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Previous studies assessing excessive proliferation of phytoplankton (EPP) in lakes are generally based on single investigation and focused on limited environmental factors; meanwhile, less attention has been paid to lakes susceptibility to EPP. Here, we identify the priority of lakes for EPP control in a basin by assessing EPP in multiple lakes and identify the key factors related to lakes’ vulnerability to EPP. Field measurements, as well as multi-source survey data acquisition were conducted for 63 shallow lakes in the middle-lower Yangtze River basin. Resource-use efficiency by phytoplankton (RUE) was then used to represent lake susceptibility to EPP. Generalized linear models were used to assess the relative importance of environmental factors for RUE. We found that most lakes (76.19 %) were not suitable for recreation, due to health concern attributed to irritative or allergenic risk caused by EPP. Phosphorus was the primary limiting nutrient for EPP (74.60 % of lakes) which should be limited to < 0.09 mg/L. The linear model that included latitude, particulate matter 10, and precipitation explained 27.60 % of the variation of RUETP among lakes. In contrast, the linear model that included ozone, Secchi depth, and wind speed explained 19.41 % of the variation of RUETN among lakes. The key factor related to RUETP and RUETN was particulate matter 10 and ozone, respectively, both of which potentially increase RUE or reflect it. Our results suggest that integrating multiple survey datasets is critical for lakes EPP assessment in a basin, while lakes impacted by air pollution are a high priority for EPP control.
Chengxiang Zhang; Hongcui Pei; Cunqi Liu; Wei Wang; Guangchun Lei. Monitoring air quality can help for lakes excessive proliferation of phytoplankton control. Environmental Pollution 2021, 289, 117959 .
AMA StyleChengxiang Zhang, Hongcui Pei, Cunqi Liu, Wei Wang, Guangchun Lei. Monitoring air quality can help for lakes excessive proliferation of phytoplankton control. Environmental Pollution. 2021; 289 ():117959.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChengxiang Zhang; Hongcui Pei; Cunqi Liu; Wei Wang; Guangchun Lei. 2021. "Monitoring air quality can help for lakes excessive proliferation of phytoplankton control." Environmental Pollution 289, no. : 117959.
In the last 15 years, the west population of white-naped crane (Antigone vipio) decreased dramatically despite the enhanced conservation actions in both breeding and wintering areas. Recent studies highlighted the importance of protecting the integrity of movement connectivity for migratory birds. Widespread and rapid landcover changes may exceed the adaptive capacity of migrants, leading to the collapse of migratory networks. In this study, using satellite tracking data, we modeled and characterized the migration routes of the white-naped crane at three spatial levels (core area, migratory corridor, and migratory path) based on the utilization distribution for two eras (1990s and 2010s) spanning 20 years. Our analysis demonstrated that the white-naped crane shifted its migratory route, which is supported by other lines of evidences. The widespread loss of wetlands, especially within the stopover sites, might have caused this behavioral adaptation. Moreover, our analysis indicated that the long-term sustainability of the new route is untested and likely to be questionable. Therefore, directing conservation effects to the new route might be insufficient for the long-term wellbeing of this threatened crane and large-scale wetland restorations in Bohai Bay, a critical stopover site in the East Asian-Australasian flyway, are of the utmost importance to the conservation of this species.
Yifei Jia; Yunzhu Liu; Shengwu Jiao; Jia Guo; Cai Lu; Yan Zhou; Yuyu Wang; Guangchun Lei; Li Wen; Xunqiang Mo. Shifting of the Migration Route of White-Naped Crane (Antigone vipio) Due to Wetland Loss in China. Remote Sensing 2021, 13, 2984 .
AMA StyleYifei Jia, Yunzhu Liu, Shengwu Jiao, Jia Guo, Cai Lu, Yan Zhou, Yuyu Wang, Guangchun Lei, Li Wen, Xunqiang Mo. Shifting of the Migration Route of White-Naped Crane (Antigone vipio) Due to Wetland Loss in China. Remote Sensing. 2021; 13 (15):2984.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYifei Jia; Yunzhu Liu; Shengwu Jiao; Jia Guo; Cai Lu; Yan Zhou; Yuyu Wang; Guangchun Lei; Li Wen; Xunqiang Mo. 2021. "Shifting of the Migration Route of White-Naped Crane (Antigone vipio) Due to Wetland Loss in China." Remote Sensing 13, no. 15: 2984.
Aim Exotic species invasion often leads to declines in local and regional biodiversity, particularly in freshwater ecosystems. This biodiversity loss is generally facilitated by human activities such as land cover change and hydrological alternation. Recent advances in stable isotope analysis (SIA) have been highlighted in many studies addressing fundamental issues in invasion ecology, especially in quantifying competition for resources between native and exotic species. However, how anthropogenic disturbance influences trophic relationships among invasive and native species remains poorly understood. Location Middle-lower Yangtze River Region, China. Methods To investigate the effects of human disturbance on interspecific trophic interactions, this study compared isotopic niche space and overlap of the introduced red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and the native oriental river shrimp (Macrobrachium nipponense) and freshwater snail (Bellamya aeruginosa) in natural and modified wetlands. Results Based on carbon and nitrogen SIA, we found ubiquitous niche shifts in macroinvertebrates with increased competition, which might lead to significant niche contraction in modified habitats at both community and population scales. Moreover, the isotopic niche width of the exotic crayfish was twice as larger as that of natives at both habitats, suggesting that the exotic P. clarkii had great competitive superiority over the native species. However, the effects of habitat modification on niche overlap were inconsistent. While the niche overlap between crayfish and shrimp was significantly higher in modified habitats than in natural open waters, niche overlap between crayfish and the snail was significantly reduced. Main conclusions Collectively, our findings highlight that the competitive outcomes of interspecific trophic interactions can be dependent on the prey availability and diversity, which embraces both the classic optimal foraging theory and competition theory to understand how environmental change, such as habitat alternation, affects the biological invasion processes.
