Land use and river-lake connectivity: Biodiversity determinants of lake ecosystems

Lake ecosystems confront escalating challenges to their stability and resilience, most intuitively leading to biodiversity loss, necessitating effective preservation strategies to safeguard aquatic environments. However, the complexity of ecological processes governing lake biodiversity under multi-...

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Main Authors: Huiyu Xie, Yu Ma, Xiaowei Jin, Shiqi Jia, Xu Zhao, Xianfu Zhao, Yongjiu Cai, Jian Xu, Fengchang Wu, John P. Giesy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-09-01
Series:Environmental Science and Ecotechnology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498424000486
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author Huiyu Xie
Yu Ma
Xiaowei Jin
Shiqi Jia
Xu Zhao
Xianfu Zhao
Yongjiu Cai
Jian Xu
Fengchang Wu
John P. Giesy
author_facet Huiyu Xie
Yu Ma
Xiaowei Jin
Shiqi Jia
Xu Zhao
Xianfu Zhao
Yongjiu Cai
Jian Xu
Fengchang Wu
John P. Giesy
author_sort Huiyu Xie
collection DOAJ
description Lake ecosystems confront escalating challenges to their stability and resilience, most intuitively leading to biodiversity loss, necessitating effective preservation strategies to safeguard aquatic environments. However, the complexity of ecological processes governing lake biodiversity under multi-stressor interactions remains an ongoing concern, primarily due to insufficient long-term bioindicator data, particularly concerning macroinvertebrate biodiversity. Here we utilize a unique, continuous, and in situ biomonitoring dataset spanning from 2011 to 2019 to investigate the spatio-temporal variation of macroinvertebrate communities. We assess the impact of four crucial environmental parameters on Lake Dongting and Lake Taihu, i.e., water quality, hydrology, climate change, and land use. These two systems are representative of lakes with Yangtze-connected and disconnected subtropical floodplains in China. We find an alarming trend of declining taxonomic and functional diversities among macroinvertebrate communities despite improvements in water quality. Primary contributing factors to this decline include persistent anthropogenic pressures, particularly alterations in human land use around the lakes, including intensified nutrient loads and reduced habitat heterogeneity. Notably, river-lake connectivity is pivotal in shaping differential responses to multiple stressors. Our results highlight a strong correlation between biodiversity alterations and land use within a 2–5 km radius and 0.05–2.5 km from the shorelines of Lakes Dongting and Taihu, respectively. These findings highlight the importance of implementing land buffer zones with specific spatial scales to enhance taxonomic and functional diversity, securing essential ecosystem services and enhancing the resilience of crucial lake ecosystems.
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spelling doaj-art-5bc69da572d7437baa9b7f52f609ebdc2025-08-20T01:54:45ZengElsevierEnvironmental Science and Ecotechnology2666-49842024-09-012110043410.1016/j.ese.2024.100434Land use and river-lake connectivity: Biodiversity determinants of lake ecosystemsHuiyu Xie0Yu Ma1Xiaowei Jin2Shiqi Jia3Xu Zhao4Xianfu Zhao5Yongjiu Cai6Jian Xu7Fengchang Wu8John P. Giesy9State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing, 100012, ChinaCollege of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing, 100012, ChinaChina National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing, 100012, China; Corresponding author. No. 8, Dayangfang Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100012, China.China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing, 100012, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing, 100012, ChinaKey Laboratory of Ecological Impacts of Hydraulic-Projects and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystem of Ministry of Water Resources, Institute of Hydroecology, Ministry of Water Resources and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430079, ChinaNanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, ChinaDepartment of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48895, USA; Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5B3, Canada; Toxicology Centre and Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B3, Saskatoon, SK, CanadaLake ecosystems confront escalating challenges to their stability and resilience, most intuitively leading to biodiversity loss, necessitating effective preservation strategies to safeguard aquatic environments. However, the complexity of ecological processes governing lake biodiversity under multi-stressor interactions remains an ongoing concern, primarily due to insufficient long-term bioindicator data, particularly concerning macroinvertebrate biodiversity. Here we utilize a unique, continuous, and in situ biomonitoring dataset spanning from 2011 to 2019 to investigate the spatio-temporal variation of macroinvertebrate communities. We assess the impact of four crucial environmental parameters on Lake Dongting and Lake Taihu, i.e., water quality, hydrology, climate change, and land use. These two systems are representative of lakes with Yangtze-connected and disconnected subtropical floodplains in China. We find an alarming trend of declining taxonomic and functional diversities among macroinvertebrate communities despite improvements in water quality. Primary contributing factors to this decline include persistent anthropogenic pressures, particularly alterations in human land use around the lakes, including intensified nutrient loads and reduced habitat heterogeneity. Notably, river-lake connectivity is pivotal in shaping differential responses to multiple stressors. Our results highlight a strong correlation between biodiversity alterations and land use within a 2–5 km radius and 0.05–2.5 km from the shorelines of Lakes Dongting and Taihu, respectively. These findings highlight the importance of implementing land buffer zones with specific spatial scales to enhance taxonomic and functional diversity, securing essential ecosystem services and enhancing the resilience of crucial lake ecosystems.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498424000486Taxonomic richnessFunctional diversityBiotic homogenizationRiver-lake connectivityMultiple stressors
spellingShingle Huiyu Xie
Yu Ma
Xiaowei Jin
Shiqi Jia
Xu Zhao
Xianfu Zhao
Yongjiu Cai
Jian Xu
Fengchang Wu
John P. Giesy
Land use and river-lake connectivity: Biodiversity determinants of lake ecosystems
Environmental Science and Ecotechnology
Taxonomic richness
Functional diversity
Biotic homogenization
River-lake connectivity
Multiple stressors
title Land use and river-lake connectivity: Biodiversity determinants of lake ecosystems
title_full Land use and river-lake connectivity: Biodiversity determinants of lake ecosystems
title_fullStr Land use and river-lake connectivity: Biodiversity determinants of lake ecosystems
title_full_unstemmed Land use and river-lake connectivity: Biodiversity determinants of lake ecosystems
title_short Land use and river-lake connectivity: Biodiversity determinants of lake ecosystems
title_sort land use and river lake connectivity biodiversity determinants of lake ecosystems
topic Taxonomic richness
Functional diversity
Biotic homogenization
River-lake connectivity
Multiple stressors
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498424000486
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