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Although the hydrological process of the alpine inland river basin has been extensively studied, the changes of water budget in the alpine inland river basin are still less revealed. Here, a new method combining stable isotopes and remote sensing technology is used to reveal the changes of water surplus and loss in the alpine inland river basin, and accurately identify the water storage areas (water production zone) and water evaporation areas (water consuming zone) during the hydrological changes of basin, providing new insights for the optimal management of water resources of basin. The results showed the monthly water volume showed a surplus state from May to September 2018 to 2019 in the Shaliu River basin. However, there was a serious water loss in the basin from July to September 2020. This is due to the low precipitation, strong evaporation, and high runoff during this period. In response to such significant changes of hydrological processes, the results indicated that there was significant spatial heterogeneity in the variation of water surplus and loss. Based on the hydrological change, we found that the eastern part of basin was water‐producing zone and the southern part of basin was water‐consuming zone. In addition, the upper reaches of the basin were mainly dominated by water storage. This indicated that the upper part of basin was an important water‐conserving area. The results can provide data support for the effective management and planning of water resources in alpine inland river basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Systematically revealing catchment-scale water surplus and loss. • Delineate the watershed water resources protection area. • A strategy for water resources management in alpine inland river basins is proposed. • Improving ecological quality is an important guarantee for maintaining water security. Elucidating the water surplus and loss of different vegetation landscapes in cold regions is important for the conservation and management of water resources in alpine inland rivers. As such, this study is to systematically reveal the water variation in different vegetation landscape zones of the alpine inland river basin, delineate its water resources protection zones, and propose its water resources management strategies. In addition, the study confirms that stable isotope and remote sensing techniques can quantify the variations of water surplus and loss in different vegetation zones of the Qinghai Lake Shaliu River basin, and identifies the alpine desert zone as an important water-producing zone, the alpine meadow zone as an important water storage zone, and the alpine steppe zone as the main water-consuming zone of the basin. At the same time, the alpine meadow zone was also the area with the strongest evapotranspiration. The variations of water surplus and loss in different vegetation zones depended significantly on elevation, and the quality of ecological environment profoundly affected the water holding capacity of the basin. Therefore, according to the variations of water surplus and loss in different vegetation zones of the basin, the alpine desert zone and the alpine meadow zone were the important water resources core protection areas for water production and storage in the basin, and the alpine steppe zone was the general water resources protection area in the basin. The results of this study indicated that the water resources management strategy of alpine inland river basin should be a composite model that improves the quality of ecological environment and combines core protection of water resources in the middle and upper reaches with effective management of water resources in the lower reaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evapotranspiration is an important process in the water budget of an ecosystem. Quantifying the components of evapotranspiration is of great significance in revealing the ecohydrological process of alpine inland river basins. In this study, the evapotranspiration fluxes in the Shaliu River basin were classified by hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope technology and remote sensing technology. The results showed the following: (1) The average value of soil fractional evaporation (E1) in the summer of 2018 and 2019 was 7.59 mm and 2.10 mm, respectively. (2) The average ratio of soil evaporation (Esoil) in the summer of 2018 was 48.82%, 68.11%, 54.99%, respectively. The average ratio of Esoil in the summer of 2019 was 66.86%, 57.50%, 55.53%, respectively. The average value of Esoil in the summer of 2018 and 2019 was 42.84 mm and 35.36 mm, respectively. (3) The average ratio of vegetation transpiration (T) in the summer of 2018 was 51.18%, 31.89%, and 45.01%, respectively. The average ratio of T in the summer of 2019 was 33.14%, 42.50%, and 44.47%, respectively. The average value of T in the summer of 2018 and 2019 was 32.59 mm and 26.23 mm, respectively. Obviously, the soil fractionation was stronger in the summer of 2018 than that in the summer of 2019. At the same time, both soil evaporation and plant transpiration in summer 2018 were higher than those in summer 2019, and soil evaporation in the Shaliu River basin was greater than plant transpiration in summer during the study period. The results of this study can provide data reference for mastering the eco-hydrological process of the Shaliu River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]