Yuyu Wang; Wenzhuo Tan; Bin Li; Li Wen; Guangchun Lei. Habitat alteration facilitates the dominance of invasive species through disrupting niche partitioning in floodplain wetlands. Diversity and Distributions 2021, 27, 1861 -1871.
AMA StyleYuyu Wang, Wenzhuo Tan, Bin Li, Li Wen, Guangchun Lei. Habitat alteration facilitates the dominance of invasive species through disrupting niche partitioning in floodplain wetlands. Diversity and Distributions. 2021; 27 (9):1861-1871.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYuyu Wang; Wenzhuo Tan; Bin Li; Li Wen; Guangchun Lei. 2021. "Habitat alteration facilitates the dominance of invasive species through disrupting niche partitioning in floodplain wetlands." Diversity and Distributions 27, no. 9: 1861-1871.
Maoli Lake is the water source for local residents and a national nature protected area. However, due to intensive agriculture development, the water quality has deteriorated over the past decades. An effective measure to improve water quality is to control the agricultural non-point source (NPS) pollution through elaborate schemes based on eco-compensation. In order to develop such eco-compensation schemes, three scenarios of agricultural activity adjustment were designed: S1 (halving fertilization every year), S2 (fallow every other year), and S3 (returning agricultural land to forest). A Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was adopted to simulate runoff, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Based on SWAT results, a multi-criteria spatial evaluation model considering the environmental, economic, and social effects of eco-compensation was created for best scenario decision. The results reveal the following: (1) the total nutrients loss of agricultural land reduces in all scenarios, but S2 has more reduction compared to S1 and S3; (2) from the comprehensive perspective of environment–economy–society effects, S2 is the best scenario for rice land and dry land; (3) the comprehensive effect of eco-compensation at the grid scale has a significant spatial difference, and therefore, we highlight the necessity and significance of controlling agricultural NPS pollution by eco-compensation on a precise spatial scale. This study can broaden the application field of the SWAT model and provide a scientific basis and experience for the evaluation and spatial design of agriculture eco-compensation.
Yumei Zheng; Guangchun Lei; Peng Yu. Eco-Compensation Schemes for Controlling Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution in Maoli Lake Watershed. Water 2021, 13, 1536 .
AMA StyleYumei Zheng, Guangchun Lei, Peng Yu. Eco-Compensation Schemes for Controlling Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution in Maoli Lake Watershed. Water. 2021; 13 (11):1536.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYumei Zheng; Guangchun Lei; Peng Yu. 2021. "Eco-Compensation Schemes for Controlling Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution in Maoli Lake Watershed." Water 13, no. 11: 1536.
Migratory waterbirds concentrated in freshwater ecosystems in mosaic environments rely on quality habitats for overwintering. At West Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve (WDLNNR), China, land-use change and hydrology alternation are compounding factors that have affected important wintering areas for migratory waterbirds. Presently, changes in the hydrology and landscape have reshaped natural wintering habitats and their availability, though the impact of hydrological management on habitat selection of wintering waterbirds is largely unknown. In this study, we classified differentially managed habitats and calculated their area using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to evaluate suitable habitat availability over the study period (2016–2017 and 2017–2018 wintering periods). We then used social behavioral association network (SBAN) model to compare habitat quality through species-species social interactions and species-habitat associations in lakes with different hydrological management. The results indicated that social interactions between and within species structured wintering waterbirds communities, which could be dominated by one or more species, while dominant species control the activities of other co-existing species. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests indicated significant differences in SBAN metrics between lakes (p = 0.0237) and habitat (p< 0.0001) levels. Specifically, lakes with managed hydrology were preferred by more species. The managed lakes had better habitat quality in terms of significantly higher habitat areas (p< 0.0001) and lower habitat transitions (p = 0.0113). Collectively, our findings suggest that proper hydrological management can provide continuous availability of quality habitats, especially mudflats and shallow waters, for a stable SBAN to ensure a wintering waterbirds community with more sympatric species in a dynamic environment.
Muhammad Rasool; Muhammad Hassan; Xiaobo Zhang; Qing Zeng; Yifei Jia; Li Wen; Guangchun Lei. Habitat Quality and Social Behavioral Association Network in a Wintering Waterbirds Community. Sustainability 2021, 13, 6044 .
AMA StyleMuhammad Rasool, Muhammad Hassan, Xiaobo Zhang, Qing Zeng, Yifei Jia, Li Wen, Guangchun Lei. Habitat Quality and Social Behavioral Association Network in a Wintering Waterbirds Community. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (11):6044.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Rasool; Muhammad Hassan; Xiaobo Zhang; Qing Zeng; Yifei Jia; Li Wen; Guangchun Lei. 2021. "Habitat Quality and Social Behavioral Association Network in a Wintering Waterbirds Community." Sustainability 13, no. 11: 6044.
