Seasonal Water Yield Research Articles

Enhancing Watershed Management through Seasonal Water Yield Modelling using InVEST (Case Study: Rawa Pening Catchment Area)

Located in the upstream of the Tuntang Watershed in Indonesia, Rawa Pening catchment is a significant watershed, recognized as one of the nation’s priority watersheds. Evaluating the catchment’s sustainability relies on its water yield, a crucial determinant in guaranteeing a steady water supply, thereby enhancing water security. This study aims to achieve the following objectives: 1.) To utilize the InVEST model for the estimation of temporal water yield potential within the Rawa Pening Catchment Area from 2018 to 2022, 2.) To assess the accuracy of the InVEST model in temporally estimating water yields within the Rawa Catchment Area, and 3.) To investigate the spatial distribution and characteristics of water yield in the Rawa Pening Catchment Area between 2018 and 2022.The results of the study demonstrate significant trends: The peak rate of flow was recorded in November 2022, reaching 645.87 mm/month, and the minimum rate was seen in July 2018, measuring only 0.82 mm/month. The model calibration shows a substantial correlation value of 0.95, a PMARE Index of 12.84%, and a determination coefficient of 0.9011. Despite minor variations, the InVEST model’s accuracy remains substantial due to the high interconnectivity of variables. Various elements, including rainfall patterns, land use practices, soil hydrological characteristics, and threshold flow accumulation, influence the spatial dynamics of quick flow.

Spatiotemporal Changes in Water Storage and Its Driving Factors in the Three-River Headwaters Region, Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Water storage (WS) is a crucial terrestrial ecosystems service function. In cold alpine regions (CAR), the cryosphere elements are important solid water resources, but the existing methods for quantitatively assessing WS usually ignore cryosphere elements. In this study, a revised Seasonal Water Yield model (SWY) in the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST), which considers the effects of frozen ground (FG) and snow cover (SC) on WS, was employed to estimate the spatiotemporal distribution and changes in WS in the Three-Rivers Headwaters region (TRHR) from 1981 to 2020. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to understand the overall effects of multiple factors on WS, as well as the dominant driving factors of WS change at the grid scale in the TRHR. The results show that (1) the WS in the TRHR generally increased from 1981 to 2020 (0.56 mm/year), but the spatial distribution of WS change varied greatly, with a significant increasing trend in the northwest part and a significant decreasing trend in the southeast part. (2) In the last 40 years, increased precipitation (Pre) positively affected WS, while increased potential evapotranspiration (ET0) reduced it. Increased permeability caused by degradation of frozen ground increased WS, while snow cover and LULC changes reduced it. (3) In the TRHR, Pre primarily affected the WS with the largest area ratio (32.62%), followed by land use/land cover (LULC) (19.69%) and ET0 (18.49%), with FG being fourth (17.05%) and SC being the least (6.64%). (4) The highly important and extremely important zones generally showed a decreasing trend in WS and should be treated as key and priority conservation regions. It is expected that this research could provide a scientific reference for water management in the TRHR.

A New Tool for Mapping Water Yield in Cold Alpine Regions

Watershed management requires reliable information about hydrologic ecosystem services (HESs) to support decision-making. In cold alpine regions, the hydrology regime is largely affected by frozen ground and snow cover. However, existing special models of ecosystem services usually ignore cryosphere elements (such as frozen ground and snow cover) when mapping water yield, which limits their application and promotion in cold alpine regions. By considering the effects of frozen ground and snow cover on water yield, a new version of the Seasonal Water Yield model (SWY) in the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) was presented and applied in the Three-River Headwaters Region (TRHR) in southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Our study found that incorporating the effects of frozen ground and snow cover improved model performance. Frozen ground acts as a low permeable layer, reducing water infiltration, while snow cover affects water yield through processes of melting and sublimation. Both of these factors can significantly impact the distribution of spatial and temporal quickflow and baseflow. The annual average baseflow and water yield of the TRHR would be overestimated by 13 mm (47.58 × 108 m3/yr) and 14 mm (51.24 × 108 m3/yr), respectively, if the effect of snow cover on them is not considered. Furthermore, if the effect of frozen ground on water yield were not accounted for, there would be an average of 6 mm of quickflow misestimated as baseflow each year. Our study emphasizes that the effects of frozen ground and snow cover on water yield cannot be ignored, particularly over extended temporal horizons and in the context of climate change. It is crucial to consider their impacts on water resources in cold alpine regions when making water-related decisions. Our study widens the application of the SWY and contributes to water-related decision-making in cold alpine regions.

