Simulating the effects of vegetation restoration and climate change on the long-term soil water balance on the Loess Plateau, 2021–2050

Abstract

In water-limited areas, soil water content (SWC) is a critical factor for plant growth and ecosystem stability. To understand the long-term effects of three different land uses (Vigna radiata: VR, Stipa bungeana: SB, and Medicago sativa: MS) and two climate scenarios (representative concentration pathway 4.5 (RCP45) and nonclimate change (Non_CC)) on water budgets and the mechanisms of dried soil layer (DSL) formation, a new complete multilayered model, OpenKarHydro, was developed. The results showed that the model adequately captured the water budget for different land uses, with root mean square errors (RMSEs) of 0.058, 0.046, and 0.046 and coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.615, 0.605, and 0.582, respectively, for SWC dynamics. This model performance was also demonstrated by the verification of runoff. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the soil porosity (n) was the most sensitive parameter in all land uses. The DSL was primarily caused by higher evapotranspiration (VR: 83.16% vs. 82.48%, SB: 80.62% vs. 77.69%, and MS: 79.93% vs. 76.26%) and canopy interception (VR: 11.92% vs. 11.99%, SB: 17.56% vs. 23.15% and MS: 22.60% vs. 26.19%) in the Non_CC climate pattern than in the RCP45 climate pattern. Climate change has caused an increase in evapotranspiration and interception for all land uses, reducing bottom leakage. Rainfall is sufficient to meet the water demand in the VR plot regardless of climate change; however, the additional water consumption caused by climate warming cannot be offset by the increased rainfall for the SB and MS plots. Compared to Non_CC, RCP45 resulted in increases of 0%, 54.19%, and 57.62% in proportion with extreme drought and decreases of 4.70%, 38.74%, and 5.24% in proportion with no drought for the soil profiles of VR, SB, and MS, respectively. For MS, RCP45 (2026) caused the DSL to penetrate the soil profile (>400 cm) 4 years earlier than in the Non_CC (2030), which should take no more than 5 and 9 years, respectively. OpenKarHydro is a useful tool for optimal water resource management and ecological restoration in water-limited areas.