title: Evaluation of the applicability of the SWAT model in an arid piedmont plain oasis.
abstract: Hetao Oasis is located in a typical piedmont alluvial plain bounded by the Langshan Mountain Range in the north, desert in the west, and the Yellow River in the south. Agricultural activities within the oasis significantly impact the hydrological cycle and water quality in downstream locations. The research uses the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for a piedmont plain by defining the watershed boundary as coinciding with the natural mountain ridge, the border between the oasis and the desert, and the Yellow River. The model simulates water discharge with coefficient of determination and a Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency of 0.78 and 0.62 during model calibration, and 0.75 and 0.69 during model validation, suggesting that delineation of the watershed as carried out in this research is suitable for piedmont plain topography. From the results, the mountains contribute 28.4% to the water discharge at the outlet of the watershed, and water-use efficiency of irrigated water is about 40%, which is consistent with field-based measurements. Methodologies used in delineating watershed boundaries and parameterizing SWAT provide a solid foundation for water balance studies in other regions of the world with similar topography.
authors.affiliation: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia, Hohhot 010018, China E-mail: nndlichangyou@163.com.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia, Hohhot 010018, China E-mail: nndlichangyou@163.com.
authors.forename: Changyou
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Ecology and Environmental College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia, Hohhot 010018, China.
authors.forename: Chengfu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia, Hohhot 010018, China E-mail: nndlichangyou@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 6C2, Canada.
authors.forename: Charles P-A
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Bourque
authors.affiliation: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia, Hohhot 010018, China E-mail: nndlichangyou@163.com.
authors.forename: Shengnan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D002681:China; D017753:Ecosystem; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D060753:Water Quality
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014867:Water