Influence of vegetation change on water consumption in watersheds

AbstractEvapotranspiration is one of the hot issues of ecological hydrology. However, few studies have analysed the impact of vegetation changes on water consumption from the perspective of natural and artificial vegetation. Taking the Ziya River Basin as an example, the daily meteorological data from 2001 to 2015 were used to calculate the water consumption of vegetation based on the Penman–Monteith model. The results showed that the vegetation coverage increased. The total water consumption increased from 2001 (2.60 × 1,010 m3) to 2005 (2.65 × 1,010 m3) and decreased from 2005 (2.65 × 1,010 m3) to 2015 (2.40 × 1,010 m3). The water consumption per unit area in descending order was mixed forests (660 mm, annual average), croplands (640 mm), closed shrublands (581 mm), deciduous broadleaf forests (528 mm), grasslands (514 mm), savannas (459 mm), and woody savannas (454 mm). Finally, the regression equation between vegetation coverage change and water consumption was y = 0.377x + 84.516, which showed that there was a proportional relationship. Therefore, attention should be given to balancing local water allocation during vegetation restoration. The results can provide a reference for vegetation restoration policies