Studies of algal bloom early warning systems have rarely paid attention to the dynamics of excessive proliferation of phytoplankton (EPP), which occurs prior to algal blooms, or to the sensitivity of a lake to EPP based on multiple environmental factors. In this study, we investigated EPP dynamics in large lakes and identified major factors that influenced the lake's vulnerability to EPP, to improve algal bloom early warning systems. High temporal moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) images and multi-source daily site monitoring data of large lakes in the middle–lower Yangtze River basin were analyzed. Then, the floating algal index (FAI) and resource use efficiency (RUE) by phytoplankton were used to investigate the EPP dynamics and lake's vulnerability to EPP, respectively. Moreover, generalized linear models were used to assess the relative importance of environmental factors on RUE. The results indicate that the lakes freely connected (FC) to the Yangtze River (Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake) had lower FAIs but higher RUEs than the non-connected lakes (NC; Chaohu Lake and Taihu Lake). The key factors affecting RUE-FC were standard deviation of water level within 30 days(WL30), particulate matter <10 μm(PM10), and relative humidity(Hum), which explained 15.91% of the variations in RUE. The key factors affecting RUE-NC were ozone(O3), basin normalized difference vegetation index standard deviation(BNDVISD), and dissolved oxygen(DO), which explained 35.28% of the variations in RUE. These results emphasize the importance of air quality in influencing or reflecting EPP risks in large lakes. In addition, basin vegetation and hydrological rhythms can influence NH4+ through non-point source loading. Algal bloom early warning systems can be improved by routine monitoring and forecasting of potential environmental factors such as air quality and basin vegetation.
Chengxiang Zhang; Hongcui Pei; Yifei Jia; Yeliang Bi; Guangchun Lei. Effects of air quality and vegetation on algal bloom early warning systems in large lakes in the middle–lower Yangtze River basin. Environmental Pollution 2021, 285, 117455 .
AMA StyleChengxiang Zhang, Hongcui Pei, Yifei Jia, Yeliang Bi, Guangchun Lei. Effects of air quality and vegetation on algal bloom early warning systems in large lakes in the middle–lower Yangtze River basin. Environmental Pollution. 2021; 285 ():117455.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChengxiang Zhang; Hongcui Pei; Yifei Jia; Yeliang Bi; Guangchun Lei. 2021. "Effects of air quality and vegetation on algal bloom early warning systems in large lakes in the middle–lower Yangtze River basin." Environmental Pollution 285, no. : 117455.
Aim Molluscs are important grazers, filter and deposit feeders, scavengers and predators, which in turn are food for shorebirds, fish and people. Some species, targeted as human food, have been cultured along the Chinese coast for hundreds of years. To examine whether aquacultural practices have meanwhile affected biodiversity gradients, we measured mollusc community structure along the coast of China in habitats which are intensively used by humans. Location Chinese coast. Methods We sampled 21 intertidal sites spanning 20 latitudinal degrees and 18,400 km of coastline. We assessed alpha diversity to verify whether mollusc communities exhibit the expected biodiversity gradient with latitude and beta diversity gradients with distance. To examine whether human activities such as transportation and culturing could have affected these patterns, we distinguished commercial from non-commercial mollusc species and compared the differences in distribution, density, alpha diversity and beta diversity. Results We found non-commercial species showed the expected biodiversity gradients. Commercial species (a) dominated the intertidal mollusc communities at 19 of the 21 sites and compared with non-commercial species, (b) exhibited wider geographical distributions, (c) showed no significant change in Bray-Curtis index (abundance-based beta diversity) with either geographical or climatic distance, (d) exhibited lower average dissimilarities and (e) did not show a decrease in species richness and Shannon diversity with latitude. Combining all species, trends were the same as for the commercial species. Main conclusions A few cultured species dominated the intertidal mollusc communities in high densities along the Chinese coastline, taking over the ecological roles of the native species but not driving them extinct. In this way, aquacultural practices have exerted a homogenizing influence strong enough to erase basic biodiversity gradients. Since molluscs are food for the growing human population and the shrinking populations of migratory animals, coastal planning and management of both intertidal habitats and the exploitative activities employed need to incorporate these dimensions.
He‐Bo Peng; Ying‐Chi Chan; Tanya J. Compton; Xue‐Fei Cheng; David S. Melville; Shou‐Dong Zhang; Zhengwang Zhang; Guangchun Lei; Zhijun Ma; Theunis Piersma. Mollusc aquaculture homogenizes intertidal soft‐sediment communities along the 18,400 km long coastline of China. Diversity and Distributions 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleHe‐Bo Peng, Ying‐Chi Chan, Tanya J. Compton, Xue‐Fei Cheng, David S. Melville, Shou‐Dong Zhang, Zhengwang Zhang, Guangchun Lei, Zhijun Ma, Theunis Piersma. Mollusc aquaculture homogenizes intertidal soft‐sediment communities along the 18,400 km long coastline of China. Diversity and Distributions. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHe‐Bo Peng; Ying‐Chi Chan; Tanya J. Compton; Xue‐Fei Cheng; David S. Melville; Shou‐Dong Zhang; Zhengwang Zhang; Guangchun Lei; Zhijun Ma; Theunis Piersma. 2021. "Mollusc aquaculture homogenizes intertidal soft‐sediment communities along the 18,400 km long coastline of China." Diversity and Distributions , no. : 1.
Peizhong Liu; Meihan Liu; Guangchun Lei; Qing Zeng; Yiyu Li; Peter Bridgewater. Conservation of the Yangtze River Basin, China. Oryx 2021, 55, 331 -332.
AMA StylePeizhong Liu, Meihan Liu, Guangchun Lei, Qing Zeng, Yiyu Li, Peter Bridgewater. Conservation of the Yangtze River Basin, China. Oryx. 2021; 55 (3):331-332.
Chicago/Turabian StylePeizhong Liu; Meihan Liu; Guangchun Lei; Qing Zeng; Yiyu Li; Peter Bridgewater. 2021. "Conservation of the Yangtze River Basin, China." Oryx 55, no. 3: 331-332.
