, 2009, Niu et al., 2010 and Zhou et al., 2012). These two basins are located in the eastern and

northern TP where the annual temperature is relatively higher compared to the other basins (Cuo et al., 2013b), indicating the importance of evapotransporation to some extent. Positive correlation between annual streamflow and temperature is reported for YTR above Zhimenda, BPR, SWR above Jiayuqiao and upper reach of TRB (Mao et al., 2006, Huang et al., 2007, Li et al., 2012a, Li et al., 2012b and Yao et al., 2012b), among which TRB, especially its Yarkant and Hotan tributaries (Xu et al., 2009), exhibits the strongest correlation confirming that Compound C melt water is a very important source for TRB as noted before. Notable correlation between streamflow and precipitation/temperature in most basins on the TP demonstrates that streamflow in those basins have been primarily affected by precipitation and temperature changes because of similar annual temporal patterns among streamflow, precipitation and temperature. The exceptions are the lower reaches of YLR, the upper-middle reaches of TRB and QMB where intensified human activities exert greater

influence than climate change and have overwhelmed the climate change impacts (Cuo et al., 2013a, Liu et al., 2013, Li Selleck Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Library et al., 2008 and Huo et al., 2008). The relationship between streamflow and temperature can be explained by glacier coverage to some extent. In basins that have high glacier coverage, streamflow is positively affected by temperature increases, for example, the upper reaches of TRB and BPR (Table 1). Streamflow response to temperature changes also depends on the forms and spatial distributions of precipitation. In TRB, annual precipitation increases from the lowland to the mountains in the range of about 20 to 700 mm (Guan and Zhang, 2004, Sabit and Tohti, 2005, Mao et al., 2006 and Gao et al., 2010a). Due to low precipitation, the valleys do not generate sufficient water for stream, whereas high precipitation in the mountains is reserved as snow and ice initially and is

slowly released as melt water when temperature increases. In the Yarkant sub-basin and the entire TRB, contribution of melt water from the mountains accounts for a major proportion (63% and 48% by some Montelukast Sodium studies, respectively) of the annual total streamflow, and the contribution is expected to increase as temperature continues to rise (Sabit and Tohti, 2005, Xu et al., 2005, Gao et al., 2010a and Gao et al., 2010b). Besides precipitation and temperature, actual evapotranspiration is another important factor that affects streamflow. On the TP, studies about actual evapotranspiration were based primarily on water balance equation and potential evapotranspiration adjusted by available moisture content in both soil and vegetation layers (Zhang et al., 2007a, Zhang et al., 2007b and Cuo et al., 2013a).