School of Ecology and Environment/Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of River and Lake Ecology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010020, China.
School of Ecology and Environment/Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of River and Lake Ecology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010020, China; Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Ministry of Education of China, Hohhot 010020, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2024 Apr 20;922:171196. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171196. Epub 2024 Feb 25.
Riparian wetlands have suffered from degradation due to global climate change and human activities, which can alter flora and fauna community patterns and disrupt material cycles in the riparian zones. Hydrological connectivity identified by functional and structural connectivity is an important driving force of riparian ecosystems. However, the role of hydrological connectivity in linking riparian hydrology and ecology remains unclear, especially in dryland rivers. By taking the riparian zone of the Xilin River in Eurasian steppe as an example, the functional connectivity was represented by the groundwater depth in the riparian zones. The structural connectivity was quantified by integrating the soil, and vegetation properties of the riparian zone. The structural connectivity decreased from upstream to downstream. Laterally, the highest structural connectivity was found in the riparian zone 25 m away from the river channel. The abundance of three groups of ground-dwelling arthropods (except Araneae) showed a threshold behavior in response to the functional connectivity, with the highest abundance occurring in the medium level of functional connectivity. Both vegetation biomass and ground-dwelling arthropod abundance were significantly and positively correlated to the structural connectivity strength. The results of structural equation models (SEMs) also indicated that structural connectivity was a key factor affecting vegetation and ground-dwelling arthropod abundance. The results underscore the essential function of hydrological connectivity in maintaining the biodiversity in the riparian zones. The study provides a scientific reference of riparian-zone restoration based on hydrological connectivity.
河岸带湿地由于全球气候变化和人类活动而遭受退化，这可能改变动植物群落模式并破坏河岸带的物质循环。功能连接性和结构连接性所识别的水文连通性是河岸带生态系统的重要驱动力。然而，水文连通性在连接河岸带水文学和生态学方面的作用仍不清楚，特别是在旱地河流中。以欧亚草原的锡林河流域河岸带为例，功能连接性由河岸带的地下水位来表示。结构连接性通过整合河岸带的土壤和植被特性来量化。结构连接性从上游到下游逐渐降低。在横向方向上，离河道 25 米的河岸带具有最高的结构连接性。三组地面节肢动物（除蜘蛛目外）的丰度对功能连通性表现出阈值行为，在中等水平的功能连通性下丰度最高。植被生物量和地面节肢动物丰度与结构连通性强度呈显著正相关。结构方程模型（SEM）的结果也表明，结构连通性是影响植被和地面节肢动物丰度的关键因素。研究结果强调了水文连通性在维持河岸带生物多样性方面的重要作用。该研究为基于水文连通性的河岸带恢复提供了科学参考。
