Using the three-layer variable infiltration capacity(VIC-3L) hydrological model and the successive interpolation approach(SIA) of climate factors,we study the effect of different landcover types on the surface hydrological cycle.Daily climate data from 1992 to 2001 and remotely sensed leaf area index(LAI) are used in the model.The model is applied to a Baohe River basin,a subbaisn of the Yangtze River basin,China,with a area of 2 500 km²2.The vegetation cover types are mostly mixed forests,which covers 85% fraction of the Baohe River basin.Comparison of the simulation results with observed discharge data suggests that:1) Daily discharges over the period of 1992—2001 simulated with inputs of remotely sensed land cover data and LAI data can generally follow observed discharge variations,and the modeled annual total discharge agrees with observations with a mean difference of 1.4%.The use of remote sensing images also makes modeled spatial distributions of evapotranspiration physically meaningful.2) The relative computing error(RCE) of the annual average discharge is-24.8% when the homogeneous broadleaf deciduous forestry cover is assumed for the watershed.The error is 21.8% when a homogeneous cropland cover is assumed and-14.32 when a REDC(the resource and environment database of China) land cover map is used.The error is reduced to 1.4% when the remotely sensed land cover at 1 000 m×1 000 m resolution is used.