ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Environ. Sci.
Sec. Ecosystem Restoration
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1586277
Analysis on water replenishment effect of ecological sluices in the middle reaches of the Tarim River
Provisionally accepted
- 1State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Development and Protection, School of Water Resources and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- 2Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
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To evaluate the water replenishment effect of ecological sluices in the Tarim River’s mainstream and the water demand for ecological restoration, this study focused on the area controlled by a typical sluice group in the middle reaches. Using Landsat imagery (2000–2020) and the Penman-Monteith method, we quantified the spatiotemporal evolution of vegetation water consumption and ecological water demand, proposing corresponding sluice operation strategies. The results show: (1) From 2000 to 2020, natural vegetation consumed 1.62×108 m3 of water on average, increasing by 0.1×108 m3 per five years. Woodland and grassland expanded by 67.18 km2 per five years, demonstrating effective ecological restoration. (2) Vegetation water consumption varied spatiotemporally, peaking near sluice-fed branch canals and declining with distance from the river. The highest consumption occurred in 2015, concentrated in mid-growth periods. (3) Ecological water demands were: 1.76×108 m3 (maintaining 2020 conditions), 1.62×108 m3 (2000–2020 average), and 2.01×108 m3 (optimal 2015 level). By linking sluice impacts to vegetation water use and quantifying restoration needs, this study provides a scientific basis for water management and ecological regulation.
Keywords: Tarim River, ecological sluices, Fractional vegetation cover, vegetation water consumption, Water transfer effect
Received: 02 Mar 2025; Accepted: 28 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Feng, Xu, Shi, Huang, Wu and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Gaoxu Wang, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
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