Habitat degradation is expected to alter community structure and consequently, ecosystem functions including the maintenance of biodiversity. Understanding the underlying abiotic and biotic assembly mechanisms controlling temporal and spatial community structure and patterns is a central issue in biodiversity conservation. In this study, using monthly time series of fish abundance data collected over a three-year period, we compared the temporal community dynamics in natural habitats and poplar plantations in one of the largest river-lake floodplain ecosystems in China, the Dongting Lake. We found a prevailing strong positive species covariance, i.e. species abundance changes in the same way, in all communities that was significantly negatively impacted by higher water nutrient levels. In contrast to species covariance, community stability, which was measured by the average of aggregated abundance divided by temporal standard deviation, was significantly higher in poplar plantations than in natural habitats. The positive species covariance, which was consistent for both wet and dry years and among habitat types, had significantly negative effects on community stability. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that the ecological stochasticity (i.e. community assembly processes generating diversity patterns that are indistinguishable from random chance) was significantly higher in natural sites than in poplar plantations, suggesting that deterministic processes might control the community composition (richness and abundance) at the modified habitat through reducing species synchrony and positive species covariance observed in the natural habitats, leading to significantly lower temporal β-diversity. When combined, our results suggest that habitat modification created environmental conditions for the development of stable fish community in the highly dynamic floodplains, leading to niche-based community with lower temporal β-diversity.
Bin Li; Yuyu Wang; Wenzhuo Tan; Neil Saintilan; Guangchun Lei; Li Wen. Land cover alteration shifts ecological assembly processes in floodplain lakes: Consequences for fish community dynamics. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 782, 146724 .
AMA StyleBin Li, Yuyu Wang, Wenzhuo Tan, Neil Saintilan, Guangchun Lei, Li Wen. Land cover alteration shifts ecological assembly processes in floodplain lakes: Consequences for fish community dynamics. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 782 ():146724.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBin Li; Yuyu Wang; Wenzhuo Tan; Neil Saintilan; Guangchun Lei; Li Wen. 2021. "Land cover alteration shifts ecological assembly processes in floodplain lakes: Consequences for fish community dynamics." Science of The Total Environment 782, no. : 146724.
The Lesser White‐fronted Goose (Anser erythropus), smallest of the “gray” geese, is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and protected in all range states. There are three populations, with the least studied being the Eastern population, shared between Russia and China. The extreme remoteness of breeding enclaves makes them largely inaccessible to researchers. As a substitute for visitation, remotely tracking birds from wintering grounds allows exploration of their summer range. Over a period of three years, and using highly accurate GPS tracking devices, eleven individuals of A. erythropus were tracked from the key wintering site of China, to summering, and staging sites in northeastern Russia. Data obtained from that tracking, bolstered by ground survey and literature records, were used to model the summer distribution of A. erythropus. Although earlier literature describes a patchy summer range, the model suggests a contiguous summer habitat range is possible, although observations to date cannot confirm A. erythropus is present throughout the modeled range. The most suitable habitats are located along the coasts of the Laptev Sea, primarily the Lena Delta, in the Yana‐Kolyma Lowland, and smaller lowlands of Chukotka with narrow riparian extensions upstream along major rivers such as the Lena, Indigirka, and Kolyma. The probability of A. erythropus presence is related to areas with altitude less than 500 m with abundant wetlands, especially riparian habitat, and a climate with precipitation of the warmest quarter around 55 mm and mean temperature around 14°C during June‐August. Human disturbance also affects site suitability, with a gradual decrease in species presence starting around 160 km from human settlements. Remote tracking of animal species can bridge the knowledge gap required for robust estimation of species distribution patterns in remote areas. Better knowledge of species' distribution is important in understanding the large‐scale ecological consequences of rapid global change and establishing conservation management strategies.
Haitao Tian; Diana Solovyeva; Gleb Danilov; Sergey Vartanyan; Li Wen; Jialin Lei; Cai Lu; Peter Bridgewater; Guangchun Lei; Qing Zeng. Combining modern tracking data and historical records improves understanding of the summer habitats of the Eastern Lesser White‐fronted Goose Anser erythropus. Ecology and Evolution 2021, 11, 4126 -4139.
AMA StyleHaitao Tian, Diana Solovyeva, Gleb Danilov, Sergey Vartanyan, Li Wen, Jialin Lei, Cai Lu, Peter Bridgewater, Guangchun Lei, Qing Zeng. Combining modern tracking data and historical records improves understanding of the summer habitats of the Eastern Lesser White‐fronted Goose Anser erythropus. Ecology and Evolution. 2021; 11 (9):4126-4139.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHaitao Tian; Diana Solovyeva; Gleb Danilov; Sergey Vartanyan; Li Wen; Jialin Lei; Cai Lu; Peter Bridgewater; Guangchun Lei; Qing Zeng. 2021. "Combining modern tracking data and historical records improves understanding of the summer habitats of the Eastern Lesser White‐fronted Goose Anser erythropus." Ecology and Evolution 11, no. 9: 4126-4139.
