Project Management

Review

Geography December **** Vol.** No.**: **** 4103

doi: 10.1007/s11434-010-4252-7

SPECIAL TOPICS:

Historical evolution and the effects of ecological management in

Tarim Basin, China

ZHUANG Li2, DONG YunShe1,3*, YIN FeiHu3 & CHEN YaNing4

1

Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;

2

College of Biology, Shihezi University, Shihezi 830002, China;

3

Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science, Shihezi 830002, China;

4

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China

Received October 13, 2010; accepted November 1, 2010

The Tarim Basin, in northwestern China, is the largest continental basin in the world, and hosts desert landscapes as well as ex-

tensive oasis agriculture. Many horticultural products come from this basin. However, since the 1950s, frequent river flow inter-

ruptions have occurred in the lower reaches of the Tarim River. Thus, the natural ecology of the basin has undergone significant

changes because of recent human economic and social activities. In particular, water resource development and utilization along

with climate changes have had a significant impact on the area. To prevent further deterioration of the environment, the Central

Government implemented a water conveyance project in 2000. Based on this project, Chinese scientists, together with those from

overseas, have conducted extensive research on the historical evolution of the area, and the physiological and ecological responses

of the natural vegetation around the Tarim Desert Highway. Progress has been made in the areas of environmental protection and

ecological conservation.

Tarim Basin, historical evolution, vegetation recovery, Tarim Desert Highway, ecological water conveyance

Citation: Zhuang L, Dong Y S, Yin F H, et al. Historical evolution and the effects of ecological management in Tarim Basin, China. Chinese Sci Bull, 2010, 55:

4097 4103, doi: 10.1007/s11434-010-4252-7

The Tarim Basin is located between the Tianshan and population is about 8.26 million, with 82.5% (6.81 million)

Kunlun mountains, in Southern Xinjiang, stretching over composed of ethnic minorities. The basin sustains mainly

1100 km from east to west and approximately 600 km from farming and animal husbandry activities, and has become an

north to south. Its total area amounts to 1050000 km2, with important base for high-quality cotton and crops. In addi-

a desert area of 370400 km2. The Tarim Basin is character- tion, the area is a base for horticultural products, such as

ized by its abundant light and heat resources. Over the past Korla sweet pears, apricots, walnuts, muskmelons, pome-

several thousand years, humans have inhabited areas down- granates, and figs. The Tarim Basin has both abundant

stream along the Tarim River. Long-term anthropogenic natural resources and fragile eco-environments. These en-

activities have created a highly modified landscape within vironments contain unique natural and geographical char-

the basin [1 3]. acters with important water resources that support social

The Tarim Basin hosts a multi-ethnic community. The and economic development, ecological construction and

Uygur constitutes the main region, and it consists of 42 environmental protection in Xinjiang [4 7].

counties, 56 agricultural and reclamation administrations, Since the 1950s, the natural ecosystem of Tarim Basin

and nearly 1.33 million hectares of irrigated area. The total has undergone significant changes. These changes have

been prompted by economic and social activities, especially

with regard to water resource development and utilization,

*Corresponding author (email: ******@******.**.**)

Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010 csb.scichina.com www.springerlink.com

4098 ZHUANG Li, et al. Chinese Sci Bull December (2010) Vol.55 No.36

The Tarim Basin has a cultivated land area of 2.04 l07

and climate changes. At the same time, a flood interruption

hm2 and a surface water volume of 1.96 l010 m3. With 2/3

hazard in the lower reaches of the Tarim River threatened

this fragile system. As a consequence, the downstream Lop of the total area of the region, the natural resources of Xin-

Nur and Taitema lakes dried up in 1970 and 1972, respec- jiang, especially water resources, have not been well ex-

tively. During this time, the groundwater levels dropped ploited and utilized. This lack of proper management has

down to 8 12 m. As a result, the natural vegetation fed by been caused by the rapid population growth and accelerated

groundwater experienced dramatic degradation. In addition, social development of the area over the past 50 years. The

many herbs, including Phragmites communis, Poacynum 321-km-long Tarim River has been interrupted for 30 years

hendersonii, and Alhagi sparsifolia died. Large areas of because of wasteland reclamation in the headstream and

