Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics and Influencing Factors Analysis of Evapotranspiration in the Yellow River Basin from 2001 to 2022

作者：Zimiao He, Gangxiang Yuan, Zhe Liu, Shilong Hao, Ran Wei, Peiqing Xiao, Lu Zhang, Haoqiang Tong, Huanheng Dou, Yinghong Guo · 发表于：Sustainability · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.3390/su18052280 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics、Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies、Soil Moisture and Remote Sensing

Under global warming, the intensification of the hydrological cycle highlights evapotranspiration (ET) as a key process governing land–atmosphere water and energy exchanges. Understanding the spatiotemporal variability of ET and its driving mechanisms is essential for regional hydrological and ecological studies. Based on MOD16 evapotranspiration products, meteorological data, and multi-source remote sensing datasets, this study systematically analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of evapotranspiration (ET) and its driving mechanisms in the Yellow River Basin during 2001–2022 using trend analysis, correlation analysis, and geographical detector methods. Results showed that ET exhibited a significant increasing trend across the YRB (5.29 mm·year−1), with extremely significant increases (p < 0.01) observed in 61.93% of the basin. Among climatic factors, precipitation, temperature, and wind speed exhibited significant increasing trends. Human activities were characterized by a significant increase in NDVI and land-use transitions toward forest and built-up land. Geographical detector results identified NDVI and precipitation as the strongest explanatory factors controlling ET spatial heterogeneity, with distinct driving mechanisms across the upper, middle, and lower reaches. Interaction effects among factors were stronger than individual effects, indicating that the spatial differentiation of ET is jointly controlled by climatic conditions and human activities. These fi...