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Purpose <p>This study aims to quantify the separate and combined effects of engineering measures (check dams, terraces) and vegetation restoration on hydro-sedimentary decoupling in the Loess Plateau’s Jiuyuangou watershed, and to reveal their long-term dynamics under changing climatic conditions and extreme events.</p> Materials and methods <p>A 59-year (1964–2022) dataset of precipitation, runoff, and sediment load was analyzed. Segmented Mann-Kendall tests, regime shift analysis, and power function regression were used to explore trends and relationships across five management periods, integrating NDVI and land use data to distinguish anthropogenic and climatic drivers.</p> Results and discussion <p>Precipitation showed no significant long-term trend, whereas runoff and sediment load decreased markedly by 42.6% and 96.1%, respectively. Abrupt declines occurred in the mid-1980s for runoff and around 1980 for sediment. The runoff–sediment relationship weakened dramatically (R² from 0.98 in P1 to 0.008 in P4), indicating strong decoupling driven primarily by check dams and terraces. Vegetation restoration enhanced rainfall–runoff coupling (R² = 0.62) while further reducing runoff under comparable rainfall. However, extreme storms and progressive reservoir siltation periodically triggered sediment rebounds, highlighting the temporal decay and vulnerability of engineering systems.</p> Conclusions <p>Anthropogenic activities account for &gt; 90% of sediment reduction. A “threshold-decoupling-restructuring” mechanism was identified, whereby engineering interventions rapidly altered sediment connectivity and vegetation restoration reshaped hydrological responses over longer timescales. These findings provide process-based insights for adaptive engineering–ecological watershed management in highly erodible regions under climate change.</p>

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Decoupling of hydro-sedimentary processes in a Loess Plateau watershed: Dominant roles of engineering (Check dams and terraces) and vegetation restoration

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月28日

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  • Li Feng,
  • Kai Wang,
  • Feng Liu,
  • Xin Lei,
  • Chihui Guo,
  • Hao Liu,
  • Zirui Liu,
  • Zuyu Chen,
  • Maosheng Zhang

摘要

Purpose

This study aims to quantify the separate and combined effects of engineering measures (check dams, terraces) and vegetation restoration on hydro-sedimentary decoupling in the Loess Plateau’s Jiuyuangou watershed, and to reveal their long-term dynamics under changing climatic conditions and extreme events.

Materials and methods

A 59-year (1964–2022) dataset of precipitation, runoff, and sediment load was analyzed. Segmented Mann-Kendall tests, regime shift analysis, and power function regression were used to explore trends and relationships across five management periods, integrating NDVI and land use data to distinguish anthropogenic and climatic drivers.

Results and discussion

Precipitation showed no significant long-term trend, whereas runoff and sediment load decreased markedly by 42.6% and 96.1%, respectively. Abrupt declines occurred in the mid-1980s for runoff and around 1980 for sediment. The runoff–sediment relationship weakened dramatically (R² from 0.98 in P1 to 0.008 in P4), indicating strong decoupling driven primarily by check dams and terraces. Vegetation restoration enhanced rainfall–runoff coupling (R² = 0.62) while further reducing runoff under comparable rainfall. However, extreme storms and progressive reservoir siltation periodically triggered sediment rebounds, highlighting the temporal decay and vulnerability of engineering systems.

Conclusions

Anthropogenic activities account for > 90% of sediment reduction. A “threshold-decoupling-restructuring” mechanism was identified, whereby engineering interventions rapidly altered sediment connectivity and vegetation restoration reshaped hydrological responses over longer timescales. These findings provide process-based insights for adaptive engineering–ecological watershed management in highly erodible regions under climate change.