Li et al. (2026) Vegetation change reshapes meteorological-hydrological drought characteristics and propagation process in the Yellow River Basin, China

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-24
• Authors: Xiaoyang Li, Jun Xia, Beibei Hu, Xuanxuan Wang, Lingling Bin, Xilong Wang, Juan Zhang, Guangpeng Wang
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136304

Research Groups

• School of Geographic and Environmental Sciences, Tianjin Normal University
• Key Laboratory of Water Cycle & Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• School of Hydraulic and Civil Engineering, Ludong University
• State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management, Wuhan University

Short Summary

This study investigates the impact of vegetation change on drought characteristics and propagation processes in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) using a distributed hydrological model incorporating vegetation dynamics. The results show that vegetation restoration can alter drought patterns, with increased frequency, duration, and intensity of hydrological droughts in certain regions.

Objective

• Investigate how vegetation change regulates drought evolution and propagation processes in the YRB.
• Examine the impact of vegetation restoration on drought characteristics and propagation processes.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: The study focuses on the Yellow River Basin (YRB) in China, with a spatial scale of approximately 300,000 km².
• Temporal Scale: The study period spans from 2001 to 2024, allowing for an examination of drought patterns over two decades.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Distributed hydrological model incorporating vegetation dynamics (DTVGM-PT-JPL).
• Data sources: Simulation results under changing and constant vegetation scenarios, SPEI and SRI indices derived from simulation results.

Main Results

• Vegetation restoration can alter drought patterns in the YRB, with increased frequency, duration, and intensity of hydrological droughts in certain regions.
• The propagation process from meteorological to hydrological drought exhibits spatial heterogeneity, with shorter propagation times and higher probabilities in the middle and lower reaches.
• Vegetation change driven by restoration primarily raises the probability and thresholds for meteorological drought to trigger mild and moderate hydrological droughts.

Contributions

• This study provides new insights into the impact of vegetation change on drought characteristics and propagation processes in the YRB, highlighting the importance of considering vegetation dynamics in drought risk management.
• The findings can inform synergistic management of ecological restoration and drought risk at the basin scale.

Funding

• This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52279001) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Strategic Priority Research Program (Grant No. XDA23090203).

Citation

@article{Li2026Vegetation,
  author = {Li, Xiaoyang and Xia, Jun and Hu, Beibei and Wang, Xuanxuan and Bin, Lingling and Wang, Xilong and Zhang, Juan and Wang, Guangpeng},
  title = {Vegetation change reshapes meteorological-hydrological drought characteristics and propagation process in the Yellow River Basin, China},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136304},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136304}
}