Journal of Geographical Sciences >
Groundwater recharge under irrigated agro-ecosystems in the North China Plain: From a critical zone perspective
Author: Min Leilei (1985-), PhD and Assistant Professor, specialized in soil hydrology. E-mail: llmin@sjziam.ac.cn
Received date: 2018-05-12
Accepted date: 2018-11-13
Online published: 2019-06-25
Supported by
National Key Research and Development Plan, No.2016YFC0401403
National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41877169
Copyright
From a critical zone perspective, the present paper aims to present the magnitude of groundwater recharge under different agricultural land-use types, reveal the process of water and solute transport in thick vadose zone, evaluate the “time lag” effect of recharge, and underscore the role of thickening vadose zone in recharge. The results indicated that different agricultural land-use types need to be further considered in recharge rate estimate. Under the typical irrigation condition in the piedmont plain, the recharge rate under flood irrigated winter wheat and summer maize (W/M_F), maize (M), non-cultivation (NC), native vegetation (NV), vegetables (V), and orchards (O) is 206.4, 149.7, 194.1, 46.4, 320.0, and 48.6 mm/yr, respectively. In the central plain, the value under W/M_F, M, NC, V, and cotton (C) is 92.8, 50.8, 85.0, 255.5, and 26.5 mm/yr, respectively. Soil water residence time (several years) and groundwater level response time (several months) should be distinguished to further understand the processes of groundwater recharge, because the soil water displacement velocities range from 0.2 to 2.2 m/yr while the rate of wetting front propagation is approximately 47 m/yr in the piedmont plain. The thickening vadose zone would prolong residence time of soil water and contaminant, which could postpone the time of or alleviate groundwater pollution, but have no significant influence on the magnitude of recharge in a long time scale. Recharge coefficient based on shorter time span (e.g. 2 or 3 years) should be used with caution as a parameter for groundwater resources evaluation, because it varies with total water input and target soil depth. Uncertainties in evapotranspiration and other water balance components should be evaluated in recharge estimation and the impact of land-use types on recharge should be emphasized. The critical zone science would greatly improve the understanding of groundwater recharge processes. The results of the present study will be helpful in sustainable groundwater resources management.
MIN Leilei , QI Yongqing , SHEN Yanjun , WANG Ping , WANG Shiqin , LIU Meiying . Groundwater recharge under irrigated agro-ecosystems in the North China Plain: From a critical zone perspective[J]. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2019 , 29(6) : 877 -890 . DOI: 10.1007/s11442-019-1634-x
Figure 1 Agricultural land-use types in the North China Plain. The division of three sub-plains is modified from Cao et al. (2016). |
Figure 2 Water table depth (WTD) in 2010 (a) and the water level decline rate (WLDR) from 1993 to 2010 (b) in the North China Plain |
Table 1 Descriptions and summary of collected sites |
Location | Land-use type | Irrigation type | Number of profiles | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
Piedmont plain | W/M | Flood | 19 | Lin et al., 2013; Tan et al., 2013; Wang et al., 2008 |
W/M | Non | 6 | Tan et al., 2013 | |
W/M | Sprinkling | 2 | Wang et al., 2008 | |
M | Flood | 1 | Wang et al., 2008 | |
O | Flood | 1 | Min et al., 2018 | |
V | Flood | 1 | Min et al., 2018 | |
NC | Non | 3 | Wang et al., 2008 | |
NV | Non | 2 | Liu et al., 2009; Yuan et al., 2011 | |
Central plain | W/M | Flood | 13 | Wang et al., 2008; Tan et al., 2013 |
W/M | Non | 4 | Tan et al., 2013 | |
M | Flood (2); Non (1) | 3 | Wang et al., 2008; Tan et al., 2013 | |
V | Flood | 1 | Wang et al., 2008 | |
NC | Non | 7 | Wang et al., 2008; Tan et al., 2013 | |
C | Flood | 3 | Min et al., 2018 |
Note: W/M, M, NC, NV, V, O, and C represent winter wheat and summer maize, maize, non-cultivation, native vegetation, vegetable, orchard, and cotton, respectively. |
Figure 3 The magnitude of recharge under different land-use types associated with various management practices at piedmont plain (a) and central plain (b) in the North China Plain. Note that W/M_F, W/M_NI, W/M_S, M, NC, NV, V, O, and C represent winter wheat and summer maize under flood irrigation, winter wheat and summer maize under no irrigation, winter wheat and summer maize under sprinkling irrigation, maize, non-cultivation, native vegetation, vegetable, orchard, and cotton, respectively. Note that these are no data concerning C in the piedmont plain, W/M_S and O in the central plain. |
Figure 4 Recharge coefficients under different land use types associated with various management practices at piedmont plain (a) and central plain (b) in the North China Plain |
Figure 5 Velocity of soil water displacement under different land use types associated with various management practices at piedmont plain (a) and central plain (b) in the North China Plain |
Figure 6 Relationship between solute front and wetting front under the impact of soil water content (modified from Raats, 1984, with new data added). Note the dashed line indicates the theoretical relationship between the two ratios. |
Figure 7 Influence of target soil depth (below the ground surface) on calculated soil water flux. The data (from 2011 to 2015) were observed in Luancheng Agro-Ecosystem Experiment Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences. |
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
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