Response of Runoff-Sediment System to Vegetation Variation in the Yellow River Basin in the Last 20 Years

Abstract

The Yellow River basin suffers from the most serious soil erosion of any area in the world. It is also a key area for soil–water conservation and ecological protection in China. It is important to determine the status of the ecological protection of the Yellow River basin in recent years. We examined the vegetation patterns and spatio-temporal changes in runoff sediment in the Yellow River basin in the last 20 years. The results can provide a sound basis for regional ecological management. Vegetation coverage in the Yellow River basin has increased in the last two decades. The natural runoff has more than doubled over this time and the runoff coefficient has increased by more than 30%. However, the growth in the measured runoff has significantly weakened owing to continually high water consumption. The sediment concentration from Toudaoguai to Tongguan has decreased by 74.11% and the sediment modulus has decreased by 34.75%. Ecological protection of the Yellow River has significantly improved the vegetation coverage since 2000. The functions of water and soil conservation have improved, but the latter function needs to be strengthened. In addition, measures for ecological protection are needed to strengthen the overall management of water resources.