Studying social‐behavior and species associations in ecological communities is challenging because it is difficult to observe the interactions in the field. Animal behavior is especially difficult to observe when selection of habitat and activities are linked to energy costs of long‐distance movement. Migrating communities tend to be resource specific and prefer environments that offer more suitability for coexisting in a shared space and time. Given the recent advances in digital technologies, digital video recording systems are gaining popularity in wildlife research and management. We used digital video recording cameras to study social interactions and species–habitat linkages for wintering waterbirds communities in shared habitats. Examining over 8,640 hr of video footages, we built tetrapartite social‐behavioral association network of wintering waterbirds over habitat (n = 5) selection events in sites with distinct management regimes. We analyzed these networks to identify hub species and species role in activity persistence, and to explore the effects of hydrological regime on these network characteristics. Although the differences in network attributes were not significant at treatment level (p = .297) in terms of network composition and keystone species composition, our results indicated that network attributes were significantly different (p = .000, r2 = .278) at habitat level. There were evidences suggesting that the habitat quality was better at the managed sites, where the formed networks had more species, more network nodes and edges, higher edge density, and stronger intra‐ and inter‐species interactions. In addition, we also calculated the species interaction preference scores (SIPS) and behavioral interaction preference scores (BIPS) of each network. The results showed that species synchronize activities in shared space for temporal niche partitioning in order to avoid or minimize any potential competition for shared space. Our social network analysis (SNA) approach is likely to provide a practical use for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation.
Muhammad Awais Rasool; Xiaobo Zhang; Muhammad Azher Hassan; Tanveer Hussain; Cai Lu; Qing Zeng; Boyong Peng; Li Wen; Guangchun Lei. Construct social‐behavioral association network to study management impact on waterbirds community ecology using digital video recording cameras. Ecology and Evolution 2021, 11, 2321 -2335.
AMA StyleMuhammad Awais Rasool, Xiaobo Zhang, Muhammad Azher Hassan, Tanveer Hussain, Cai Lu, Qing Zeng, Boyong Peng, Li Wen, Guangchun Lei. Construct social‐behavioral association network to study management impact on waterbirds community ecology using digital video recording cameras. Ecology and Evolution. 2021; 11 (5):2321-2335.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Awais Rasool; Xiaobo Zhang; Muhammad Azher Hassan; Tanveer Hussain; Cai Lu; Qing Zeng; Boyong Peng; Li Wen; Guangchun Lei. 2021. "Construct social‐behavioral association network to study management impact on waterbirds community ecology using digital video recording cameras." Ecology and Evolution 11, no. 5: 2321-2335.
The operation of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) has significantly impact on downstream wetland ecosystems. This study applied 3S technology, landscape ecology, and computational models to investigate impact of the TGD on downstream spatial dynamics of floodplains in future. Results revealed the relationship between siltation patterns and wetland types transformation after the operation of the TGD, which are critically important to understand ecological characters dynamics in new environmental setting, and provide science-based conservation and restoration recommendation. After the operation of the TGD, changes between water surface and floodplains areas were spatial heterogeneity. With the increase of distance to the TGD, floodplain erosion force declining gradually. The most important finding is the asymmetric erosion between main river course and its associated floodplain lakes, e.g., Dongting lake. This has significant implications for dam operation in autumn and habitat management. After the operation of the TGD, floodplain in the estuary is driven by both the Yangtze river and ocean currents. The strong hydrological force and reduced sediments of Yangtze river drive erosion of the southern river course in the estuary, whereas, the weakened hydrological force in the northern river course attracts sedimentation.
Gongqi Sun; Guangchun Lei; Yi Qu; Chengxiang Zhang; Ke He. The Operation of the Three Gorges Dam Alters Wetlands in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River. Frontiers in Environmental Science 2020, 8, 1 .
AMA StyleGongqi Sun, Guangchun Lei, Yi Qu, Chengxiang Zhang, Ke He. The Operation of the Three Gorges Dam Alters Wetlands in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 2020; 8 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGongqi Sun; Guangchun Lei; Yi Qu; Chengxiang Zhang; Ke He. 2020. "The Operation of the Three Gorges Dam Alters Wetlands in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River." Frontiers in Environmental Science 8, no. : 1.
Anthropogenic disturbance to natural hydrological connectivity, both longitudinal, lateral, and vertical, is threatening the ecological integrity of the freshwater realm. River-floodplain system is particularly adversely affected by the reduction in lateral hydrological connectivity (LHC), representing one of major biodiversity hotspots under increasingly pressure. Many studies have demonstrated that LHC has great influence on the spatial variations of flora and fauna communities (i.e. spatial β diversity) through facilitating dispersal. However, to fully understand the impact of anthropogenic disturbances on biodiversity, we must also understand how ecological communities change over time (i.e. temporal β diversity, TBI) and the underlying processes. To evaluate the processes structuring ecological communities, we examined the macroinvertebrate TBI in habitats along the gradient of LHC for an entire hydrological cycle in West Dongting Lake, a Ramsar-listed floodplain wetland at the middle reach of Yangtze River. Our results showed that the total spatial β diversity fluctuated with water level and peaked at high-water phase, and LHC was the driving forcing affecting both species richness and abundance in all hydrological periods. In particular, species richness and abundance were highest in habitats with medium LHC levels for water-rising and high-water periods reflecting the intermediate disturbance hypothesis except for water-recessing, during which there was no clear pattern. While replacement determined β diversity in most sites at water-rising and high-water phases, the contribution of nestedness were high during water-withdrawing phase. From water-rising to high-water, macroinvertebrates from other habitats spread to the modified mudflats, which had the lowest LHC, along with the floods. During water-withdrawing period, β diversity and its turnover component of all habitats were low compared with other hydrological phases. Temporal β diversity analysis illustrated that the species dispersal was the main mechanism underlying the temporal and spatial variations in the observed community patterns. These findings demonstrated that hydrological connectivity was critical to maintaining the ecological integrity of river-floodplain ecosystems.
Rui Dong; Yuyu Wang; Cai Lu; Guangchun Lei; Li Wen. The seasonality of macroinvertebrate β diversity along the gradient of hydrological connectivity in a dynamic river-floodplain system. Ecological Indicators 2020, 121, 107112 .
