Abstract
It is crucial for effective water resource management in a watershed that the relationship between land use changes and baseflow. This study quantifies the influence of land use changes on the baseflow dynamics using a hydrological model and partial least-squares (PLS) regression in the Upper Du Watershed (8961 km2), China. Our study suggests that forest can be a major factor with a negative impact on the baseflow. Additionally, farmland and urban land have second-order negative effects on the baseflow dynamics. Baseflow increases when forest is replaced by farmland because the evapotranspiration (ET), associated with baseflow recession, is weaker and shorter in duration in the farmland than in the forest. The conversion of forest to urban land increases baseflow owing to the presence of non-contributing impervious surfaces in urban areas, which prevents the urban land from intercepting the baseflow discharge. These results indicate that the baseflow dynamics are closely associated with varying land use types within a watershed. Thus, this study is intended to provide a deeper understanding of the baseflow processes and useful quantitative information on land use factors in watersheds, enabling more informed decision-making in forest and watershed management.
Highlights
Baseflow is the sustained flow of water that exists between precipitation events; it feeds the water to stream channels in a delayed manner through subsurface pathways [1]
Our results suggest that the negative relationships between farmland and baseflow in the Upper Du Watershed may be correlated with crops, which are irrigated from surface water storage associated with the stream network, and the great ET loss of crops, which is agreed with the conclusions of many researchers [9,40]
Our study quantifies the relative importance of the land use types on baseflow at the sub-watershed scale
Summary
Baseflow is the sustained flow of water that exists between precipitation events; it feeds the water to stream channels in a delayed manner through subsurface pathways [1]. The magnitude of the baseflow in streams is controlled by many factors, e.g., fluvial geomorphology, soils, land use, and climate [3,4]. Among these factors, topography and soil properties are relatively constant in short periods, whereas land use changes are variable, especially in forestlands [5,6]. The effects of forest and other land use changes are associated with changes in evapotranspiration (ET), infiltration, and the recharge of watershed subsurface storage, all of which may influence baseflow [3,7]. Watershed management and planning require practical knowledge of the relationships between forest and other land use changes and baseflow processes. Use of multiple regression analysis and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model can offer a simple method to quantify the effect of land use changes on hydrological components [8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
