He et al. (2026) The spatial distribution of farmland shelterbelts in desert oasis areas under water resource constraints: A study based on the SWAT model and scenario analysis

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural Water Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-06
• Authors: Xinna He, Yufei Ren, Qunou Jiang, Fan Zhang, Boyi Luo, Ranran Liu, Lu Wan, Wenxin Li
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110672

Research Groups

• School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University
• Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Short Summary

This study develops a multi-constraint spatial layout framework for afforestation in arid regions by integrating water surplus, habitat suitability, and suitable density constraints. The results show that the afforestation potential of Populus alba var. pyramidalis decreases gradually from the central irrigation zones toward the peripheries under two irrigation scenarios.

Objective

• Establish a spatial layout framework for afforestation in arid regions that integrates water surplus, habitat suitability, and suitable density constraints.
• Quantitatively analyze the differential impacts of two irrigation modes—border irrigation and low-pressure pipe irrigation—on water balance components and the amount of water surplus available for afforestation.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: The study area is situated in the mid-western part of the Hetao Plain within the Yellow River’s Jiziwan region, covering administrative divisions such as Dengkou County, Hangjinhouqi, and Linhe District, with a total area of approximately 15,900 km².
• Temporal Scale: The study period spans from 2009 to 2020.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model
• Data sources:
  • Digital elevation model (DEM)
  • Soil data (HWSD database)
  • Land use data (2020, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
  • Meteorological data (CMADS dataset)

Main Results

• The afforestation potential of Populus alba var. pyramidalis decreases gradually from the central irrigation zones toward the peripheries under two irrigation scenarios.
• Under traditional border irrigation, agricultural intensification zones can support higher tree density, ranging from 3730 to 14,474 trees/km².
• Under the low-pressure pipe irrigation scenario, the suitable range is 4021–13,855 trees/km².

Contributions

This study provides a scientific basis for balancing water use between agriculture and forestry, optimizing the spatial configuration of farmland shelterbelts, and promoting sustainable ecological and agricultural development in arid regions.

Funding

• This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52109217).
• The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Sectoral Water Use Quota supported the study.
• The Hetao Irrigation District Management Bureau provided data on irrigation system upgrading projects from 2010 to 2020.

Citation

@article{He2026spatial,
  author = {He, Xinna and Ren, Yufei and Jiang, Qunou and Zhang, Fan and Luo, Boyi and Liu, Ranran and Wan, Lu and Li, Wenxin},
  title = {The spatial distribution of farmland shelterbelts in desert oasis areas under water resource constraints: A study based on the SWAT model and scenario analysis},
  journal = {Agricultural Water Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110672},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110672}
}