Yan et al. (2025) Responses of Typical Riparian Vegetation to Annual Variation of River Flow in a Semi-Arid Climate Region: Case Study of China’s Xiliao River

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Identification

• Journal: Land
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-01-19
• Authors: Xiangzhao Yan, Wei Yang, Zaohong Pu, Qilong Zhang, Yutong Chen, Jiaqi Chen, Weiqi Xiang, Hongyu Chen, Yanwei Zhao
• DOI: 10.3390/land14010198

Research Groups

Not specified in the provided text.

Short Summary

This study identifies the primary drivers of riparian vegetation changes in a section of the Xiliao River from 1985 to 2020, concluding that river flow indicators—particularly the average flow in May—exert a greater influence than climate factors.

Objective

• To identify the main influencing factors of riparian vegetation changes in a semi-arid basin and simulate the response characteristics of the vegetation to these key driving factors.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: A typical section of the Xiliao River (semi-arid basin).
• Temporal Scale: 1985 to 2020, specifically focusing on spring and summer seasons.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Random Forest (RF) model (for factor screening) and nonlinear equations (for response simulation).
• Data sources: Extracted river flow indicators, climate indicators, and riparian vegetation indicators.

Main Results

• River flow factors contribute more significantly to riparian vegetation changes than climate factors.
• The average flow in May is the dominant driver, contributing over 50% to riparian vegetation indicators in both spring and summer.
• Key driving factors identified:
  • Spring: Average flow in May and average flow from March to May.
  • Summer: Average flow in May, maximum 90-day average flow, and average flow from March to August.
• Vegetation growth is promoted by increases in base flow and pulse flow within an optimal range; however, growth stagnates once river flow exceeds a specific threshold.

Contributions

• Advances the understanding of the hydrological and climatic drivers of riparian vegetation in semi-arid basins.
• Provides a scientific reference for guiding ecological protection, restoration, and the enhancement of natural growth in semi-arid river ecosystems.

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Yan2025Responses,
  author = {Yan, Xiangzhao and Yang, Wei and Pu, Zaohong and Zhang, Qilong and Chen, Yutong and Chen, Jiaqi and Xiang, Weiqi and Chen, Hongyu and Cheng, Yuyang and Zhao, Yanwei},
  title = {Responses of Typical Riparian Vegetation to Annual Variation of River Flow in a Semi-Arid Climate Region: Case Study of China’s Xiliao River},
  journal = {Land},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.3390/land14010198},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010198}
}