The effects of climate and forest cover variability on the hydrological regulation of an eastern Andean Cusiana river sub-basin

The hydrologic regulation analysis on a basin scale requires the understanding of the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the climate regime and the land cover. The Cusiana river sub-basin (4992 km2) is part of the Colombian Orinoco River basin and its important because of the ecosystem services it provides. However, there is limited knowledge about the factors that govern its hydrological functioning. In this study we aimed at describing the relation between the forest cover and the hydroclimatic tendencies with the hydrologic regulation of this basin. For this, we evaluated rainfall and evapotranspiration spatial variability and the temporal tendencies of these variables and streamflow employing the Mann-Kendall test for a dataset covering from 1980 till 2020. Streamflow data was obtained from various gauging sites at different points along the main streambed between 290 and 3135 m a.s.l. We also evaluated the basin's forest cover changes between 2003 and 2019 using official land cover classification maps. With the hydroclimatic and land cover analyzes we created potential scenarios of extreme dry and wet years and of deforestation and restoration. These extreme scenarios were forced in the previously calibrated and validated Seasonal Water Yield module of the InVEST model to evaluate their effects on base and quickflows. Results show that there are no homogeneous tendencies in the rainfall, evapotranspiration, or streamflow within this basin. Furthermore, streamflow tends to decrease in the basin segments that show an increase in forest cover. The model outputs suggest that the magnitude of the baseflow decrease under a deforestation scenario is up to 3.6 times larger than the increase in baseflow under a forest cover restoration scenario, and that the quickflows can increase up to 1.4 times more in a combined wet year and deforestation scenario, than in an average year under current forest cover. From our results we identify that the spatial relation between land cover, climate and hydrologic regulation must be explicitly evaluated for the design of water resources management plans for any Andean River basin.

Trakya Bölgesi Koşullarında Kısıntılı Sulama Programlarının Darıda (Panicum miliaceum L.) Verim Üzerine Etkileri

Millets are indigenous to many parts of the world and are more widely grown, especially in areas where water is limited. The most widely grown millet type is sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.). A field study was carried out to determine the effect of deficit irrigation regimes on grain yield and seasonal evapotranspiration of proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) in the Thrace Region of Turkey. The field trials were conducted on a loam Entisol soil, on Öğretmenoğlu and Beydarı, the most popular varieties in the research area. In the study, the split plots experimental design with three replications was used. Eight different irrigation issues are considered, including combinations of the vegetative (V), flowering (F) and grain formation (Y) phases of the plant (including dry conditions, NoI). Results showed that proso millet was significantly affected by water stress during the sensitive flowering stage. The highest grain yield was obtained with 4.09 t ha-1 from Öğretmenoğlu and 4.03 t ha-1 from Beydarı, which was rinsed (VFY) in all development periods. Seasonal irrigation water use and evapotranspiration of the irrigated (VFY) in all development periods were 318 and 579 mm, respectively, for the non-stressed treatment. The seasonal water yield function was calculated as Y = 0.4087 ET + 144.03, and the seasonal yield-water response factor value was calculated as 0.57'.

Spatial Prioritization of Ecosystem Services for Land Conservation: The Case Study of Central Italy

Ecosystem services delivered by natural ecosystems are increasingly important for climate change adaptation and mitigation and play a huge role in biodiversity conservation. For this reason, the EU has the ambitious goal of protecting at least 30% of land by 2030. Member states are called to improve and expand the network of protected areas within the next few years; to do so, scientific studies aimed at identifying areas with high ecological value, as well as at defining best management practices, are highly needed. In this study, we used the InVEST suite of models to spatially assess three regulating ecosystem services, that is, carbon storage, seasonal water yield, and urban flood risk mitigation in three administrative regions of central Italy. Using overlay analysis, we found areas with the highest delivery in each of the considered ESs; based on these findings, we eventually proposed four new protected areas, which combine for 888 km2, that is, 2.73% of the study area. Interestingly, each of the newly proposed protected areas has somehow been discussed and hypothesized by stakeholders, but only one is presumably going to be part of the national network of protected areas within the next years. Hopefully, by prioritizing areas according to the production of ecosystem services, this study can be intended as a step towards the systematic inclusion of ecosystem services studies for enhancing the network of areas under national protection schemes and achieving the goal of protecting at least 30% of land in Europe by 2030.

