Exploring the decline in health index of the Qarhan salt lake region in Qinghai Province, China: A 40-year assessment
Salt lakes are unique bodies of water with specific environmental conditions that make sampling challenging, and there is a lack of established health assessment methods. Previous research has focused on the health status of freshwater lakes in urban and rural areas; however, the health of freshwate...
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Elsevier
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25001049 |
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| author | Pengfei Ji Qian Shen Ru Wang Yue Yao Bing Zhang Wenting Xu Yuting Zhang Wenqi Kou Wenxin Li |
| author_facet | Pengfei Ji Qian Shen Ru Wang Yue Yao Bing Zhang Wenting Xu Yuting Zhang Wenqi Kou Wenxin Li |
| author_sort | Pengfei Ji |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Salt lakes are unique bodies of water with specific environmental conditions that make sampling challenging, and there is a lack of established health assessment methods. Previous research has focused on the health status of freshwater lakes in urban and rural areas; however, the health of freshwater lakes is not directly comparable to that of salt lakes. Therefore, past studies on lake health evaluations cannot be applied to salt lakes. In this study, we develop a Salt Lake Health Index (SLHI), suitable for assessing salt lake regions affected by human activities, using the Analytic Hierarchy Process and remote sensing technology. The SLHI is a composite index that reflects the overall health status of salt lakes. Located in Qinghai Province, China, the Qarhan Salt Lake is the largest salt lake in China, consisting of four lakes: Dabuxun, South Hobson, North Hobson, and Se-nie. We evaluate the health of this region over nearly four decades (1990, 2000, 2010, 2020). The results indicate a decline in the Salt Lake Health Index (SLHI) from 83.16 in 1990 to 44.54 in 2020. Notably, the period from 2010 to 2020 experienced the most rapid decline, with a reduction of 19.43. The primary factors influencing the SLHI include shoreline and landscape changes and land use variations. The health assessment method established in this study will enhance understanding of salt lake health, promoting the sustainable development of salt lake resources and their ecological functions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bb52f8ba83f3454abbe14d07427b3032 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj-art-bb52f8ba83f3454abbe14d07427b30322025-02-07T04:47:18ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2025-02-01171113175Exploring the decline in health index of the Qarhan salt lake region in Qinghai Province, China: A 40-year assessmentPengfei Ji0Qian Shen1Ru Wang2Yue Yao3Bing Zhang4Wenting Xu5Yuting Zhang6Wenqi Kou7Wenxin Li8Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China; International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, Beijing 100094, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Corresponding authors at: Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China.Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China; International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, Beijing 100094, China; Corresponding authors at: Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China.Jiangsu Environmental Monitoring Center,Nanjing 210041, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China; International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, Beijing 100094, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China; International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, Beijing 100094, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, ChinaSalt lakes are unique bodies of water with specific environmental conditions that make sampling challenging, and there is a lack of established health assessment methods. Previous research has focused on the health status of freshwater lakes in urban and rural areas; however, the health of freshwater lakes is not directly comparable to that of salt lakes. Therefore, past studies on lake health evaluations cannot be applied to salt lakes. In this study, we develop a Salt Lake Health Index (SLHI), suitable for assessing salt lake regions affected by human activities, using the Analytic Hierarchy Process and remote sensing technology. The SLHI is a composite index that reflects the overall health status of salt lakes. Located in Qinghai Province, China, the Qarhan Salt Lake is the largest salt lake in China, consisting of four lakes: Dabuxun, South Hobson, North Hobson, and Se-nie. We evaluate the health of this region over nearly four decades (1990, 2000, 2010, 2020). The results indicate a decline in the Salt Lake Health Index (SLHI) from 83.16 in 1990 to 44.54 in 2020. Notably, the period from 2010 to 2020 experienced the most rapid decline, with a reduction of 19.43. The primary factors influencing the SLHI include shoreline and landscape changes and land use variations. The health assessment method established in this study will enhance understanding of salt lake health, promoting the sustainable development of salt lake resources and their ecological functions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25001049QarhanSalt lake health assessmentRemote sensingAnalytic hierarchy processSalt lake health index |
| spellingShingle | Pengfei Ji Qian Shen Ru Wang Yue Yao Bing Zhang Wenting Xu Yuting Zhang Wenqi Kou Wenxin Li Exploring the decline in health index of the Qarhan salt lake region in Qinghai Province, China: A 40-year assessment Ecological Indicators Qarhan Salt lake health assessment Remote sensing Analytic hierarchy process Salt lake health index |
| title | Exploring the decline in health index of the Qarhan salt lake region in Qinghai Province, China: A 40-year assessment |
| title_full | Exploring the decline in health index of the Qarhan salt lake region in Qinghai Province, China: A 40-year assessment |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the decline in health index of the Qarhan salt lake region in Qinghai Province, China: A 40-year assessment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the decline in health index of the Qarhan salt lake region in Qinghai Province, China: A 40-year assessment |
| title_short | Exploring the decline in health index of the Qarhan salt lake region in Qinghai Province, China: A 40-year assessment |
| title_sort | exploring the decline in health index of the qarhan salt lake region in qinghai province china a 40 year assessment |
| topic | Qarhan Salt lake health assessment Remote sensing Analytic hierarchy process Salt lake health index |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25001049 |
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