Study on Relationship of Land Cover Changes and Ecohydrological Processes of the Tuul River Basin

Batsuren Dorjsuren, Nyamdavaa Batsaikhan, Denghua Yan, Otgonbayar Yadamjav, Sonomdagva Chonokhuu, Altanbold Enkhbold, Tianlin Qin, Baisha Weng, Wuxia Bi, Otgonbayar Demberel, Tsasanchimeg Boldsaikhan, Oyunkhuu Gombo, Mohammed Gedefaw, Abel Girma and Asaminew Abiyu
Additional contact information
Batsuren Dorjsuren: Laboratory of Air and Environmental Monitoring, Department of Environment and Forest Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 210646, Mongolia
Nyamdavaa Batsaikhan: Department of Geography, School of Art & Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 210646, Mongolia
Denghua Yan: State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR), Beijing 100038, China
Otgonbayar Yadamjav: Department of Sociology and Social Work, School of Art & Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 210646, Mongolia
Sonomdagva Chonokhuu: Laboratory of Air and Environmental Monitoring, Department of Environment and Forest Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 210646, Mongolia
Altanbold Enkhbold: Department of Geography, School of Art & Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 210646, Mongolia
Tianlin Qin: State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR), Beijing 100038, China
Baisha Weng: State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR), Beijing 100038, China
Wuxia Bi: State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR), Beijing 100038, China
Otgonbayar Demberel: Department of Geography and Geology, School of Natural Science and Technology, Khovd State University, Khovd 164300, Mongolia
Tsasanchimeg Boldsaikhan: Department of Weather Forecast, National Agency for Meteorology Environment Monitoring, Ulaanbaatar 15160, Mongolia
Oyunkhuu Gombo: Hydrology Division, The Information and Research Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment (IRIMHE), Ulaanbaatar 15160, Mongolia
Mohammed Gedefaw: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Abel Girma: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Asaminew Abiyu: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: The Tuul River Basin is the most important socioeconomic and political base area of Mongolia. Therefore, studying the interrelationships between changes in the ecohydrological processes of this basin and its land cover is of great importance for maintaining sustainability and the environment. This study investigated the annual average air temperature, total annual precipitation, and river discharge variability, and land cover changes at selected stations of the basin by using the hydrometeorological analysis, satellite analysis, and land cover determination statistical analysis. During the study period, the average annual air temperature rose from −1.5 °C to +0.3 °C (1.8 °C 361 °C). The average annual precipitation exhibits relatively low change during this period. River discharge varied during the study period. A significant decreasing trend in river discharge was observed at the Terelj ( φ = −2.72) and Ulaanbaatar ( φ = −5.63) stations, whereas the other stations, Altanbulag, Lun, and Orkhontuul, showed a significant increasing trend. During the study period, changes in land cover were directly related to main hydrometeorological parameters. Between 2000 and 2020, the amount of grassland decreased by 319.67 km 2 , while the area of water bodies increased by 28.36 km 2 . In the study area, mainly water bodies and sensitive areas of the land cover types were changed due to changes in precipitation. Studies in the arid and semiarid regions of Central Asia show that changes of ecohydrological processes have a significant impact on land cover changes.

Keywords: air temperature; precipitation; river discharge; climate change; land cover; water bodies; Mongolia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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