Some correlations between the river regime and land cover changes caused by climate change in the Selenge River Basin, Mongolia.

The Selenge River Basin is one of the major tributaries of Lake Baikal, one of the world's freshwater resources, and is a sensitive region to climate change, and is also an important China–Mongolia–Russia economic corridor basin. Therefore, studying the relationship between the eco-hydrological processes of this basin and its land cover changes is important for sustainability and environmental protection. In this research, trend analysis was used to determine water and climate changes, and satellite data and statistical analysis were used to calculate spatial and temporal changes in land cover. Based on the research findings, the flow of the Selenge River has exhibited fluctuations ranging from 125.2 to 576.3 m³/s over the past three decades, with a discernible downward trend observed in the basin area or at the Zuunburen hydrological station. This decline can be attributed to the combined effects of climate change and human activity. During the last 30 years of climate change in the Selenge River basin, the average annual air temperature has increased by 2.4 °C. The average total annual precipitation of the basin ranges from 200 to 400 mm, and the precipitation fluctuation is relatively small, and in recent years, less than average precipitation has fallen. In the basin, the air temperature has experienced an annual increase of 0.09 °C, attributable to natural climatic factors. Additionally, there has been a reduction in both precipitation levels and river flow within the basin, while significant alterations have occurred in the extent of water bodies and wetlands within the land cover. In this region, studies show that changes in eco-hydrological processes significantly impact changes in land cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]