Li et al. (2026) Eco‐Hydrological Regime Shifts Triggered by Declining Snow To‐Rainfall Ratios in Alpine Transition Zones

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Hydrological Processes
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-06-23
• Authors: Yiwen Li, Yunhe Fang, Shina Wei, X Wang, Yizhen Shi, Rongrong Liu, Yun Zhang, Bo Wang
• DOI: 10.1002/hyp.70613

Research Groups

• Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science (ICAS)
• Department of Earth Sciences, University of Tibet
• Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment and Disaster Monitoring

Short Summary

This study investigates the impact of climate warming on intra-annual water partitioning in high-altitude regions, revealing a critical threshold beyond which alpine ecosystems transition from snow-sensitive to rain-dominated states.

Objective

• Investigate the physical mechanisms by which climate warming alters eco-hydrological dynamics in high-altitude regions

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Tibetan Plateau (4000–5500 m elevation transition zone)
• Temporal Scale: Multi-decadal (2001–2020)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not specified
• Data sources: Hydro-climatic datasets, remote sensing observations

Main Results

• A sequential moisture retention mechanism is identified, where pre-monsoon snowmelt acts as a critical seasonal buffer for subsurface soil moisture and spring vegetation green-up.
• Advancing snowmelt onset temporally decouples this moisture supply from peak biological demand, inducing an early-season water deficit that constrains vegetation growth.
• A hydrological equilibrium threshold at a multi-year mean snowmelt-to-rainfall (S/R) ratio of approximately 0.23 is identified, marking the boundary beyond which alpine ecosystems transition from snow-sensitive to rain-dominated states.

Contributions

• This study provides original insights into the physical mechanisms by which climate warming alters eco-hydrological dynamics in high-altitude regions.
• The identification of a critical threshold for S/R ratios offers a new framework for understanding the impact of climate change on alpine ecosystems.

Funding

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) grant #91837102
• Tibetan Plateau Research Program (TPRP)
• University of Tibet research fund

Citation

@article{Li2026EcoHydrological,
  author = {Li, Yiwen and Fang, Yunhe and Wei, Shina and Wang, X and Shi, Yizhen and Liu, Rongrong and Zhang, Yun and Wang, Bo},
  title = {Eco‐Hydrological Regime Shifts Triggered by Declining Snow To‐Rainfall Ratios in Alpine Transition Zones},
  journal = {Hydrological Processes},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1002/hyp.70613},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70613}
}