AMA StyleRui Dong, Yuyu Wang, Cai Lu, Guangchun Lei, Li Wen. The seasonality of macroinvertebrate β diversity along the gradient of hydrological connectivity in a dynamic river-floodplain system. Ecological Indicators. 2020; 121 ():107112.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRui Dong; Yuyu Wang; Cai Lu; Guangchun Lei; Li Wen. 2020. "The seasonality of macroinvertebrate β diversity along the gradient of hydrological connectivity in a dynamic river-floodplain system." Ecological Indicators 121, no. : 107112.
• The decline of submerged macrophytes in shallow lakes and wetlands has cascade effects on regional and global biodiversity. In the last two decades, the rapid disappear of macrophyte beds in the floodplain lakes of the middle lower Yangtze River has become a great concern for the ecological security of the region. • This study aims to quantify the effects of water depth on biomass production and clonal (i.e. stolons and winter buds) and sexual reproduction (i.e. fruits) of Vallisneria natans, a cosmopolitan, perennial submergent species. • Results of the research clearly demonstrated the unimodal relationship between biomass production and water depth, and there was an optimal range of 35–50 cm, beyond which total biomass decreased. Also, both clonal and sexual reproductive outputs decreased with water depth. Furthermore, for the first time, the study revealed the distinct reproduction patterns of the individuals originated from seeds and clonal propagules. While seed-generated plants produced significantly more fruits (and no winter buds), plants developed from clonal propagules produced more stolons and winter buds. • There findings plead further researches on V. natans seedling establishment and reproductive ecology because of the importance of winter buds as food for wintering waterbirds in the middle Yangtze floodplains.
Xiaobo Zhang; Kaidi Guo; Cai Lu; Rasool Muhammad Awais; Yifei Jia; Liqin Zhong; Peizhong Liu; Rui Dong; Dan Liu; Weikun Zeng; Guangchun Lei; Li Wen. Effects of origin and water depth on morphology and reproductive modes of the submerged plant Vallisneria natans. Global Ecology and Conservation 2020, 24, e01330 .
AMA StyleXiaobo Zhang, Kaidi Guo, Cai Lu, Rasool Muhammad Awais, Yifei Jia, Liqin Zhong, Peizhong Liu, Rui Dong, Dan Liu, Weikun Zeng, Guangchun Lei, Li Wen. Effects of origin and water depth on morphology and reproductive modes of the submerged plant Vallisneria natans. Global Ecology and Conservation. 2020; 24 ():e01330.
Chicago/Turabian StyleXiaobo Zhang; Kaidi Guo; Cai Lu; Rasool Muhammad Awais; Yifei Jia; Liqin Zhong; Peizhong Liu; Rui Dong; Dan Liu; Weikun Zeng; Guangchun Lei; Li Wen. 2020. "Effects of origin and water depth on morphology and reproductive modes of the submerged plant Vallisneria natans." Global Ecology and Conservation 24, no. : e01330.
Geographical gradients in species diversity have long fascinated biogeographers and ecologists. However, the extent and generality of the effects of the important factors governing functional diversity (FD) patterns are still debated, especially for the freshwater domain. We examined the relationship between lake productivity and functional diversity of waterbirds sampled from 35 lakes and reservoirs in northern China with a geographic coverage of over 5 million km2. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the causal relationships between geographic position, climate, lake productivity, and waterbird FD. We found unambiguous altitudinal and longitudinal gradients in lake productivity and waterbird FD, which were strongly mediated by local environmental factors. Specifically, we found (a) lake productivity increased northeast and decreased with altitude. The observed geographic and altitudinal gradients were driven by climatic conditions and nutrient availability, which collectively explained 93% of the variations in lake productivity; (b) waterbird FD showed similar geographic and altitudinal gradients; the environmental factors which had direct and/or indirect effects on these gradients included climate and lake area, which collectively explained more than 39% of the variation in waterbird FD; and 3) a significant (p = .029) causality between lake productivity and waterbird FD was confirmed. Nevertheless, the causality link was relatively weak in comparison with climate and lake area (the standardized path coefficient was 0.55, 0.23, and 0.03 for climate, lake area, and productivity, respectively). Our study demonstrates how the application of multivariate technique (e.g., SEM) enables the illustration of complex causal paths in ecosystems, enhancing mechanistic explanations that underlie the observed broadscale biodiversity gradients.
Yamian Zhang; Wenzhuo Tan; Qing Zeng; Haitao Tian; Yifei Jia; Guangchun Lei; Li Wen. Lake productivity and waterbird functional diversity across geographic and environmental gradients in temperate China. Ecology and Evolution 2020, 10, 11237 -11250.
AMA StyleYamian Zhang, Wenzhuo Tan, Qing Zeng, Haitao Tian, Yifei Jia, Guangchun Lei, Li Wen. Lake productivity and waterbird functional diversity across geographic and environmental gradients in temperate China. Ecology and Evolution. 2020; 10 (20):11237-11250.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYamian Zhang; Wenzhuo Tan; Qing Zeng; Haitao Tian; Yifei Jia; Guangchun Lei; Li Wen. 2020. "Lake productivity and waterbird functional diversity across geographic and environmental gradients in temperate China." Ecology and Evolution 10, no. 20: 11237-11250.
