Niu et al. (2026) Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Driving Factors of 0–200 cm Soil Water Storage on the Loess Plateau During 2000–2024

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Identification

• Journal: Water
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-13
• Authors: Hui Yuan, Wande Gao, Fang Li
• DOI: 10.3390/w18182279

Research Groups

• Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Key Laboratory of Arid and Semi-Arid Hydrology
• College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University

Short Summary

This study investigates the long-term changes in soil moisture on the Loess Plateau under ecological restoration, revealing an overall increasing trend with significant spatial heterogeneity. The dynamics are jointly influenced by hydrothermal climatic conditions and non-climatic factors.

Objective

• Investigate the driving mechanisms of soil moisture changes on the Loess Plateau under large-scale ecological restoration

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: 0–200 cm profile soil water storage across the entire Loess Plateau region
• Temporal Scale: 25 years (2000–2024)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Theil–Sen trend estimation, Mann–Kendall test, partial correlation analysis, residual trend analysis
• Data sources: Soil water storage data from 0–200 cm profile, precipitation, temperature, NDVI

Main Results

• Soil water storage exhibited pronounced spatial heterogeneity and an overall increasing trend during 2000–2024.
• Areas with significant increases accounted for 52.22% of the study area, while decreasing areas accounted for only 6.53%.
• Significant positive correlations between soil water storage and precipitation (80.4%), NDVI (90.6%) were found.
• Significant negative correlations between soil water storage and temperature (92.3%) occurred.

Contributions

This study provides original insights into the joint influence of climatic and non-climatic factors on soil moisture dynamics under ecological restoration, highlighting the importance of coordinated development between ecosystem restoration and water security.

Funding

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41977049)
• Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. QYZDY-SSW-DQC012)

Citation

@article{Niu2026Spatiotemporal,
  author = {Niu, Xiaoyu and Yuan, Hui and Gao, Wande and Li, Fang},
  title = {Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Driving Factors of 0–200 cm Soil Water Storage on the Loess Plateau During 2000–2024},
  journal = {Water},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3390/w18182279},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/w18182279}
}