Universidade de Vigo, Hydro-Forestry Geomodeling Research Group, School of Forestry Engineering, 36005 Pontevedra, Spain.
CINTECX, Universidade de Vigo, Applied Geotechnologies Group, Vigo 36310, Spain; Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agroambientais e Biológicas, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Ap 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
Sci Total Environ. 2024 Dec 1;954:176305. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176305. Epub 2024 Sep 16.
Ecological integrity is fundamental to human life and ecosystems, so its assessment and management are crucial. This concept assesses ecosystem health by examining physico-chemical and biological characteristics, riparian vegetation and macroinvertebrate communities. In recent decades, water resources have undergone significant changes due to various factors that have contributed to the physical, chemical and biological pollution of water. To address this problem, a specific model has been developed using the Partial Least Squares Path Modelling methodology to analyse and quantify the main factors affecting the ecological integrity of the Spanish part of the Guadiana River (Spain). The variables analysed at the different sampling points in the catchment include forest cover, anthropogenic pressure, water quality and biological integrity. Water quality and biological integrity, in turn, constitute the concept of ecological integrity. The model predicts 60.3 % of the physico-chemical water quality and 56.6 % of the biological integrity, showing that ¨Forest cover¨ negatively impacts water quality (W = -0.476) by reducing pollution, while ¨Anthropogenic Pressure¨ positively impacts it (W = 0.680) by increasing pollution. Based on the modelling, three future scenarios were designed, from the lowest to the highest pressure considering changes in riparian forest quality based on QBR and changes in the number of reservoirs: a favourable scenario with high riparian forest quality and no reservoirs; an intermediate scenario with good riparian forest quality and no change in the number of reservoirs; and an unfavourable scenario, characterised by very poor riparian forest quality and an increase in the number of reservoirs. In this context, the importance of the conservation and enhancement of riparian vegetation as a nature-based solution is highlighted, as well as the pressure generated by industrial activity and agricultural practices on the ecological integrity of the study area. The favourable scenario, with very good quality riparian vegetation, improves water quality by up to 85 %, positively impacting the ecological integrity of the river. In contrast, the unfavourable scenario, with extremely degraded riparian forest, would decrease water quality by up to 62 %, negatively affecting ecological integrity. Modelling and future scenarios is an essential tool in the decision-making process to improve environmental governance and water security. In addition, the PLS-PM methodology allows the identification and quantification of relationships between complex variables, providing a solid basis for the design of effective environmental management strategies.
生态完整性是人类生命和生态系统的基础，因此对其进行评估和管理至关重要。本研究通过考察理化和生物特性、河岸植被和大型无脊椎动物群落来评估生态系统健康。近几十年来，由于各种因素导致水资源发生了重大变化，从而造成了水资源的物理、化学和生物污染。为了解决这一问题，采用偏最小二乘路径建模方法建立了一个特定的模型，以分析和量化影响瓜迪亚纳河（西班牙段）西班牙部分生态完整性的主要因素。在流域的不同采样点分析了森林覆盖率、人为压力、水质和生物完整性等变量。水质和生物完整性构成了生态完整性的概念。该模型预测了 60.3%的理化水质和 56.6%的生物完整性，表明“森林覆盖”通过减少污染对水质产生负面影响（W=-0.476），而“人为压力”通过增加污染对水质产生积极影响（W=0.680）。基于模型，设计了三个未来情景，从最低到最高压力，考虑了基于 QBR 的河岸森林质量变化和水库数量变化：一个有利的情景是河岸森林质量高且没有水库；一个中间情景是河岸森林质量好且水库数量不变；一个不利的情景是河岸森林质量极差且水库数量增加。在这种情况下，强调了保护和增强河岸植被作为基于自然的解决方案的重要性，以及工业活动和农业实践对研究区域生态完整性产生的压力。有利的情景是河岸植被质量非常好，水质提高了 85%，对河流的生态完整性产生了积极影响。相反，不利的情景是河岸森林严重退化，水质下降了 62%，对生态完整性产生了负面影响。建模和未来情景是改善环境治理和水安全决策过程的重要工具。此外，PLS-PM 方法允许识别和量化复杂变量之间的关系，为设计有效的环境管理策略提供了坚实的基础。
