Summary
The “Grain for Green” project (GGP) was launched in 1999 on China’s Loess Plateau to reduce soil erosion, which had far-reaching impacts on the local eco-hydrological processes. In this study, we use monthly runoff depth and precipitation datasets spanning 1961 to 2015 for 16 primary basins of the plateau to reveal changes in runoff generation capacity before and after the GGP. We use a Budyko-based elasticity method to calculate the runoff depth (R1) and runoff coefficient (C1) exclusively attributable to land use/cover change. Results indicate that the mean annual runoff coefficients (C0) decline by 26%–76% from the periods 1961–1999 to 2000–2015. The annual observed runoff depth (R0) and C0 for 75% of basins show significant downward trends during 1961–1999; after the implementation of
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