State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China.
College of Grassland and Environmental Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, 830052, China.
Sci Rep. 2022 Jun 15;12(1):9982. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-14524-z.
Water system management is a worldwide challenge, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Ecological water conveyance projects aim to raise the groundwater table, thereby saving natural vegetation and curbing ecological deterioration. Since 2000, these projects have been implemented in the arid zone of northwest China, with generally successful outcomes. Taking a portion of the lower reaches of the Tarim River as the study area, this paper analyzes in detail the ecohydrological effects which have occurred since the launching of artificial water conveyance 20 years ago. The results show that the groundwater table in the upper, middle and lower segments of the Tarim River's lower reaches has been raised on average 4.06, 4.83 and 5.13 m, respectively, while the area of surface water bodies connected to those sections has expanded from 49.00 km to 498.54 km. At the same time, Taitema Lake, which is the terminal lake of the Tarim River, has been revived and now boasts a water area of 455.27 km. Other findings indicate that the surface ecological response is extremely sensitive and that the area of natural vegetation has expanded to 1423 km. Furthermore, the vegetation coverage, vegetation index (NDVI), and Net Primary Productivity (NPP) have increased by 132 km, 0.07 and 7.6 g C m, respectively, and the Simpson dominance, McIntosh evenness, and Margalef richness indices have risen by 0.33, 0.35 and 0.49, respectively, in the monitored sample sites. As well, the carbon sink area has expanded from 1.54% to 7.8%. Given the increasing intensity of the occurrence of extreme hydrological events and successive dry years, similar ecological water conveyance projects should be considered elsewhere in China and in other parts of the world. The water conveyance scheme has generally proven successful and should be optimized to enhance the benefits of ecological water conveyance under water resource constraints.
水资源管理是一个全球性的挑战，特别是在干旱和半干旱地区。生态调水工程旨在提高地下水位，从而保护天然植被，遏制生态恶化。自 2000 年以来，这些项目在中国西北地区的干旱地区实施，总体上取得了成功。本文以塔里木河下游部分地区为研究区，详细分析了 20 年前实施人工调水以来发生的生态水文学效应。结果表明，塔里木河下游上、中、下段地下水位平均抬升 4.06、4.83 和 5.13m，与各河段相连的地表水体面积分别由 49.00km扩大到 498.54km。同时，作为塔里木河终端湖的台特玛湖也得到了恢复，目前面积为 455.27km。其他发现表明，地表生态响应极其敏感，天然植被面积已扩大到 1423km。此外，植被覆盖度、植被指数（NDVI）和净初级生产力（NPP）分别增加了 132km、0.07 和 7.6g C m，监测样地的 Simpson 优势度、McIntosh 均匀度和 Margalef 丰富度指数分别增加了 0.33、0.35 和 0.49，碳汇面积也从 1.54%扩大到 7.8%。鉴于极端水文事件发生的强度和连续干旱年数的增加，中国其他地区和世界其他地区也应考虑类似的生态调水工程。调水方案总体上已被证明是成功的，应在水资源约束下进行优化，以提高生态调水的效益。
