Development and application of a regional forest water conservation function assessment tool
YU Enxu1, ZHANG Mingfang1, XU Yali1, SUN Pengsen2, MENG Zuozhu1
1. School of Resources and Environment, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731, Chengdu, China; 2. Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091, Beijing, China
Abstract：[Background] Multiple types of forest changes including deforestation, insect infestation, fire, and afforestation coupled with forest growth and restoration occur at a regional scale, which lead to the restoration effects of forest and associated water conservation capacity accumulate over space and time. The Zagunao watershed has suffered from deforestation in the past decades, which has severely reduced its water conservation capacity. This paper focuses on the forest change dynamics and the corresponding restoration of the water conservation capacity in this watershed under a series of ecological protection projects. However, traditional assessment tools of forest water conservation function lack the description of the spatial-temporal cumulation of forest growth and associated water conservation capacity, and are featured with complex computation, which impedes the evaluation on the effects of forest restoration on water conservation in a rapid and accurate way.[Methods] To address this issue, we innovatively developed the Equivalent Recovery Area (ERA) model for describing the hydrological function recovery with forest changes after forest deforestation and assessing the spatial-temporal dynamics of cumulative forest recovery after forest logging. Then, through combining the forest restoration evaluation model (ERA) and classic forest water storage function evaluation method (comprehensive water storage capacity method), this study took advantage of ENVI/IDL, ArcGIS Engine/C#.Net GIS to develop a GIS-based tool for assessing regional forest changes and associated forest water conservation function dynamics. The tool named Regional Forest Water Conservation Function Assessment Model (RFWCFAM) supports to evaluate the spatial-temporal changes of forest landscapes and forest water conservation functions under natural and artificial recovery scenarios. Charts and spatial distribution maps of forest changes, water conservation capacity dynamics, and restoration measures layout generated, after inputting precipitation, vegetation/forest, soil, and forest restoration measures data in RFWCFAM.[Results]This tool was successfully applied in the Zagunao watershed. According to the assessment, the EHFR (equivalent hydrological function recovery) coefficient increased in study area with the implementation of natural and artificial restoration measures from 2010 to 2030. The canopy, litter, soil and total forest water conservation capacity of the Zagunao watershed were about 129.8, 25.96, 523.62, and 697.37 t/hm2, respectively, in 2010, and all layers showed consistent upward tendencies from 2010 to 2030 under both natural restoration and artificial restoration scenarios. The artificial restoration measures yielded better effect on forest water conservation function than natural restoration. By 2030, the forest water conservation capacity of artificial restoration scenario is expected to be about 5.19% higher than that of natural restoration scenario.[Conclusions] The RFWCFAM has addressed the limitations of the traditional water resource assessment method and has been successfully applied and validated in the Zagunao watershed. Additionally, the RFWCFAM can provide an effective assessment tool to forest and water managers for evaluating the potential effects of forest restoration on water conservation function, along with scientific supports for adaptive forest management and soil and water conservation project evaluation and management in restorations of forest ecosystem functions in China.
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2023, Vol. 21 
