover change in alpine mountainous areas(in which meteorological stations are typically lacking)is crucial for managing local water resources and constitutes the first step in evaluating the contribution of snowmelt to runoff and the water cycle.In this paper,taking the Jingou River Basin on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains,China as an example,we combined a new moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer(MODIS)snow cover extent product over China spanning from 2000 to 2020 with digital elevation model(DEM)data to study the change in snow cover and the hydrological response of runoff to snow cover change in the Jingou River Basin under the background of climate change through trend analysis,sensitivity analysis and other methods.The results indicate that from 2000 to 2020,the annual average temperature and annual precipitation in the study area increased and snow cover fraction(SCF)showed obvious signs of periodicity.Furthermore,there were significant regional differences in the spatial distribution of snow cover days(SCDs),which were numerous in the south of the basin and sparse in the central of the basin.Factors affecting the change in snow cover mainly included temperature,precipitation,elevation,slope and aspect.Compared to precipitation,temperature had a greater impact on SCF.The annual variation in SCF was limited above the elevation of 4200 m,but it fluctuated greatly below the elevation of 4200 m.These results can be used to establish prediction models of snowmelt and runoff for alpine mountainous areas with limited hydrological data,which can provide a scientific basis for the management and protection of water resources in alpine mountainous areas.

Identifying water vapor sources of precipitation in forest and grassland in the north slope of the Tianshan Mountains,Central Asia

Identifying water vapor sources in the natural vegetation of the Tianshan Mountains is of significant importance for obtaining greater knowledge about the water cycle,forecasting water resource changes,and dealing with the adverse effects of climate change.In this study,we identified water vapor sources of precipitation and evaluated their effects on precipitation stable isotopes in the north slope of the Tianshan Mountains,China.By utilizing the temporal and spatial distributions of precipitation stable isotopes in the forest and grassland regions,Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory(HYSPLIT)model,and isotope mass balance model,we obtained the following results.(1)The Eurasia,Black Sea,and Caspian Sea are the major sources of water vapor.(2)The contribution of surface evaporation to precipitation in forests is lower than that in the grasslands(except in spring),while the contribution of plant transpiration to precipitation in forests(5.35%)is higher than that in grasslands(3.79%)in summer.(3)The underlying surface and temperature are the main factors that affect the contribution of recycled water vapor to precipitation;meanwhile,the effects of water vapor sources of precipitation on precipitation stable isotopes are counteracted by other environmental factors.Overall,this work will prove beneficial in quantifying the effect of climate change on local water cycles.

Thoughts and Practice of Ecological Protection and Restoration of Mountains, Rivers, Forests, Farmlands, Lakes and Grasslands

The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China stated that it was necessary to establish and practice the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,treat the ecological environment as life,and coordinate the management of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes and grasslands.In recent years,China has organized a series of pilot projects for the ecological protection and restoration of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes and grasslands,breaking the boundary between administrative divisions,departmental management and ecological elements,and implementing conservation and restoration oriented towards the improvement of ecosystem services,so as to solve the problem of the lack of overall planning for ecological protection and restoration projects and the separated management of ecological elements.This study systematically elaborated the theoretical basis and connotation characteristics of ecological protection and restoration of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes and grasslands.It proposed the implementation path of ecological protection and restoration project of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes and grasslands by taking the water source conservation area of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei as a case,so as to provide reference for the implementation and decision-making management of ecological protection and restoration projects in various regions.

AN ANALYSIS OF WATER RESOURCE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RIVERS IN THE NORTHERN SLOPE OF THE KUNLUN MOUNTAINS

There are 43 rivers of varying sizes in the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains, all of which originate from the Kunlun Mountains. Supplied by precipitation and melting water of glacier, the total runoff amounts to 87×108m3. The analysis shows that water quantity distribution of the rivers in the area is more in the west, and less in the east. While in the west, the water quantity of the Hotan River amounts to more than half of the total, in th eeast, most rivers are seasonal rivers except the Keriya River and the Qarqan River, which have relatively large amount of waters. From the analysis of inner structures of the runoff series of the major rivers, we can see that the annual runoff series of all rivers are mainly stable independent random series. Such characteristics of the time series are determined by the supply characteristics of the rivers. Some measures of rationally using water resources are proposed finally.

The pH value and electrical conductivity of atmospheric environment from ice cores in the Tianshan Mountains

Electrical Conductivity Measurement （ECM） from ice core is a representative index for atmospheric environmental change. The pH value and ECM from three shallow ice cores （each 3.85 m, 231 ice samples total） on Glacier No.1 at the headwater of Urumqi River, Glacier No.48 in Kuitun area, and Miaoergou Glacier in Hami area in the eastern Tianshan Mountains, western China, were measured and analyzed for atmospheric environment records research. Ice core record shows that the changing trend of pH and ECM in three sites in recent years is different： ECM in Kuitun increases with the ice depth change, but ECM in Hami and Urumqi Glacier No.1 ice cores show a decreasing trend. Average ECM value in Hami is much larger than other two sites, just as the dust concentration and ions concentration are also very high in this site. ECM records in all three sites are mainly affected by aerosol mineral dust of Central Asia, and correlative coefficients of ECM and mineral ions such as Ca^2＋, Mg^2＋, Na^2＋ are all significantly high. The pH value and ECM are also significantly high correlative coefficients in the eastern Tianshan Mountains. Comparison between the eastern Tianshan Mountains and other sites in western China, and Polar Regions, shows that the difference of ECM can very well reflect the spatial difference of worldwide atmospheric environment.

