Spatiotemporal variations of water conservation and its influencing factors in the Qinghai Plateau, China

Water conservation, a crucial ecological service in the Qinghai Plateau, has been affected by climate change and human activity, which has made it a focal point in the field of ecohydrology. This study aimed to analyze the spatiotemporal trends in water conservation in the Qinghai Plateau from 1990 to 2020 using the InVEST model. This study found that the average annual water conservation of the Qinghai Plateau is 31.72 mm, with a total volume of 226.6 x 108 m3. The trend of water conservation increased from the northwest to the southeast, with the Three-River Source, Eastern Agricultural, and Qilian Mountain regions being the focal points. Shrubs and forests had the highest average units of water conservation, whereas grasslands had the largest total water conservation. Meadows are a vegetation type suitable for protection to enhance water conservation. Water conservation is strongly correlated with precipitation and actual evapotranspiration. These results provide theoretical support for protecting and improving the water conservation in the Qinghai Plateau.