1.State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control,College of Soil and Water;Conservation Science and Engineering,Northwest A&F University,Yangling,Shaanxi 712100,China
2.State Key;Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention,Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute,Nanjing 210029,China
3.Changjiang;Soil and Water Conservation Monitoring Central Station,Changjiang Water Resources Commission,Wuhan 430010,China
Objective River runoff and sediment load reflect the quantity of water resources and the characteristics of soil erosion in a river basin, and analyzing runoff and sediment changes can provide guidance for runoff-sediment regulation and ecological construction in the river basin. Methods The Wujiang River Basin in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River was selected as the study area. The spatiotemporal variation characteristics of runoff and sediment load were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall trend test, Pettitt abrupt change test, and partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), and the main factors influencing their changes were identified. Results From 1960 to 2019, runoff in the Wujiang River Basin decreased at a rate of -9.5×109 m³/a, with no significant abrupt change. In contrast, sediment load decreased significantly at a rate of -6.15×105 t/a, showing an abrupt change in 1984 followed by a reduction of 65.33%. Runoff and sediment load were primarily concentrated from May to July, and their intra-annual variability decreased over time. The areas with the highest runoff depth were observed in the lower reaches of the river basin, and areas with higher sediment load modulus were found in both the upper and lower reaches. Since the 2000s, the sediment load modulus of the river basin has decreased significantly. Precipitation had the greatest influence on runoff, and runoff variation was the main driver of interannual fluctuations in sediment load. Temperature, precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, and vegetation collectively explained 84% of the variations in runoff, while vegetation and runoff accounted for 64% of the variations in sediment load. Conclusion Human activities have altered the sediment transport pattern in the river basin. It is necessary to strengthen research on the ecological and environmental effects of soil erosion and reservoir construction, and to formulate comprehensive ecological and environmental management strategies.
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