Large river floodplain systems (LRFS) are among the most diverse and dynamic ecosystems. Accurately monitoring the dynamics of LRFS over long time series is fundamental and essential for their sustainable development. However, challenges remain because the spatial distribution of LRFS is never static due to inter- and intra-annual changes in environmental conditions. In this study, we developed and tested a methodological framework to re-construct the long-term wetland dynamics in Dongting Lake, China, utilizing an unsupervised machine-learning algorithm (UMLA) on the basis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index) time series. Our results showed that the UMLA achieved comparable performance to the time-consuming satellite image segmentation method with a Kappa coefficient of agreement greater than 0.75 and an overall accuracy over 85%. With the re-constructed annual wetland distribution maps, we found that 31.35% of wet meadows, one of most important ecological assets in the region, disappeared at an average rate of c.a. 1660 ha year−1 during the past two decades, which suggests that the Dongting Lake is losing its ecological function of providing wintering ground for migratory water birds, and remediation management actions are urgently required. We concluded that UMLA offers a fast and cost-efficient alternative to monitor ecological responses in a rapidly changing environment.
Lei Jing; Yan Zhou; Qing Zeng; Shuguang Liu; Guangchun Lei; Cai Lu; Li Wen. Exploring Wetland Dynamics in Large River Floodplain Systems with Unsupervised Machine Learning: A Case Study of the Dongting Lake, China. Remote Sensing 2020, 12, 2995 .
AMA StyleLei Jing, Yan Zhou, Qing Zeng, Shuguang Liu, Guangchun Lei, Cai Lu, Li Wen. Exploring Wetland Dynamics in Large River Floodplain Systems with Unsupervised Machine Learning: A Case Study of the Dongting Lake, China. Remote Sensing. 2020; 12 (18):2995.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLei Jing; Yan Zhou; Qing Zeng; Shuguang Liu; Guangchun Lei; Cai Lu; Li Wen. 2020. "Exploring Wetland Dynamics in Large River Floodplain Systems with Unsupervised Machine Learning: A Case Study of the Dongting Lake, China." Remote Sensing 12, no. 18: 2995.
Estuarine wetlands have experienced a variety of ecological and environmental problems caused by natural and anthropogenic factors. China has proposed a series of measures and made great efforts to control coastal degradation; however, decision makers still urgently need to know which measures to implement and how they will influence the estuarine environment and functions. This study used field observations, a hydrodynamic model, and statistical methods to investigate the effects of potential restoration scenarios on hydrodynamic conditions in the tidal-influenced estuarine wetland system, Liaodong Bay (China). Results reveal that the average total phosphorus, organic carbon, available phosphorus, pH, total nitrogen content, and moisture content in the soil and sediment environment were 0.04 ± 0.003%, 0.84 ± 0.25%, 16.3 ± 4.7 mg/kg, 8.3 ± 0.1, 0.07 ± 0.02%, and 44 ± 2%, respectively, exhibiting an overall trend of degradation. A series of restoration scenarios in regards to hydrodynamic regulation and tidal inputs were used to preserve the ecological value of the estuarine wetland. Model simulations indicate that the significant improvement of hydrodynamic fields (inundation depth and flow velocity) is more likely to occur when the tidal amplitudes reach around 2 m, while relatively weak responses can be observed when the tidal levels are lower than 1 m. Additionally, the construction of floodgates may play a key role in determining the tidal inputs and flowpaths across the wetland. The modifications in micro-topography of the wetland may play a complementary role in enhancing the connectivity condition via increased creek depth of 0.5 m and width up to around 20 m. This work represents a first attempt in exploring hydrodynamic effects of restoration scenarios for a tidal-dominated wetland. An improved understanding of the estuarine system also highlights that the design and implementation of wetland restoration projects should use more comprehensive measures to achieve long-term landscape management, connectivity planning, and ecological sustainability.
Xiuzhong Li; Guangchun Lei; Yunliang Li; Yuyu Wang; Zhiqiang Tan. Assessing hydrodynamic effects of ecological restoration scenarios for a tidal-dominated wetland in Liaodong Bay (China). Science of The Total Environment 2020, 752, 142339 .
AMA StyleXiuzhong Li, Guangchun Lei, Yunliang Li, Yuyu Wang, Zhiqiang Tan. Assessing hydrodynamic effects of ecological restoration scenarios for a tidal-dominated wetland in Liaodong Bay (China). Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 752 ():142339.
Chicago/Turabian StyleXiuzhong Li; Guangchun Lei; Yunliang Li; Yuyu Wang; Zhiqiang Tan. 2020. "Assessing hydrodynamic effects of ecological restoration scenarios for a tidal-dominated wetland in Liaodong Bay (China)." Science of The Total Environment 752, no. : 142339.
Mangroves play an important role in maintaining coastal wetland ecosystem functions, but they are highly threatened by anthropogenic activities. Predicting the potential distributions of mangroves is vital for policy makers and stakeholders to enforce conservation and reforestation measures. China is at the global northern margin of mangrove distribution. In this study, we used the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model to predict potentially suitable habitats for mangroves based on current data of mangrove distributions in mainland China. For modeling, we grouped the native and exotic mangrove species in China into five groups and used 30 bioclimate, topographic, substrate, and sea surface temperature variables to predict mangrove distributions. The results show that bioclimate and sea surface temperature are both important factors that determine mangrove distribution. The largest suitable area modeled for mangrove species in the coastal zone was 2705 km2. About 14.8% of the predicted suitable habitat for the five mangrove groups is under protection in mangrove nature reserves. Along China’s coastline, 15 sites were identified as hotspots for mangrove conservation and reforestation. By comparing these results with current conservation efforts, we identified that protection priority should be given to the Beilun River Estuary to Fangcheng Harbor coastal zone in Guangxi Province, the east coast of the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong Province, and the Meizhou Bay to Xinghua Bay area in Fujian Province. In addition, suitable species selection should also be considered to achieve successful mangrove reforestation.
