ABSTRACT
The temporal pattern of river flow over a period of time is the river flow regime, which is a crucial factor sustaining the aquatic and riverine ecosystems. Regime shifts are defined in ecology as rapid reorganizations of ecosystems from one relatively stable state to another. However, distinguishing the causes for the flow regime shifts is still a major challenge in hydrology. This chapter reveals the flow regime shifts by means of detecting changes in annual, monthly, and daily characteristics of the river discharge and focuses on changes in climate, water resources development, and land use in the sandy region of the middle section of the Yellow River Basin. The Hailiutu catchment is located in the middle section of the Yellow River Basin in Northwest China. The sustainable water resources development and management in the Hailiutu river catchment must consider the interactions of groundwater and river flow, and the consequences on the vegetation and downstream water use.