Landslide susceptibility assessment in Western Henan Province based on a comparison of conventional and ensemble machine learning

Landslide is a serious natural disaster next only to earthquake and flood,which will cause a great threat to people’s lives and property safety.The traditional research of landslide disaster based on experience-driven or statistical model and its assessment results are subjective,difficult to quantify,and no pertinence.As a new research method for landslide susceptibility assessment,machine learning can greatly improve the landslide susceptibility model’s accuracy by constructing statistical models.Taking Western Henan for example,the study selected 16 landslide influencing factors such as topography,geological environment,hydrological conditions,and human activities,and 11 landslide factors with the most significant influence on the landslide were selected by the recursive feature elimination(RFE)method.Five machine learning methods[Support Vector Machines(SVM),Logistic Regression(LR),Random Forest(RF),Extreme Gradient Boosting(XGBoost),and Linear Discriminant Analysis(LDA)]were used to construct the spatial distribution model of landslide susceptibility.The models were evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve and statistical index.After analysis and comparison,the XGBoost model(AUC 0.8759)performed the best and was suitable for dealing with regression problems.The model had a high adaptability to landslide data.According to the landslide susceptibility map of the five models,the overall distribution can be observed.The extremely high and high susceptibility areas are distributed in the Funiu Mountain range in the southwest,the Xiaoshan Mountain range in the west,and the Yellow River Basin in the north.These areas have large terrain fluctuations,complicated geological structural environments and frequent human engineering activities.The extremely high and highly prone areas were 12043.3 km^(2)and 3087.45 km^(2),accounting for 47.61%and 12.20%of the total area of the study area,respectively.Our study reflects the distribution of landslide susceptibility in western Henan Province,which provides a scientific basis for regional disaster warning,prediction,and resource protection.The study has important practical significance for subsequent landslide disaster management.

Simulation of hydrological processes of mountainous watersheds in inland river basins: taking the Heihe Mainstream River as an example

The hydrological processes of mountainous watersheds in inland river basins are complicated.It is absolutely significant to quantify mountainous runoff for social,economic and ecological purposes.This paper takes the mountainous watershed of the Heihe Mainstream River as a study area to simulate the hydrological processes of mountainous watersheds in inland river basins by using the soil and water assessment tool(SWAT)model.SWAT simulation results show that both the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency and the determination coefficient values of the calibration period(January 1995 to December 2002)and validation period(January 2002 to December 2009)are higher than 0.90,and the percent bias is controlled within±5%,indicating that the simulation results are satisfactory.According to the SWAT performance,we discussed the yearly and monthly variation trends of the mountainous runoff and the runoff components.The results show that from 1996 to 2009,an indistinctive rising trend was observed for the yearly mountainous runoff,which is mainly recharged by lateral flow,and followed by shallow groundwater runoff and surface runoff.The monthly variation demonstrates that the mountainous runoff decreases slightly from May to July,contrary to other months.The mountainous runoff is mainly recharged by shallow groundwater runoff in January,February,and from October to December,by surface runoff in March and April,and by lateral flow from May to September.

Coupling Mechanism of Rural Settlements and Mountain Disasters in the Upper Reaches of Min River

Human settlements are the place where human beings live,among which the rural settlements can be regarded as a reflection of human-land relationship in mountain areas because their vertical distribution is greatly influenced by the specific geographical environment and ecological conditions of mountains.Based on field investigation,this paper uses physical,geographical,and ecological theories to make a comprehensive study of rural settlements and mountain disasters in the upper Min River,which is an ecologically fragile area with high-frequency disasters(collapse,landslide,debris flow,etc.) and a minority inhabit district.By applying these modern scientific theories,this paper attempts to shed some light on the relationship between rural settlements and mountain disasters.Consequently,an in-depth understanding of this relationship was achieved as follows:(1) Rural settlements and mountain disasters are mainly distributed in the intercepted flows of water and soil; and both quantity and quality of arable lands in mountains are important indicators of these flows.(2) The Small Watershed Management Project is a complex system of rural settlements and mountain disasters that interacts with and constrains the ecological system.By this project,the human survival will be better guaranteed.Being fundamental for the ecological reconstruction,the coupling mechanism of rural settlements and mountain disasters is not only an engine to promote harmonious development between human and nature,but also a bridge to link them.

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.