Oasis Change Characteristics and Influencing Factors in the Shiyang River Basin, China

Yu Fang (), Xulian Wang, Yufei Cheng and Zhongjing Wang
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Yu Fang: Center for Agricultural Water Research in China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Xulian Wang: Center for Agricultural Water Research in China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Yufei Cheng: Gansu Research Institute of Water Conservancy, Lanzhou 730000, China
Zhongjing Wang: State Key Laboratory of Hydro-Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-16

Abstract: The variability of the natural environment and the complexity of human activities result in dynamic changes in oasis areas, which is directly related to the sustainable development of arid and semi-arid areas. In order to better balance economic development and environmentally sustainable development, based on land use data and social and economic data from 1980 to 2015, this paper analyzed the oasis change characteristics under natural and human factors in the Shiyang River Basin in Northwest China. The results indicated that the oasis in the Shiyang River Basin showed an expansion trend from 1980 to 2015, with the expansion mainly occurring in the diluvial and alluvial fan, and along the middle and lower reaches of the river. The oasis changed actively in areas at an elevation of 1350 m, with a slope of 2°, at the distance of 1500 m to rivers, and with precipitation of 120 mm and temperature of 15 °C. Furthermore, the oasis mainly evolved towards gentler slopes and lower altitudes, and migrated closer to rivers before 1992 and farther away from rivers afterwards. Population growth and economic development were the important inducers of oasis change, and government policies on agricultural benefits and ecological conservation also influenced the oasis change, especially after 2000. The evolution patterns of oasis distribution revealed in this study can provide a reference for promoting oasis ecological restoration and sustainable development.

Keywords: oasis evolution; natural factor; human interference; Shiyang River Basin (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (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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