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Arid Land Geography ›› 2024, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (6): 1047-1060.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2023.346

• Regional Development • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatiotemporal analysis of water ecosystem services of the Yellow River Basin in Shanxi Province

HOU Jinxing1,2(), PAN Huanhuan1,2, DU Ziqiang1,2(), WU Zhitao1,2, ZHANG Hong1,2   

  1. 1. Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, Shanxi, China
    2. Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of China’s Ministry of Education for Shanxi Alpine Grassland Ecosystem, Xinzhou 036707, Shanxi, China
  • Received:2023-07-08 Revised:2023-10-07 Online:2024-06-25 Published:2024-07-09
  • Contact: DU Ziqiang E-mail:m14735850096@163.com;duzq@sxu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Ecosystem services support economic and social development and human living conditions, with water ecosystem services being particularly significant for maintaining human production, life, and the ecological environment. However, research on water ecological services in the river basin is currently relatively weak. This paper applies the water production and quality purification module of the integrated valuation of ecosystem services and trade-offs model to quantify the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of water production, water source conservation, and water purification services of the Yellow River Basin in Shanxi Province from 2000 to 2020. It discusses the relationship between climate and land use and water production, water source conservation, and water purification. The results show that: (1) Over the past 20 years, water production in the basin has fluctuated and increased, with the peak value appearing in 2020 at 152.37 mm. The distribution difference of water production in space is noticeable; the range of high-value areas is enlarged, and the range of low-value areas is narrowed. Land use and climate change affect the spatiotemporal changes in water production and service of the Yellow River Basin in Shanxi Province. The water production capacity of different land use types varies from 2000 to 2020, and the contribution rate of climate change to water production services is significantly greater than that of land use change. (2) Over the past 20 years, the changing trend of water conservation and production has been the same, with the peak value occurring in 2020 at 100.32 mm. Water conservation in the basin has fluctuated and increased. Spatially, woodland has shown the most significant increase in water conservation capacity, followed by grassland, and areas with large precipitation and relatively small evapotranspiration have a significantly higher water conservation capacity than other areas. Climate factors have a greater influence on water conservation than land use type. (3) Over the past 20 years, nitrogen and phosphorus output in the basin has shown a yearly decreasing trend, reaching its lowest value in 2020 at 0.4739 kg·hm−2 and 0.0366 kg·hm−2, respectively. Spatially, the nitrogen and phosphorus output in mountainous and hilly areas is significantly lower than that in plains and basins. Human agricultural activities, especially the extensive input of fertilizer in agricultural land, are the leading cause of water environment pollution, and the urbanization-induced expansion of impervious ground will impact water purification in the study area. This study can provide a reference for water ecosystem protection, ecological compensation, and scientific management of the Yellow River Basin in Shanxi Province.

Key words: ecosystem service, water yield, water conservation, water purification, Yellow River Basin