The assessment of the changes of biomass and riparian buffer width in the terminal reservoir under the impact of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China. (February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yang, Shengtian; Bai, Juan; Zhao, Changsen; Lou, Hezhen; Zhang, Chunbin; Guan, Yabing; Zhang, Yichi; Wang, Zhiwei; Yu, Xinyi
• Is Part Of: Ecological indicators. Volume 85(2018)
• Page Start: 932
• Page End: 943
• Publication Date: 2018-02
• Subjects: Riparian buffer width -- Biomass -- Inter-basin water transfer -- Remote sensing -- Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); Environmental monitoring -- Periodicals; Environmental management -- Periodicals; Environmental impact analysis -- Periodicals; Environmental risk assessment -- Periodicals; Sustainable development -- Periodicals; 333.71405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.11.011
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1470-160X

Abstract

Highlights: Riparian buffer width and biomass are simulated to indicate the riparian condition. Higher water levels, narrower riparian buffer width. Riparian biomass shows a negative response to elevated water levels. The transferred water will impair the ecological functions of riparian buffer. The riparian vegetation in the reservoir must be restored to remain effective. Abstract: Reservoir and lake levels are susceptible to interference from inter-basin water transfer projects that are intended to alleviate increasing serious water resource crises. However, the impact of these transfers on riparian buffers as well as to water security is not clear. This paper considers the world's largest inter-basin water transfer, the South-to-North Water Diversion (SNWD), as an example for assessing changes in riparian buffer width and biomass in order to indicate the influence of the project on the ecological system of the receiving reservoir. The riparian buffer width is determined by Landsat NDWI. Basing on in situ survey, the method that combing unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) and remote sensing (Landsat) was employed to calculate riparian biomass. Results: show that water arriving from the SNWD directly decrease the existing buffer width due to the rising water level, and riparian biomass shows a negative response to elevated water levels. Therefore, the transferred water will impair the ecological functions of that buffer and increase risk to the security of the water resource. The vegetation cover in extant riparian buffer zones should be restored if the buffers are to be effective as usual. This study provides information useful to assess riparian impact from artificial inter-basin water projects prior to implementation.