Wenjia Hu; Yuyu Wang; Peng Dong; Dian Zhang; Weiwei Yu; Zhiyuan Ma; Guangcheng Chen; Zhenghua Liu; Jianguo Du; Bin Chen; Guangchun Lei. Predicting potential mangrove distributions at the global northern distribution margin using an ecological niche model: Determining conservation and reforestation involvement. Forest Ecology and Management 2020, 478, 118517 .
AMA StyleWenjia Hu, Yuyu Wang, Peng Dong, Dian Zhang, Weiwei Yu, Zhiyuan Ma, Guangcheng Chen, Zhenghua Liu, Jianguo Du, Bin Chen, Guangchun Lei. Predicting potential mangrove distributions at the global northern distribution margin using an ecological niche model: Determining conservation and reforestation involvement. Forest Ecology and Management. 2020; 478 ():118517.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWenjia Hu; Yuyu Wang; Peng Dong; Dian Zhang; Weiwei Yu; Zhiyuan Ma; Guangcheng Chen; Zhenghua Liu; Jianguo Du; Bin Chen; Guangchun Lei. 2020. "Predicting potential mangrove distributions at the global northern distribution margin using an ecological niche model: Determining conservation and reforestation involvement." Forest Ecology and Management 478, no. : 118517.
In this study, we explored different methods to build methane emissions prediction models of temperate reservoirs on a regional field scale, and then we examined the performances and adaptation of these prediction models. First, four statistical model learning methods and two machine learning methods were used to develop methane emissions prediction models based on environmental factors (i.e., temperature and atmospheric pressure) and methane fluxes at three reservoirs (Miyun, Yudushan, and Baihepu) in Beijing, China, from 2009 to 2012. In general, decision trees (DT) exhibited better performance with higher r2 (the coefficient of determination) and lower root mean squared error, mean deviation, mean squared error, and mean absolute error. Second, in order to examine model adaptation, two experimental datasets were used to build methane emissions prediction models separately: D1 (samples only from Miyun) and D2 (samples from Miyun, Yudushan, and Baihepu). Then, three test data groups which used samples from the three reservoirs separately were used. In general, decision trees (DT) exhibited better performance and adaptation compared to those of other model learning methods. Moreover, our study indicated that it could be necessary to compare greenhouse gas prediction models when compiling greenhouse gas inventories according to IPCC.
Gang Li; Meng Yang; Yunmo Zhang; John Grace; Cai Lu; Qing Zeng; Yifei Jia; Yunzhu Liu; Jialin Lei; Xuemeng Geng; Caicong Wu; Guangchun Lei; Ying Chen. Comparison model learning methods for methane emission prediction of reservoirs on a regional field scale: Performance and adaptation of methods with different experimental datasets. Ecological Engineering 2020, 157, 105990 .
AMA StyleGang Li, Meng Yang, Yunmo Zhang, John Grace, Cai Lu, Qing Zeng, Yifei Jia, Yunzhu Liu, Jialin Lei, Xuemeng Geng, Caicong Wu, Guangchun Lei, Ying Chen. Comparison model learning methods for methane emission prediction of reservoirs on a regional field scale: Performance and adaptation of methods with different experimental datasets. Ecological Engineering. 2020; 157 ():105990.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGang Li; Meng Yang; Yunmo Zhang; John Grace; Cai Lu; Qing Zeng; Yifei Jia; Yunzhu Liu; Jialin Lei; Xuemeng Geng; Caicong Wu; Guangchun Lei; Ying Chen. 2020. "Comparison model learning methods for methane emission prediction of reservoirs on a regional field scale: Performance and adaptation of methods with different experimental datasets." Ecological Engineering 157, no. : 105990.
Better understanding of the mechanisms structuring ecological communities is not only a long-term theoretical pursuit in ecology but also critical for biodiversity conservation. Here, we used two complementary approaches (β-diversity partitioning, and phylogenetic and functional null models) to explore the processes structuring wintering waterbird communities in the floodplain lakes of middle-lower Yangtze River (MLYR), China. We found that 1) neutral assembly might be the predominant process shaping the composition of wintering waterbird communities in MLYR; 2) compared to environmental factors, spatial variables, in particular those describing the large scale spatial structure among lakes, contributed more in explaining the functional and phylogenetic composition variations across the region, indicating dispersal constraints might strongly mediate neutral processes. The dispersal constraint could be imposed by movement barriers caused by anthropogenic landscape modification, site fidelity, or both; and 3) strong dispersal constraints could lead to competitive exclusion superimposed over neutrally assembly isolated communities, a hypothesis confirmed by the α- and β-null models. These findings provide strong support for the importance of conserving and improving ecological connectivity at the regional scale as well as habitat quality enhancement at lake scale.
Yifei Jia; Qing Zeng; Yuyu Wang; Neil Saintilan; Guangchun Lei; Li Wen. Processes shaping wintering waterbird communities in an intensive modified landscape: Neutral assembly with dispersal limitation and localized competition. Ecological Indicators 2020, 114, 106330 .
AMA StyleYifei Jia, Qing Zeng, Yuyu Wang, Neil Saintilan, Guangchun Lei, Li Wen. Processes shaping wintering waterbird communities in an intensive modified landscape: Neutral assembly with dispersal limitation and localized competition. Ecological Indicators. 2020; 114 ():106330.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYifei Jia; Qing Zeng; Yuyu Wang; Neil Saintilan; Guangchun Lei; Li Wen. 2020. "Processes shaping wintering waterbird communities in an intensive modified landscape: Neutral assembly with dispersal limitation and localized competition." Ecological Indicators 114, no. : 106330.