Long-term improvements in water conservation functions at Qilian Mountain National Park, northwest China

Xiang Gao, Xing-xing Huang, Shu-hang Chang, Qian-wen Dang, Rui-yang Wen, Kevin Lo*, Jie Li, An Yan

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

    3 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Water conservation is one of the most important ecosystem functions. This study uses the InVEST model to examine the water conservation function of the Qilian Mountain National Park (QMNP), an important water supply area in northwest China. We analyzed the spatiotemporal water conservation patterns of QMNP from 1988 to 2019. It showed that the water conservation capacity in QMNP has increased over the past 32 years, reaching a peak of 6.495×108 m3 in 2019. The area with an increased water conservation capacity is 12 times larger than the area with a reduced capacity. We also examined how climatic, land-use, vegetation coverage, and topographical factors influence water conservation functions. We found that precipitation is the main climatic factor in water conservation. The water conservation function also varies with land-cover type, with forests having the highest capacity, followed by grasslands. Lastly, topographical factors, including altitude and slope, also shape the spatial patterns of water conservation functions in QMNP.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)2885-2897
    Number of pages13
    JournalJournal of Mountain Science
    Volume20
    Issue number10
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Oct 2023

    Scopus Subject Areas

    • Global and Planetary Change
    • Geography, Planning and Development
    • Geology
    • Earth-Surface Processes
    • Nature and Landscape Conservation

    User-Defined Keywords

    • Ecosystem services
    • InVEST model
    • Northwest China
    • Qilian Mountain National Park
    • Water conservation function

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Long-term improvements in water conservation functions at Qilian Mountain National Park, northwest China'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this