Spatio-temporal evaluation of ecosystem services in the São Paulo Macrometropolis, Brazil

Urbanization is one of the key factors that drive changes in ecosystem services. Although various studies have analyzed relationships between land-cover change and ecosystem services degradation, few have explored the impacts in future scenarios in mega metropolitan areas. This work performed an individual and integrated spatio-temporal assessment of four ecosystem services in the São Paulo Macrometropolis, the largest urban agglomeration in Latin America, in different land-cover scenarios using Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) software. Correlation analysis and map algebra were used to identify trade-offs and synergies, as well as hotspots and coldspots of multiple ecosystem services. The results showed decreasing trends in the supply capacity of erosion control, carbon storage, and seasonal water yield in the entire São Paulo Macrometropolis and most of its Regional Units, as well as evidence of a worsening of trade-offs between the ecosystem services evaluated. Furthermore, areas with a high supply of three or more ecosystem services were coincident with Conservation Areas, emphasizing the importance of these protected areas. By revealing important relationships among four ecosystem services, the outputs suggest regions and combinations of services for which spatial planning and appropriate conservation mechanisms can be used to optimize synergies and mitigate trade-offs. The results can help land use planning practitioners and decision-makers to design management strategies and policies for conservation and restoration based on linkages between specific units and associated ecosystem services and their trade-offs in this strategic region of Brazil.

Water Accounting Using Satellite Products and Water Accounting Plus Framework in a Semi-Arid Betwa River Basin, India

The emerging water crisis in India can be preempted by improving watershed management. The data scare regions need open access satellite observations to mitigate watershed problems. The water accounting plus (WA+) and open access earth observation datasets were applied to quantify the beneficial and non-beneficial water consumption in the Betwa River basin, Central India. The PERSIANN and CHIRPS precipitations were evaluated. Based on significant statistical relations with IMD rainfall, CHIRPS was found to be the best precipitation product. The seasonal water yield from PERSIANN depicts that the high water yield in the basin is associated with the July and August months of the monsoon season, with water yields of 240 mm/month and 120 mm/month, respectively, while CHIRPS showed higher water yields during the monsoon season, especially in July and August, with water yield amounts of 290 mm/month and 200 mm/month, respectively. The largest water consuming land use class is irrigated crops–cereals, which cover 62.06% of the total area of the basin. The amount of non-beneficial ET is almost twice the beneficial ET. The outcomes of this research will be helpful for sustainable water management, strategy development, and policy making.

Evaluating InVEST model for simulating annual and seasonal water yield in data-scarce regions of the Abbay (Upper Blue Nile) Basin: implications for water resource planners and managers

Evaluating InVEST model for simulating annual and seasonal water yield in data-scarce regions of the Abbay (Upper Blue Nile) Basin: implications for water resource planners and managers

Can Forest Restoration Enhance the Water Supply to Respond to Climate Change?—The Case of North Korea

North Korea is a representative country that should restore its forest ecosystem, which is vital for responding to climate change. In this study, we assessed the extent to which afforestation can reduce the climate change impact on water resources by adding an afforestation scenario to the variables used to estimate the forest water yield. We applied the InVEST seasonal water yield model and constructed a data ensemble of the SSP5–8.5 scenario for this simulation. In the projection of future forest water supply according to the SSP5–8.5 scenario, baseflow and local recharge decreased by approximately 25%, and quickflow increased by approximately 47%, compared to the baseline period. Under the three reforestation scenarios, the future water supply from the forests showed significant positive changes. The baseflow increased by approximately 4%, 15%, and 28% in the reforestation scenario of Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3, respectively. In a Level 3 scenario, most of the baseflow and local recharge, which had decreased owing to the impact of climate change, was recovered. The baseflow in Level 3 was 26,882 million m3 y−1, which was approximately 98% of that in the baseline period. The Taedong River and Chongchon River, which are the major granary areas in North Korea, were directly affected by the climate change. However, it was confirmed that the water supply in these areas can be increased through forest restoration. These results indicate the deterministic role of forest restoration in increasing the water supply.

