Arid Zone Research ›› 2024, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (6): 905-916.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.06.01

• Land and Water Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatio-temporal characteristics and trends of area changes in the small and medium-sized lakes in Xinjiang, China, from 1991 to 2020

MA Yuanzhi1,2(), QIN Xiaolin1,2, LING Hongbo1,2(), YAN Junjie3, ZHANG Guangpeng1,2   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
    2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    3. Institute of Resources and Ecology, Yili Normal University, Yining 835000, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2023-10-25 Revised:2023-12-28 Online:2024-06-15 Published:2024-07-03

Abstract:

Lakes, as integral components of the terrestrial ecosystems, are vital for regional economic growth and ecological security. Previous studies have primarily focused on typical or large lakes in the Xinjiang region, with comparatively less attention given to smaller lakes. This study analyzed the area dynamics of 74 small and medium-sized lakes in Xinjiang from 1991 to 2020, conducting a comprehensive analysis of the lakes at varying altitudes and with diverse geographical characteristics. The research uncovered that during 1991-2020, the total area of lakes in Xinjiang expanded from 167.98 to 400.51 km², with the most significant growth observed in the mountainous lakes. Monthly scale analysis revealed pronounced seasonal characteristics in the area-changes of these mountainous lakes. Statistical analysis indicated divergent responses of lakes at varying altitudes to climatic changes. The substantial enlargement of lakes in Xinjiang’s mountainous regions is primarily attributed to climate change, particularly the rise in average annual temperatures. In the plains, human activities, especially irrigation, were identified as the primary drivers of lake-area changes, while the impact of climatic factors was relatively minor.

Key words: small to medium-sized lakes, surface area changes, remote sensing, Xinjiang