Spatio-temporal characteristics and trends of area changes in the small and medium-sized lakes in Xinjiang,China,from 1991 to 2020
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 medi-um-sized lakes in Xinjiang from 1991 to 2020,conducting a comprehensive analysis of the lakes at varying alti-tudes 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 moun-tainous 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 cli-mate change,particularly the rise in average annual temperatures.In the plains,human activities,especially irriga-tion,were identified as the primary drivers of lake-area changes,while the impact of climatic factors was relative-ly minor.
small to medium-sized lakessurface area changesremote sensingXinjiang
国家科技期刊平台
NSTL
万方数据