Estimation of seasonal water yield using InVEST model: a case study from West Bengal, India

Estimation of seasonal water yield using InVEST model: a case study from West Bengal, India

Water Regulation Ecosystem Services of Multifunctional Landscape Dominated by Monoculture Plantations

Meeting the growing demand for agricultural production while preserving water regulation ecosystem services (WRES) is a challenge. One way to preserve WRES is by adopting multifunctional landscape approach. Hence, the main objective was to evaluate the role of forest patches (FP) in preserving WRES in tropical landscapes dominated by oil palm plantations. The SWAT model was used to evaluate the essential WRES, such as water yield (WYLD), soil water (SW), surface runoff (SURQ), groundwater recharge (GWR), and evapotranspiration (AET). Due to a compaction, soils in monoculture plantation have higher bulk density and lower porosity and water retention, which decrease WRES. Conserving FP among oil palms evidently improves WRES, such as decreasing SURQ and rain season WYLD and increasing GWR, SW, AET, and dry season WLYD. FP has sponge-like properties by storing water to increase water availability, and pump-like properties by evaporating water to stabilize the microclimate. Mature oil palm also has pump-like properties to maintain productivity. However, it does not have sponge-like properties that make water use more significant than the stored water. Consequently, a multifunctional landscape could enhance WRES of forest patches and synergize it with provisioning ecosystem services of oil palm plantations.

Evaluation of InVEST’s Water Ecosystem Service Models in a Brazilian Subtropical Basin

The biophysical modeling of water ecosystem services is crucial to understanding their availability, vulnerabilities, and fluxes. Among the most popular models, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) models stand out. While many studies have used them, few have assessed their performance. This study evaluates the performance of InVEST’s Seasonal Water Yield, Nutrient Delivery Ratio, and Sediment Delivery Ratio models in a subtropical basin in southeastern Brazil on temporal and spatial scales, using 39 years of streamflow data, 29 for total phosphorus and total nitrogen, and 19 for total suspended solids. Statistical indicators R2, PBIAS, and NSE, were also calculated. The performance of the models varied according to the type of simulated WES and analysis scales used, with the Seasonal Water Yield model demonstrating the best performance and effectively representing the spatial and temporal variability of the average annual streamflow. All models performed well in simulating long-term mean values when compared to observed data. While one should bear in mind the study’s limitations, the results indicate that the models perform well in terms of relative magnitude, although their application in studies involving water-resource management and decision making is limited.

Predicting the Hydrological Impacts of Future Climate Change in a Humid-Subtropical Watershed

Future climate change is expected to impact the natural systems. This study used future climate data of general circulation models (GCMs) to investigate the impacts of climate change during the future period (2062–2095) relative to the historical period (1981–2014) on the hydrological system of the Minjiang river watershed, China. A previously calibrated soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) was employed to simulate the future hydrology under the impacts of changes in temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric CO2 concentration for four shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP 1, 2, 3, and 5) of the CMIP6. The study revealed that the impacts of increase in future temperature, i.e., increase in ET, and decrease in surface runoff, water, and sediment yield will be countered by increased atmospheric [CO2], and changes in the hydrological parameters in the future will be mostly associated to changes in precipitation. Data of the GCMs for all the SSPs predicts increase in precipitation of the watershed, which will cause increase in surface runoff, water yield, and sediment yield. Surface runoff will increase more in SSP 5 (47%), while sediment and water yield will increase more in SSP 1, by 33% and 23%, respectively. At the seasonal scale, water yield and surface runoff will increase more in autumn and winter in SSP 1, while in other scenarios, these parameters will increase more in the spring and summer seasons. Sediment yield will increase more in autumn in all scenarios. Similarly, the future climate change is predicted to impact the important parameters related to the flow regime of the Minjiang river, i.e., the frequency and peak of large floods (flows > 14,000 m3/s) will increase along the gradient of scenarios, i.e., more in SSP 5 followed by 3, 2, and 1, while duration will increase in SSP 5 and decrease in the other SSPs. The frequency and duration of extreme low flows will increase in SSP 5 while decrease in SSP 1. Moreover, peak of extreme low flows will decrease in all scenarios except SSP 1, in which it will increase. The study will improve the general understanding about the possible impacts of future climate change in the region and provide support for improving the management and protection of the watershed’s water and soil resources.

