Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Evapotranspiration and Driving Factors in the Bosten Lake Watershed, China

• Published in: Clean : soil, air, water air, water, 2020-06, Vol.48 (5-6), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Tuersun, Aierken, Rusuli, Yusufujiang, Maimaiti, Aizezitiyuemaier, Maitudi, Miriayi, Alimu, Kadiayi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arid lands; Arid zones; Aridity; Bosten Lake watershed; Climate change; Climatic data; Correlation analysis; driving factor analysis; Elevation; Environmental changes; Environmental factors; Evapotranspiration; Lakes; Land cover; Land surface temperature; Land use; Mountains; Normalized difference vegetative index; partial correlation; Remote sensing; Solar radiation; Surface temperature; Trend analysis; TRMM precipitation data; Vegetation; Vegetation index; Water management; Water resources; Water resources management; Watersheds
• ISSN: 1863-0650; 1863-0669
• DOI: 10.1002/clen.201900246

The Bosten Lake watershed investigated in this study has seen significant land cover and climate change. The spatiotemporal relationship between evapotranspiration (ET) and environmental factors remain unclear. In this study, trend analysis and correlation methods are applied to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of ET and the relationship between ET and its driving factors using remotely sensed ET data and measured climate data between 2001 and 2018. During the study period, high values of ET primarily occurr in the wetlands of the plain area and the mid‐elevation mountain areas. The ET values show a significantly increasing trend in the different vegetation types due to climate change and other factors. The ET change trend in the study area is in the range of −13.4 to ≈35.9 mm per year; the desert area exhibits a significant decrease and most of the mountain areas show a significantly increasing trend. ET is significantly correlated with land surface temperature, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and solar radiation. The dominant factor affecting ET is NDVI, accounting for 15.2% of the study area. The results of this study highlight the need for appropriate land‐use strategies for managing water resources in arid land ecosystems. Evapotranspiration (ET) is the total water vapor flux from a terrestrial ecosystem to the atmosphere, including vegetation transpiration and soil evaporation. Global climate change affects atmospheric water vapor content and atmospheric circulation such as precipitation and ET. The spatiotemporal characteristics of ET in the Bosten Lake watershed and the relationship with driving factors is analyzed.