Abstract:
Objective The upper reaches of the Heihe River Basin constitute the primary water−generating area of the entire basin. This study aims to reveal the spatiotemporal characteristics and response patterns of water yield in this region, providing scientific basis for water resource development, utilization, and management in the basin.
Methods Utilizing the InVEST model's water yield module, geographic detector and scenario analysis methods were employed to assess water yield in the upper Heihe River Basin for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. This study examined water yield trends over the past two decades and explored the relationship between these changes and shifts in climate and land use.
Results Spatially, the northwest and central regions exhibited lower water yield between 2000 and 2005, while other areas showed higher yields. From 2010 to 2020, a pattern emerged with higher yields in the southeast and lower yields in the northwest. Water yields in the upper Heihe River basin in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, the water yield in the upper reaches of the Heihe River was 37.78×108 m3, 35.74×108 m3, 44.28×108 m3, 49.80×108 m3, and 45.80×108 m3, respectively, showing an overall upward trend with a significant increase. Analysis results from the Geographic Detector indicate that interactions among factors explain precipitation more effectively than individual factors alone. The explanatory power of annual evapotranspiration (0.5162), annual mean temperature (0.4522), and annual precipitation (0.3383) each contributed over 30% to the explanation. The interaction among climatic factors most prominently explained spatial variations in water yield, indicating that climate is the dominant factor governing its distribution. To a significant extent, climate drives the spatial differentiation of water yield in the upper Heihe River Basin.
Conclusions From 2000 to 2020, precipitation changes in the upper Heihe River basin exerted a significant influence on water yield, while land use changes had a relatively minor impact.