Assessing the effects of different land-use/land-cover input datasets on modelling and mapping terrestrial ecosystem services - Case study Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal)

Modelling ecosystem services (ES) has become a new standard for the quantification and assessment of various ES. Multiple ES model applications are available that spatially estimate ES supply on the basis of land-use/land-cover (LULC) input data. This paper assesses how different input LULC datasets affect the modelling and mapping of ES supply for a case study on Terceira Island, the Azores (Portugal), namely: (1) the EU-wide CORINE LULC, (2) the Azores Region official LULC map (COS.A 2018) and (3) a remote sensing-based LULC and vegetation map of Terceira Island using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. The InVEST model suite was applied, modelling altogether six ES (Recreation/Visitation, Pollination, Carbon Storage, Nutrient Delivery Ratio, Sediment Delivery Ratio and Seasonal Water Yield). Model outcomes of the three LULC datasets were compared in terms of similarity, performance and applicability for the user. For some InVEST modules, such as Pollination and Recreation, the differences in the LULC datasets had limited influence on the model results. For InVEST modules, based on more complex calculations and processes, such as Nutrient Delivery Ratio, the output ES maps showed a skewed distribution of ES supply. Yet, model results showed significant differences for differences in all modules and all LULCs. Understanding how differences arise between the LULC input datasets and the respective effect on model results is imperative when computing model-based ES maps. The choice for selecting appropriate LULC data should depend on: 1) the research or policy/decision-making question guiding the modelling study, 2) the ecosystems to be mapped, but also on 3) the spatial resolution of the mapping and 4) data availability at the local level. Communication and transparency on model input data are needed, especially if ES maps are used for supporting land use planning and decision-making.

Vegetation greening concurs with increases in dry season water yield over the Upper Brahmaputra River basin

Water yield (WY) in the Upper Brahmaputra River (UBR) basin is important for sustaining the ecological environment in the headstream region and supplying valuable freshwater resources downstream. While recent studies indicated the presence of warming and greening trends in the region, the effects of these changes on WY are not yet understood. Here, on the basis of the Budyko framework and a random forest model, we assess the relative importance of climate and vegetation on WY changes in the UBR basin. We find that precipitation contributes to over 90% of the increase in annual WY, and is also the most important factor for WY during the wet season. During the dry season, however, vegetation, rather than precipitation, predicts the variability in WY. We suggest that vegetation may have changed the seasonality of water by storing water in the wet periods and releasing it in dry periods, which explains why WY increases significantly during the dry season. Our findings imply that vegetation greening in the UBR basin has the potential to increase drought resilience downstream, and protect food security from drought, highlighting the value of ecological restoration for water resource management.

Spatial Appraisal of Seasonal Water Yield of the Sokoto-Rima Basin

Understanding the dynamics of water yield as relates to water balance is vital for the functioning of ecosystems as well as model-based computation of their respective ecosystem services. In dryland regions such as the Sokoto-Rima basin, this is of cogent importance for effective planning, and management of its scarce water resources. In this study, we assess the spatiotemporal dynamics of quick flow (QF), local recharge (LR), and baseflow (B) between 1992 and 2015 using the Seasonal Water Yield (SWY) model of InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Service and Tradeoffs) software. Pre-classified land cover, rainfall, satellite-derived evapotranspiration, digital surface topography, and HYSOGs 250m soil datasets were used as software data inputs. The result of the study showed that QF, LR, and B depict similar spatial distribution with peak values generated within water-bearing land cover areas particularly water bodies and wetlands. QF was highest in 2002 (1,293.6 mm) while there were reductions in the subsequent years – 2012 and 2015. Similar patterns were observed in LR and B with much lower values. The temporal trend for the 23-year period of the study showed that QF had an increasing rate of 85,331 mm while decreasing rates of 56,131 mm and 27,597 mm were detected for LR and B respectively. Three key parameters – alpha, beta, and gamma showed evidence of sensitivity to changes in values. These water balance transactions provided an opportunity to review the impact of the sensitivity of the land cover, climate, and hydrogeological factors on water resources management particularly freshwater accounting in the Sokoto-Rima basin of the northwestern part of Nigeria.

