Permafrost‒vegetation controls on water availability over the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau
Permafrost degradation substantially affects water resources within the cryosphere. It is crucial to elucidate the dynamics of water availability influenced by both permafrost degradation and climate change to fully comprehend the water cycle in cold regions, such as the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau (QTP)....
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Advances in Climate Change Research |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674927825000875 |
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| author | Fang Ji Lin-Feng Fan Shan-Shui Yuan Xing-Xing Kuang Liu-Jun Zhu Jun-Liang Jin Ying-Ying Yao Jian-Yun Zhang Chun-Miao Zheng |
| author_facet | Fang Ji Lin-Feng Fan Shan-Shui Yuan Xing-Xing Kuang Liu-Jun Zhu Jun-Liang Jin Ying-Ying Yao Jian-Yun Zhang Chun-Miao Zheng |
| author_sort | Fang Ji |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Permafrost degradation substantially affects water resources within the cryosphere. It is crucial to elucidate the dynamics of water availability influenced by both permafrost degradation and climate change to fully comprehend the water cycle in cold regions, such as the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau (QTP). While existing studies have established the hydrological consequences of permafrost degradation through altered soil hydraulics and water storage capacity, the complex interplay between thawing permafrost and vegetation dynamics—particularly their synergistic regulation of precipitation partitioning and runoff generation through root-zone water accessibility—are poorly understood, creating critical knowledge gaps in predicting long-term water availability trajectories. In this study, we explore the influence of permafrost-vegetation interactions on regional water availability on the QTP by integrating the effects of permafrost degradation on vegetation into the Budyko-Fu model. Our results reveal a consistent increase in surface runoff (R) of the permafrost regions from 1981 to 2100, predominantly driven by rising precipitation. However, shifts in vegetation patterns, prompted by permafrost degradation, significantly modify hydrological partitioning, leading to non-monotonic variations in the runoff to precipitation ratio (R/P). Notably, early-stage permafrost thaw enhances vegetation growth and evapotranspiration, which results in a decrease in R/P. Conversely, deeper permafrost thaw (e.g., beyond the root zone of vegetation) can lead to vegetation degradation, which subsequently reduces evapotranspiration and consequently increasing the R/P ratio. These findings underscore the pivotal role of vegetation in regulating the hydrological cycle and affecting water availability in permafrost-affected regions. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1674-9278 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
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| series | Advances in Climate Change Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-3d8f32057c4f4e21bf7a6c566a6ef2792025-08-20T03:32:49ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Advances in Climate Change Research1674-92782025-06-0116352653710.1016/j.accre.2025.04.013Permafrost‒vegetation controls on water availability over the Qinghai‒Tibet PlateauFang Ji0Lin-Feng Fan1Shan-Shui Yuan2Xing-Xing Kuang3Liu-Jun Zhu4Jun-Liang Jin5Ying-Ying Yao6Jian-Yun Zhang7Chun-Miao Zheng8The National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China; Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, ChinaKey Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Engineering Resilience, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610213, China; Corresponding author.The National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China; Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China; Key Laboratory of Hydrologic-Cycle and Hydrodynamic-System of Ministry of Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China; Corresponding author. Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Hohai University, Nanjing 2100024, China.State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaThe National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China; Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China; Key Laboratory of Hydrologic-Cycle and Hydrodynamic-System of Ministry of Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, ChinaThe National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China; Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, ChinaDepartment of Earth and Environmental Science, School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, ChinaThe National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China; Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China; State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing 210029, ChinaEastern Institute for Advanced Study, Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo 315200, China; Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaPermafrost degradation substantially affects water resources within the cryosphere. It is crucial to elucidate the dynamics of water availability influenced by both permafrost degradation and climate change to fully comprehend the water cycle in cold regions, such as the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau (QTP). While existing studies have established the hydrological consequences of permafrost degradation through altered soil hydraulics and water storage capacity, the complex interplay between thawing permafrost and vegetation dynamics—particularly their synergistic regulation of precipitation partitioning and runoff generation through root-zone water accessibility—are poorly understood, creating critical knowledge gaps in predicting long-term water availability trajectories. In this study, we explore the influence of permafrost-vegetation interactions on regional water availability on the QTP by integrating the effects of permafrost degradation on vegetation into the Budyko-Fu model. Our results reveal a consistent increase in surface runoff (R) of the permafrost regions from 1981 to 2100, predominantly driven by rising precipitation. However, shifts in vegetation patterns, prompted by permafrost degradation, significantly modify hydrological partitioning, leading to non-monotonic variations in the runoff to precipitation ratio (R/P). Notably, early-stage permafrost thaw enhances vegetation growth and evapotranspiration, which results in a decrease in R/P. Conversely, deeper permafrost thaw (e.g., beyond the root zone of vegetation) can lead to vegetation degradation, which subsequently reduces evapotranspiration and consequently increasing the R/P ratio. These findings underscore the pivotal role of vegetation in regulating the hydrological cycle and affecting water availability in permafrost-affected regions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674927825000875Water availabilityPermafrost degradationVegetationClimate changeQinghai‒Tibet Plateau |
| spellingShingle | Fang Ji Lin-Feng Fan Shan-Shui Yuan Xing-Xing Kuang Liu-Jun Zhu Jun-Liang Jin Ying-Ying Yao Jian-Yun Zhang Chun-Miao Zheng Permafrost‒vegetation controls on water availability over the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau Advances in Climate Change Research Water availability Permafrost degradation Vegetation Climate change Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau |
| title | Permafrost‒vegetation controls on water availability over the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau |
| title_full | Permafrost‒vegetation controls on water availability over the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau |
| title_fullStr | Permafrost‒vegetation controls on water availability over the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau |
| title_full_unstemmed | Permafrost‒vegetation controls on water availability over the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau |
| title_short | Permafrost‒vegetation controls on water availability over the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau |
| title_sort | permafrost vegetation controls on water availability over the qinghai tibet plateau |
| topic | Water availability Permafrost degradation Vegetation Climate change Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674927825000875 |
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