Response to environmental flows in the lower Tarim River, Xinjiang, China: Ground water

P Hou; R J S Beeton; R W (Bill) Carter; X G Dong; X Li

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2005.12.026

Back

Response to environmental flows in the lower Tarim River, Xinjiang, China: Ground water

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Response to environmental flows in the lower Tarim River, Xinjiang, China: Ground water

P Hou, R J S Beeton, R W (Bill) Carter, X G Dong and X Li

Journal of Environmental Management, Vol.83(4), pp.371-382

2007

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2005.12.026

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2005.12.026View

Published Version

Abstract

Ecology

water-table manipulation

ecosystem degradation

restoration

In China's west since the 1950s large-scale ecosystem degeneration has occurred through water diversions for agricultural purposes. Since 2000, 1038×106 m3 of water have been released into the Tarim River with the result that water reached the terminal Taitema Lake for the first time in 30 years. This environmental flow raised water-table levels along 350 km of the river. To assess the response of the water-table, a comparison "pristine" site is compared with downstream monitored sites. The results show huge changes in water-table levels. The study verifies that the water-table is extremely responsive to environmental flows, that strong internal similarities exist along the length of the river, and that the effect on the water-table and hence likely riparian vegetation recovery can be tentatively predicted. The actual impacts of the restoration strategy are less than those originally expected politically, socially and within the scientific community. We make recommendations on more effective release strategies.

Details

Title: Response to environmental flows in the lower Tarim River, Xinjiang, China: Ground water
Authors: P Hou (Author) - Zhejiang Forestry College, China
R J S Beeton (Author) - University of Queensland
R W (Bill) Carter (Author) - University of Queensland
X G Dong (Author) - Zhejiang Forestry College, China
X Li (Author) - Zhejiang Forestry College, China
Publication details: Journal of Environmental Management, Vol.83(4), pp.371-382
Publisher: Academic Press
Date published: 2007
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2005.12.026
ISSN: 0301-4797
Organisation Unit: School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Law and Society; Sustainability Research Cluster
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99449149802621
Output Type: Journal article

Metrics

1 File views/ downloads

680 Record Views

47 Times Cited - Web of Science

See more details

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Environmental Sciences

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

Source: InCites