Interaction Simulation of Vadose Zone Water and Groundwater in Cele Oasis: Assessment of the Impact of Agricultural Intensification, Northwestern China

Dongping Xue, Heng Dai, Yi Liu, Yunfei Liu, Lei Zhang and Wengai Lv
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Dongping Xue: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Heng Dai: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Yi Liu: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Yunfei Liu: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Lei Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Wengai Lv: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: Agricultural intensification has boosted land productivity, but it has also created new sustainability issues. As one of the most important human habitations and agricultural farming areas in arid areas, the Cele Oasis has a very developed agricultural system. This paper studies the long-term effects of different types of agricultural intensification strategies on groundwater level fluctuations in the Cele Oasis. A soil water flow (HYDRUS-1D) and aquifer simulation (MODFLOW) coupling model were used to construct the geometric structures of the vadose zone and saturated zone in the Cele Oasis and to analyze the recharge and discharge mechanism of the oasis. The results showed that HYDRUS-1D accurately simulated soil moisture transport in the Cele Oasis, providing reliable data for calibration of the MODFLOW model. The groundwater level simulated by MODFLOW was in good agreement with the observed value. The results of the R 2 , RMSE, and NSE were ranges of 0.77–0.90, 0.45–0.74 m, and 0.76–0.87, respectively. The errors were acceptable limits. The coupling model predicted the responses of different agricultural types and cropping scenarios to groundwater. Predictions showed that the groundwater level in the Cele Oasis remained stable under the current cropping scenario (100% cropping intensity), and that the groundwater level decreased slightly under the cropping scenario (110% cropping intensity and 130% cropping intensity). When the cropping scenario was at 170% cropping intensity, the groundwater level decreased rapidly, and the maximum drawdown value was 7 m. Therefore, the maximum cropping intensity of the Cele Oasis in the future should be 130% of the current cropping intensity.

Keywords: Oasis; HYDRUS-1D; MODFLOW; vadose zone; cropping scenario; coupling model; Northwestern China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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