ABSTRACT
The exchanges of surface water and water in the hyporheic zone as well as groundwater play very important roles for stream ecosystems, hence in the consequence for ecology, river restoration and conservation. Understanding of the interactions between groundwater and surface water is also vital for the protection of groundwater-dependent ecosystems. Spatial and temporal relations between groundwater and surface water might not only be controlled by natural processes, but also by anthropogenic factors. However, the quantification of human impacts on the interactions between groundwater and surface water is challenging because of their complexity. The chapter analyses spatial and temporal interactions between groundwater and surface water and impacts of human activities on these interactions in the Hailiutu River catchment located in the Erdos Plateau of China. The surface elevation of the Hailiutu catchment ranges from 1020 m in the Southeast to 1480 m above mean sea level in the Northwest.
