Tree‐Ring Insights Into Past and Future Streamflow Variations in Beijing, Northern China

Abstract As the largest city in northern China and the capital of China, the rapid increases in Beijing’s water consumption in recent years have made water resources provision an increasing problem. To rationally allocate water resources, it is important to obtain long‐term runoff information in Bei...

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Main Authors: Honghua Cao, Feng Chen, Mao Hu, Tiyuan Hou, Xiaoen Zhao, Shijie Wang, Heli Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-01-01
Series:Water Resources Research
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR038084
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author Honghua Cao
Feng Chen
Mao Hu
Tiyuan Hou
Xiaoen Zhao
Shijie Wang
Heli Zhang
author_facet Honghua Cao
Feng Chen
Mao Hu
Tiyuan Hou
Xiaoen Zhao
Shijie Wang
Heli Zhang
author_sort Honghua Cao
collection DOAJ
description Abstract As the largest city in northern China and the capital of China, the rapid increases in Beijing’s water consumption in recent years have made water resources provision an increasing problem. To rationally allocate water resources, it is important to obtain long‐term runoff information in Beijing. In this study we develop a 236‐year chronology of tree‐ring widths based on cores from Pinus tabuliformis from four sampling sites. The resulting regression model reconstructs December–July runoff of the Yongding River in Beijing, with 49.5% of the variance explained, back to 1786 CE. Among the last 236 years, 1868, 1956, 1991, 1998, 2018, and 2021 were extremely high runoff years; and 1900, 1906, 1999, and 2000 were extremely low runoff years. Comparison of the runoff reconstruction results with climate grid data demonstrated a large magnitude of climate change in North China during the study period. Linkage analysis between the reconstructed runoff and large‐scale water vapor indicated that the high runoff years occurred during negative phases of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which may be influenced by the East Asian Summer Monsoon. Projections indicate that the flow of the Yongding River will increase in the future. Supported by policies such as the Ecological Water Supply and South‐to‐North Water Diversion, regional vegetation productivity and Yongding River runoff have increased substantially since 2000. Vegetation growth interacts with runoff volume. It is unclear how long these increases will continue.
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issn 0043-1397
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publishDate 2025-01-01
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spelling doaj-art-dfeb078c3dc0475e982c94975ae13d592025-08-20T03:22:12ZengWileyWater Resources Research0043-13971944-79732025-01-01611n/an/a10.1029/2024WR038084Tree‐Ring Insights Into Past and Future Streamflow Variations in Beijing, Northern ChinaHonghua Cao0Feng Chen1Mao Hu2Tiyuan Hou3Xiaoen Zhao4Shijie Wang5Heli Zhang6Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐Security Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐Security Yunnan University Kunming ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐Security Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐Security Yunnan University Kunming ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐Security Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐Security Yunnan University Kunming ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐Security Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐Security Yunnan University Kunming ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐Security Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐Security Yunnan University Kunming ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐Security Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐Security Yunnan University Kunming ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐Security Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐Security Yunnan University Kunming ChinaAbstract As the largest city in northern China and the capital of China, the rapid increases in Beijing’s water consumption in recent years have made water resources provision an increasing problem. To rationally allocate water resources, it is important to obtain long‐term runoff information in Beijing. In this study we develop a 236‐year chronology of tree‐ring widths based on cores from Pinus tabuliformis from four sampling sites. The resulting regression model reconstructs December–July runoff of the Yongding River in Beijing, with 49.5% of the variance explained, back to 1786 CE. Among the last 236 years, 1868, 1956, 1991, 1998, 2018, and 2021 were extremely high runoff years; and 1900, 1906, 1999, and 2000 were extremely low runoff years. Comparison of the runoff reconstruction results with climate grid data demonstrated a large magnitude of climate change in North China during the study period. Linkage analysis between the reconstructed runoff and large‐scale water vapor indicated that the high runoff years occurred during negative phases of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which may be influenced by the East Asian Summer Monsoon. Projections indicate that the flow of the Yongding River will increase in the future. Supported by policies such as the Ecological Water Supply and South‐to‐North Water Diversion, regional vegetation productivity and Yongding River runoff have increased substantially since 2000. Vegetation growth interacts with runoff volume. It is unclear how long these increases will continue.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR038084tree ringsrunoff reconstructionBeijingNDVI
spellingShingle Honghua Cao
Feng Chen
Mao Hu
Tiyuan Hou
Xiaoen Zhao
Shijie Wang
Heli Zhang
Tree‐Ring Insights Into Past and Future Streamflow Variations in Beijing, Northern China
Water Resources Research
tree rings
runoff reconstruction
Beijing
NDVI
title Tree‐Ring Insights Into Past and Future Streamflow Variations in Beijing, Northern China
title_full Tree‐Ring Insights Into Past and Future Streamflow Variations in Beijing, Northern China
title_fullStr Tree‐Ring Insights Into Past and Future Streamflow Variations in Beijing, Northern China
title_full_unstemmed Tree‐Ring Insights Into Past and Future Streamflow Variations in Beijing, Northern China
title_short Tree‐Ring Insights Into Past and Future Streamflow Variations in Beijing, Northern China
title_sort tree ring insights into past and future streamflow variations in beijing northern china
topic tree rings
runoff reconstruction
Beijing
NDVI
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR038084
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AT maohu treeringinsightsintopastandfuturestreamflowvariationsinbeijingnorthernchina
AT tiyuanhou treeringinsightsintopastandfuturestreamflowvariationsinbeijingnorthernchina
AT xiaoenzhao treeringinsightsintopastandfuturestreamflowvariationsinbeijingnorthernchina
AT shijiewang treeringinsightsintopastandfuturestreamflowvariationsinbeijingnorthernchina
AT helizhang treeringinsightsintopastandfuturestreamflowvariationsinbeijingnorthernchina