Response Mechanism of Annual Streamflow Decline to Vegetation Growth and Climate Change in the Han River Basin, China

Abstract

Vegetation changes have a significant impact on the underlying surface of a watershed and alter hydrological processes. To clarify the synergistic evolution relationship between climate, vegetation, and hydrology, this study aims to reveal how vegetation restoration influences streamflow decline. This study first applied the trend-free pre-whitening Mann–Kendall (TFPW-MK) method to identify variation trends of various elements at Baihe and Shayang hydrologic stations from 1982 to 2015. Secondly, an extended Budyko equation was improved by fitting the linear relationship between annual NDVI and Budyko parameter (ω). Finally, based on the extended Budyko formula, the elastic coefficient method was applied to identify the influence of vegetation changes on runoff changes of the Baihe and Shayang stations from 1982 to 2015. The results displayed that (1) the annual NDVI of Baihe and Shayang hydrologic stations both presented an increasing trend, and streamflow presented an insignificant decrease trend. The mutation year of the annual runoff depth of Baihe and Shayang stations both occurred in 1990. (2) The annual NDVI had a significant and positive linear relationship with ω. (3) The streamflow decline of Baihe and Shayang stations is mainly influenced by precipitation variation and human activities. (4) Vegetation growth had a positive effect on the streamflow decline of Baihe and Shayang stations, with a contribution rate of 14.06% and 17.87%. This effect of vegetation growth on discharge attenuation should be given high priority.