Leibowitz Scott G, Wigington Parker J, Schofield Kate A, Alexander Laurie C, Vanderhoof Melanie K, Golden Heather E
Research Ecologist (Leibowitz) and formerly Research Hydrologist (Wigington), National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35 St, Corvallis, Oregon 97333; Ecologist (Schofield and Alexander), National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Arlington, Virginia 22202; Research Geographer (Vanderhoof), Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado 80225; and Research Physical Scientist (Golden), National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268 (Email/Leibowitz:
J Am Water Resour Assoc. 2018;54(2):298-322. doi: 10.1111/1752-1688.12631.
Interest in connectivity has increased in the aquatic sciences, partly because of its relevance to the Clean Water Act. This paper has two objectives: (1) provide a framework to understand hydrological, chemical, and biological connectivity, focusing on how headwater streams and wetlands connect to and contribute to rivers; and (2) review methods to quantify hydrological and chemical connectivity. Streams and wetlands affect river structure and function by altering material and biological fluxes to the river; this depends on two factors: (1) functions within streams and wetlands that affect material fluxes; and (2) connectivity (or isolation) from streams and wetlands to rivers that allows (or prevents) material transport between systems. Connectivity can be described in terms of frequency, magnitude, duration, timing, and rate of change. It results from physical characteristics of a system, e.g., climate, soils, geology, topography, and the spatial distribution of aquatic components. Biological connectivity is also affected by traits and behavior of the biota. Connectivity can be altered by human impacts, often in complex ways. Because of variability in these factors, connectivity is not constant but varies over time and space. Connectivity can be quantified with field-based methods, modeling, and remote sensing. Further studies using these methods are needed to classify and quantify connectivity of aquatic ecosystems and to understand how impacts affect connectivity.
在水生科学领域，对连通性的关注有所增加，部分原因是其与《清洁水法》相关。本文有两个目标：（1）提供一个框架来理解水文、化学和生物连通性，重点关注源头溪流和湿地如何与河流相连并对河流做出贡献；（2）综述量化水文和化学连通性的方法。溪流和湿地通过改变进入河流的物质和生物通量来影响河流的结构和功能；这取决于两个因素：（1）溪流和湿地内部影响物质通量的功能；（2）从溪流和湿地到河流的连通性（或隔离状态），它允许（或阻止）物质在系统之间传输。连通性可以从频率、量级、持续时间、时间和变化速率等方面来描述。它源于系统的物理特征，例如气候、土壤、地质、地形以及水生组分的空间分布。生物连通性也受到生物群落的特征和行为的影响。连通性可能会受到人类活动的影响而改变，而且这种影响方式往往很复杂。由于这些因素的变异性，连通性并非恒定不变，而是随时间和空间而变化。连通性可以通过实地调查方法、建模和遥感技术进行量化。需要进一步运用这些方法开展研究，以对水生生态系统的连通性进行分类和量化，并了解各种影响如何作用于连通性。
