Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Groundwater is an important of water resources and plays a significant role in the water supply in most parts of the world. It is also an important ecological environment factor, and its variations often affect natural balance of the ecosystem. China is one of the few countries in the world where Karst is intensively developed Karst water is heavily utilized as water supply source. Shanxi is such a province with largest Karst distribution in places in North China, where 19 large Karst springs and their catchment are identified to provide an important source of the water supply and ecosystem functioning in Shanxi