The impact of vegetation and soil on runoff regulation in headwater streams on the east Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)

ZHANG, W.

Lab. Forest Ecology and Global Changes, School of Life Science, Univ., Nanjing, Chine

Northeast Inst. of Geography and Agroecology, CAS, Changchun, Chine

AN, S.

Lab. Forest Ecology and Global Changes, School of Life Science, Univ., Nanjing, Chine

XU, Z.

Lab. Forest Ecology and Global Changes, School of Life Science, Univ., Nanjing, Chine

CUI, J.

Lab. Forest Ecology and Global Changes, School of Life Science, Univ., Nanjing, Chine

XU, Q.

The Institut of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, the Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, Chine

Description :
The aim of this paper is to evaluate the capacity of different vegetation communities to regulate surface runoff in an alpine landscape. The AA. collected water samples for stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic analyses from precipitation, throughfall, soils, streams, and rivers and compared their isotopic signatures. Results indicated that different vegetation types had different capacities for water conservation. Forested vegetation types were best able to regulate surface runoff. Land use changes have dramatically affected water conservation in the study area in the past several decades; if forested land cover existed at the levels present in 1986 or 1974, the ability of the watershed to intercept surface runoff would increase by about 7% and 3%, respectively, over its capacity in 2000.

Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Catena (Giessen), issn : 0341-8162, 2011, vol. 87, n°. 2, p. 182-189, nombre de pages : 8, Références bibliographiques : 1 p.

Date :
2011

Editeur :
Pays édition : Allemagne, Cremlingen-Destedt, Catena

Langue :
Anglais