Study on the coupled eco-hydrological processes impacted by fine-scale landscape heterogeneity in a typical humid hilly area

It is well known that vegetation shows the apparent spatial distribution characteristics in mountainous terrain at fine scales (tens of meters to kilometers). The micrometeorological data, like radiation and temperature, are intensely governed by local topography. The relationship between terrain and the distribution of vegetation, water, energy, and carbon fluxes at fine scales in terrestrial ecosystems is still unclear. This study aims at analyzing the eco-hydrological process at tens of meters scales in a typical humid hilly area, with varying altitudes, slopes, aspects, and soil textures causing the corresponding uneven micrometeorological conditions. We use the radiation and temperature data corrected by the micro-topography data to drive the eco-hydrological model (Ecosystem demography model version 2). Results showed that different regions have different micrometeorological conditions, the distribution of vegetation, water, energy, and carbon fluxes. Furthermore, the topographic heterogeneity, giving rise to the uneven soil texture and micrometeorological conditions, directly or indirectly affects the distribution of vegetation, water, energy, and carbon fluxes. The findings will improve our understanding of the eco-hydrological processes.