Water Loss Due to Increasing Planted Vegetation over the Badain Jaran Desert, China

Increasing planted vegetation in the Badain Jaran Desert (BJD), one of China's driest regions, is significantly contributing to water loss despite stable precipitation patterns. A study using multi-source observational data from 2001 to 2014—including satellite measurements of total water storage anomaly (TWSA) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)—revealed a marked increase in vegetation greenness per unit of rainfall, or modified rain-use efficiency (RUEmo). However, this trend coincides with a continuous decline in groundwater storage since 2003. Researchers attribute this paradox to human activities, such as afforestation and irrigation, which rely on groundwater extraction for planted vegetation. Field investigations confirmed that human-planted vegetation around lakes correlates with water loss, emphasizing the impact of human management on ecohydrological systems in drylands.

Zhang, X., Wang, N., Xie, Z., Ma, X., & Huete, A. (2018). Water Loss Due to Increasing Planted Vegetation over the Badain Jaran Desert, China. Remote Sensing, 10(1), 134. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10010134