Mapping water ecosystem services: Evaluating InVEST model predictions in data scarce regions

Sustainable management of water ecosystem services requires reliable information to support decision making. We evaluate the performance of the InVEST Seasonal Water Yield Model (SWYM) against water monitoring records in 224 catchments in southern Chile. We run the SWYM in three years (1998, 2007 and 2013) to account for recent land-use change and climatic variations. We computed squared Pearson correlations between SWYM monthly quickflow predictions and streamflow observations and applied a generalized mixed‐effects model to evaluate annual estimations. Results show relatively low monthly correlations with marked latitudinal and temporal variations while annual estimates show a good match between observed and modeled values, especially for values under 1000 mm/year. Better predictions were observed in regions with high rainfall and in dry years while poorer predictions were found in snow dominated and drier regions. Our results improve SWYM performance and contribute to water supply and regulation decision-making, particularly in data scarce regions.

Quantifying the impacts of decadal landuse change on the water balance components using soil and water assessment tool in Ghaggar river basin

The landuse and landcover change is considered as one of the most vital components of the global environmental change responsible for influencing the quantity, seasonal patterns and durations of the water flow within basins around the world. The aim of this study is to assess the impacts of changes in landuse landcover on the various hydrological components for Ghaggar river basin for a period of 1985–2015 using Soil and Water Assessment Tool model. The landuse landcover maps have been prepared using various Landsat satellite images for the year 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015.The fixing changing method has been employed to quantify the impacts of landuse changes on hydrological components by changing the landuse maps of different year and keeping rest of the inputs same. The correlation and Partial Least square regression are used to examine the impacts of change in landuse on the hydrological components. The results unveiled that the increase in agriculture and built-up area and decrease in area of evergreen, deciduous and mixed forest. During the period 1985–2015 there is increase in annual stream flow (0.20%), wet season streamflow (1.55%), surface runoff (12.23%) and water yield (0.22%) on the contrary there is decrease in dry season streamflow (2.1%), Evapotranspiration (0.08%), groundwater flow (8.62%), Percolation (8.02%) and lateral flow (3.92%) owing to changes in landuse landcover. There is an urgent need to adopt soil and water conservation practices in the area to avert these deleterious effects of landuse landcover changes.

Water yield variation with elevation, tree age and density of larch plantation in the Liupan Mountains of the Loess Plateau and its forest management implications

Large scale afforestation mainly for erosion control or timber production and a very strict logging ban policy in recent decades led to many over-dense stands and remarkable water yield reduction in the dryland region of the Loess Plateau in northwest China. To guide the integrated forest-water management at stand level, a study on the response of water yield from larch (Larix principis-rupprechtii) plantations to key stand structure and site factors was carried out in the Liupan Mountains. Models of leaf area index (LAI) of forest canopy and stand evapotranspiration (ET) in the growing season were developed and fitted. The growing season water yield was calculated based on water budget. The results showed that: (1) The LAI increases with rising tree density firstly quickly and then slowly and finally tending to its maximum; but firstly increases and then decreases with rising tree age and elevation. The LAI model coupling the effects of tree density, age, and elevation works well. (2) The ET model reflecting the coupled effects of precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, LAI and soil moisture can well predict the ET variation. (3) The water yield decreases gradually with rising tree density, but firstly decreases and then increases with rising tree age and elevation. The lowest water yield appears at the age of 30 years and at an elevation of 2420 m. (4) The implications of this study for integrated forest-water management are: defining water yield as the dominant forest service at high or low elevations, but quality timber production as the dominant service at medium elevations; arranging rational thinning for dense forests around the age of 30 years; designing a mosaic distribution of forest ages within watersheds. Applying the study outcomes can promote the integration of water yield management with traditional forest management to ensure the sustainability of water supply in dryland regions.