Author(s): Shuixia Zhao; Yingjie Wu; Shengjie Cui; Xiaomin Liu; Chao Li; Yaotian Yang
Linked Author(s): Chao Li, Xiaomin LIU
Keywords: Haibowan Reservoir; Ice-water-sediment-ecology; Evolutionary process; Impact mechanism
Abstract: This study examines the Inner Mongolia reaches of the Yellow River and investigates how Haibowan Reservoir operation shapes regional water-sediment-ecology coevolution. Using long‑term monitoring records and remote sensing data on runoff, sediment, and vegetation Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) from 2001 to 2022, the analysis employs the MK trend test, coefficient of variation, and Pettitt test to characterize changes in flow-sediment dynamics and vegetation response, while also identifying the reservoir’s regulatory role. The results indicate that, following reservoir impoundment, the annual runoff at Toudaoguai Station increased by 42.5% overall, together with more pronounced fluctuations. Annual sediment load at multiple hydrological stations showed a marked upward shift in 2017. Meanwhile, regional GPP increased at a rate of 5.2 g·m⁻² a⁻¹. The vegetation response to changing water and sediment conditions exhibits clear spatial-scale dependence, with an effective response range of 5–30 km, and the correlation becomes progressively stronger from upstream to downstream. In addition, the reservoir’s operation alters winter ice conditions by modifying flow-sediment processes, leading to differences in ice-jam locations between warm and cold winter years, thereby further influencing regional sediment transport pathways and vegetation ecological patterns. This study provides a scientific support for the coordinated management of water, sediment, and ecology, as well as ecological protection in the Yellow River Basin.
Year: 2026