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Assessment of Ecological Flow in Hulan River Basin Utilizing SWAT Model and Diverse Hydrological Approaches

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  • Geng-Wei Liu

    (School of Hydraulic and Electric Power, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
    Institute of Groundwater Cold Region, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
    International Joint Laboratory of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering in Cold Regions of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150080, China)

  • Chang-Lei Dai

    (School of Hydraulic and Electric Power, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
    Institute of Groundwater Cold Region, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
    International Joint Laboratory of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering in Cold Regions of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150080, China)

  • Ze-Xuan Shao

    (School of Hydraulic and Electric Power, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
    Institute of Groundwater Cold Region, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
    International Joint Laboratory of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering in Cold Regions of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150080, China)

  • Rui-Han Xiao

    (School of Hydraulic and Electric Power, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
    Institute of Groundwater Cold Region, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
    International Joint Laboratory of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering in Cold Regions of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150080, China)

  • Hong-Cong Guo

    (School of Hydraulic and Electric Power, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China)

Abstract

Human activities have significantly altered the hydrological processes of rivers. In recent years, the increased focus on global water resource exploitation and land use changes has heightened the significance of related ecological and environmental issues. To investigate the land use changes in Hulan River Basin between 1980 and 2020, and the corresponding flow under various ecological standards, a quantitative assessment of land use changes in Hulan River Basin was conducted by analyzing the Land Use Dynamic Degree (LUD) index and the land use change matrix. Two types of models, namely natural runoff models and status quo runoff models, were developed to evaluate alterations in basin runoff. Various hydrological techniques were utilized to calculate the ecological water deficit in Hulan River Basin. The results suggest the following: (1) human consumption comprises approximately 40% of surface water resources, with Hulan River Basin exhibiting a moderate consumption level; (2) when determining the minimum ecological flow, the Distribution Flow Method (DFM) method yielded slightly higher outcomes compared to alternative methodologies; both the variable Q 90 method and DFM (Q 2 ) method satisfy 10% of the natural river flow, however, in terms of capturing the hydrological pattern, DFM exhibits a slightly lower fitting degree compared to the variable Q 90 (monthly average flow with 90% guarantee rate) method; (3) DFM is identified as scientifically reasonable for determining the most suitable ecological flow in comparison to other hydrological methods; (4) despite the widespread water scarcity in Hulan River Basin, the variance between most periods and the ideal ecological flow remains minimal, indicating that severe water shortages are uncommon.

Suggested Citation

  • Geng-Wei Liu & Chang-Lei Dai & Ze-Xuan Shao & Rui-Han Xiao & Hong-Cong Guo, 2024. "Assessment of Ecological Flow in Hulan River Basin Utilizing SWAT Model and Diverse Hydrological Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-26, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:6:p:2513-:d:1359152
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mohammad Zare & Shahid Azam & David Sauchyn, 2022. "A Modified SWAT Model to Simulate Soil Water Content and Soil Temperature in Cold Regions: A Case Study of the South Saskatchewan River Basin in Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-16, August.
    2. Fengyu Wang & Shuai Tong & Yun Chu & Tianlong Liu & Xiang Ji, 2023. "Spatio-Temporal Evolution of Key Areas of Territorial Ecological Restoration in Resource-Exhausted Cities: A Case Study of Jiawang District, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-25, September.
    3. Wei Yan & Xuejun Duan & Jiayu Kang & Zhiyuan Ma, 2023. "Assessing the Impact of Rural Multifunctionality on Non-Point Source Pollution: A Case Study of Typical Hilly Watershed, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-17, October.
    4. Sen Yu & Mingyu Wang, 2014. "Comprehensive Evaluation of Scenario Schemes for Multi-objective Decision-making in River Ecological Restoration by Artificially Recharging River," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 28(15), pages 5555-5571, December.
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