Wu et al. (2025) Assessing the contribution of impoundment–induced climate change to vegetation growth in the Xiluodu reservoir area of the Jinsha River

Identification

• Journal: Ecological Frontiers
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-12-01
• Authors: Xinyan Wu, Hao Meng, Jingya Wen, Pengyuan Wang, Chenxu Ji, Yong Huang
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecofro.2025.11.009

Research Groups

• Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
• Appraisal Center for Environment and Engineering, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, The People's Republic of China, Beijing 100041, China
• China Three Gorges Corporation, Wuhan 430014, China
• School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
• Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
• School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China

Short Summary

This study developed an integrated framework to assess the indirect contribution of impoundment-induced climate change to vegetation growth in the Xiluodu Reservoir area, revealing that impoundment significantly altered local climate and was conducive to vegetation growth.

Objective

• To accurately assess the indirect impacts of hydropower development, specifically the effects of impoundment-induced climate change, on vegetation growth using net primary productivity (NPP) and meteorological data.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Xiluodu Reservoir area of the Jinsha River watershed.
• Temporal Scale: Pre- and post-impoundment periods.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Integrated research framework utilizing trend analysis, mutation test, no–reservoir scenario simulation, partial correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis methods.
• Data sources: Net primary productivity (NPP) data and meteorological data.

Main Results

• The impoundment of Xiluodu Hydropower Station significantly impacted the local climate, primarily leading to an increase in precipitation and humidity, and a decrease in wind speed.
• Impoundment altered the response of NPP to changes in key meteorological elements.
• The impoundment–induced climate change was conducive to vegetation growth in the study area to a certain extent.

Contributions

• This work provides a novel integrated research framework for assessing the ecological effects of hydropower development, particularly addressing the less understood indirect impacts of impoundment-induced climate change on vegetation growth.

Funding

• Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Wu2025Assessing,
  author = {Wu, Xinyan and Meng, Hao and Wen, Jingya and Wang, Pengyuan and Ji, Chenxu and Huang, Yong},
  title = {Assessing the contribution of impoundment–induced climate change to vegetation growth in the Xiluodu reservoir area of the Jinsha River},
  journal = {Ecological Frontiers},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/j.ecofro.2025.11.009},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecofro.2025.11.009}
}