Hydrological impacts of vegetation cover change in China through terrestrial moisture recycling

Di Xie; Yu Zhang; Mingxi Zhang; Yinglin Tian; Yuan Cao; Yuantao Mei; Shutong Liu; Deyu Zhong

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170015

Hydrological impacts of vegetation cover change in China through terrestrial moisture recycling

Sci Total Environ. 2024 Mar 10:915:170015. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170015. Epub 2024 Jan 14.

Authors

Di Xie¹, Yu Zhang¹, Mingxi Zhang¹, Yinglin Tian¹, Yuan Cao¹, Yuantao Mei¹, Shutong Liu¹, Deyu Zhong²

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Key Laboratory of Hydrosphere Sciences of the Ministry of Water Resources, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Key Laboratory of Hydrosphere Sciences of the Ministry of Water Resources, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Joint-Sponsored State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China. Electronic address: zhongdy@tsinghua.edu.cn.

PMID: 38219996
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170015

Abstract

Terrestrial moisture recycling (TMR), characterized by a continuous process comprising green water flow (i.e., terrestrial evaporation), atmospheric transport, and terrestrial precipitation, functions as a nexus connecting hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and anthroposphere. During this process, land cover changes that impact green water flow can modify regional and remote precipitation patterns, potentially yielding far-reaching effects on water resources and human livelihoods. However, the comprehensive patterns of moisture recycling and transfer across eco-geographical regions in China, and their connection with various land cover types and vegetation transitions, remain insufficiently evaluated. This study employed an atmospheric moisture tracking model to quantify China's TMR pattern and evaluate the hydrological impacts of vegetation cover changes in China's ecosystems through TMR. The results demonstrate a significant moisture recycling ratio (52.4 %) and a considerable recycled volume (1.9 trillion m³/a) over China, characterized by pronounced moisture transfer from south to north and southwest to northeast. Among various land cover types, grasslands, croplands, and forests play pivotal supportive roles in China's TMR, contributing 738.8, 470.0, and 450.0 billion m³/a of precipitation in China, respectively. Moreover, the potential transition of vegetation between forest and cropland exerts the most significant and extensive impact on China's hydrological cycle. The conversion from forest to cropland leads to a total decrease of 44.7 billion m³/a in precipitation, whereas reforestation from cropland corresponds to a precipitation increase of 74.9 billion m³/a. This study provides a quantitative approach to comprehending the TMR pattern and its relationship with ecosystems, substantiating the significance of a comprehensive water management framework that considers the contribution of atmospheric moisture recycling and the impact of vegetation cover change.

Keywords: Green water; Terrestrial moisture recycling; Vegetation cover change; Water resources management.