Tamarix and Populus decayed, wind erosion and desertifi- upper reaches. High water consumption also has occurred in

cation intensified, and biodiversity was severely reduced the rolling lowlands of the middle reaches, where devastat-

ing effects of digging water holes to steal water have oc-

[8]. Numerous rivers have surface water contact with the

curred. All these human activities have increasingly and

Tarim River, such as the Chercheng, Keriya and Dina riv-

dramatically degraded the natural vegetation of this Green

ers, which were cut off from the main stream of the Tarim

River before the 1940s. After the 1940s, the Kashigar, Corridor [9,11,12].

Kaidu-Konqi and Weigan rivers also were cut off gradually.

At present, only three rivers are connected with the main

2 Ecological environment and natural resource

stream of the Tarim River, the Hotan, Yarkant and Aksu

development in the Tarim Basin

rivers. The Konqi River diverts water from Boston Lake

into the lower reaches of the Tarim River via pumping sta-

2.1 Petroleum and natural gas exploration in the

tions on the Kuta irrigation canal, which constitutes four

Tarim Basin

source rivers and one main stream system [9]. The lower

reaches of the Tarim River are now considered one of the The Tarim Basin is not only the largest sedimentary basin in

most prominent ecological and environmental issues in the world, but it also is an important strategic region for the

western China, attracting the attention of ecologists within petroleum industry in China. Many studies have indicated

and outside China [10,11]. In order to prevent further dete- that the Tarim Basin is an important petroleum strategic

rioration of this environment, and in order to restore the area for China, and an important source of the West-East

endangered Green Corridor in the lower reaches of the Gas Transmission, where 10 stratigraphic systems from the

Tarim River, the Central Government has implemented a Sinian to the Quaternary have been found to be hydrocarbon

water conveyance project. This project, which started in bearing [13 21]. Jia and Wei [13] indicated that the struc-

2000, aims to elevate the groundwater level of both sides of ture of the Tarim Basin is responsible for its composite pe-

the river. troleum system, which includes multiple oil sources, abun-

dant oil-bearing strata, and superimposed multi-stage for-

mations. Zhou [14] showed that there were four periods of

1 Physical and geographical background of the

marine hydrocarbon accumulation and Wang [17] suggested

Tarim Basin that the early and late Hercynian periods were the most fa-

vorable times for hydrocarbon generation and accumulation

The Tarim Basin lies at the northern boundary of the Tak- in the Tarim Basin. Li [18] concluded that the early Her-

limakan Desert, and it includes nine water catchments. The cynian, the late Hercynian-Indosinian, and the Himalayan

catchments flow to the center from surrounding regions, as were the three stages of hydrocarbon accumulation in the

well as from the main stream of the Tarim River, Takli- Manjiaer petroleum system, and the late Hercynian-Indos-

makan Desert and the eastern desert region. inian was the major stage for hydrocarbon accumulation.

The climatic conditions of the Tarim Basin are classi- The northern margin of the Tarim Basin (NMTB) has at-

fied as temperate, with a mean annual temperature of tracted attention because of its unique structure and posi-

10.6 11.5 C. The average temperature of July is 20 30 C, tion. The NMTB is made up of the Kuqa Depression (KD)

with a maximum of 43.6 C and in January of 10 to and Tabei Uplift (TU). The KD is about 500 km in the E-W

20 C, with a minimum of 27.5 C. The accumulated direction and 30 80 km in the S-N direction. From east to

temperatures of 0 C range from 4100 to 4300 C. Aver- west, it is composed of the Yangxia, Baicheng and Wushi

age annual precipitation is 116.5 mm, with 200 500 mm in depressions [1]. The TU is an E-W trending arc-like struc-

mountainous areas, 50 80 mm around the basin, and only tural belt, which is a superimposed structural unit after sev-

10 mm in the center of the basin. The temporal distribution eral tectonic movements. In recent years, Chinese geologists

of the precipitation has a strong heterogeneity, with more have carried out comprehensive geophysical explorations in

than 80% concentrated in summer (from May to October) the NMTB, and have obtained some important results. For

and the remaining

Contact this candidate