Forest restoration and biodiversity enhancement across China: Regional case insights into ecosystem function recovery and conservation outcomes
Freshwater ecosystems are increasingly subjected to multiple anthropogenic stressors, notably pesticide contamination and nutrient enrichment, which jointly threaten biodiversity and impair key ecosystem functions. This study conducts a comprehensive ecological risk assessment to evaluate the intera...
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X2500915X |
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| author | Peng Zhang Lixiao Ni Hind Alofaysan Mammadova Simuzar Sultan Norboy Karimov |
| author_facet | Peng Zhang Lixiao Ni Hind Alofaysan Mammadova Simuzar Sultan Norboy Karimov |
| author_sort | Peng Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Freshwater ecosystems are increasingly subjected to multiple anthropogenic stressors, notably pesticide contamination and nutrient enrichment, which jointly threaten biodiversity and impair key ecosystem functions. This study conducts a comprehensive ecological risk assessment to evaluate the interactive effects of these stressors on freshwater biodiversity and ecological processes across diverse aquatic systems in China. Focusing on streams, rivers, and lentic environments in agriculturally intensive regions such as the Yangtze River Basin, the North China Plain, and parts of Yunnan Province, we integrate water quality analyses, biotic surveys, and experimental mesocosm data collected between 1995-2023. Taxonomic groups assessed include aquatic macroinvertebrates, fish, periphyton, and microbial communities. Our findings reveal that while moderate nutrient inputs initially stimulate primary production, combined exposure to high nutrient loads and pesticide mixtures leads to trophic imbalances, reduced species richness, and altered food web structures. Synergistic interactions between herbicides and excess nitrogen/phosphorus were particularly detrimental to invertebrate diversity and periphyton biomass, with significant downstream effects on ecosystem respiration and nutrient cycling. Multivariate risk models indicate that phosphorus availability and pesticide persistence are key predictors of biodiversity loss and functional degradation. Temporal analysis suggests that ecosystems with long-term exposure (>10 years) display reduced resilience and slower recovery even after pollutant reduction. Additionally, biodiversity impacts varied by region, with upland streams showing greater sensitivity compared to lowland rivers. This study underscores the urgent need for integrated watershed management approaches that limit agrochemical inputs, monitor ecological indicators, and prioritize restoration in biodiversity hotspots. Policymakers should enforce region-specific water quality thresholds, promote sustainable agriculture, and fund longitudinal studies to track ecological recovery and prevent irreversible ecosystem shifts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cc642affe98a44b4afa6b5dae968fdcf |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj-art-cc642affe98a44b4afa6b5dae968fdcf2025-08-20T04:01:00ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2025-09-0117811398510.1016/j.ecolind.2025.113985Forest restoration and biodiversity enhancement across China: Regional case insights into ecosystem function recovery and conservation outcomesPeng Zhang0Lixiao Ni1Hind Alofaysan2Mammadova Simuzar Sultan3Norboy Karimov4School of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; School of Hydraulic Engineering, WanJiang University of Technology, Maanshan 243031, China; Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, MOE, School of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; Corresponding author at: School of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China.School of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, MOE, School of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, ChinaDepartment of Economics, College of Business Administration, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Business Management, Azerbaijan State Economy University (ASEU), 6 Istiglaliyyat Street, AZ 1001 Baku, AzerbaijanBanking Department, Tashkent state university of economics, UzbekistanFreshwater ecosystems are increasingly subjected to multiple anthropogenic stressors, notably pesticide contamination and nutrient enrichment, which jointly threaten biodiversity and impair key ecosystem functions. This study conducts a comprehensive ecological risk assessment to evaluate the interactive effects of these stressors on freshwater biodiversity and ecological processes across diverse aquatic systems in China. Focusing on streams, rivers, and lentic environments in agriculturally intensive regions such as the Yangtze River Basin, the North China Plain, and parts of Yunnan Province, we integrate water quality analyses, biotic surveys, and experimental mesocosm data collected between 1995-2023. Taxonomic groups assessed include aquatic macroinvertebrates, fish, periphyton, and microbial communities. Our findings reveal that while moderate nutrient inputs initially stimulate primary production, combined exposure to high nutrient loads and pesticide mixtures leads to trophic imbalances, reduced species richness, and altered food web structures. Synergistic interactions between herbicides and excess nitrogen/phosphorus were particularly detrimental to invertebrate diversity and periphyton biomass, with significant downstream effects on ecosystem respiration and nutrient cycling. Multivariate risk models indicate that phosphorus availability and pesticide persistence are key predictors of biodiversity loss and functional degradation. Temporal analysis suggests that ecosystems with long-term exposure (>10 years) display reduced resilience and slower recovery even after pollutant reduction. Additionally, biodiversity impacts varied by region, with upland streams showing greater sensitivity compared to lowland rivers. This study underscores the urgent need for integrated watershed management approaches that limit agrochemical inputs, monitor ecological indicators, and prioritize restoration in biodiversity hotspots. Policymakers should enforce region-specific water quality thresholds, promote sustainable agriculture, and fund longitudinal studies to track ecological recovery and prevent irreversible ecosystem shifts.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X2500915XEcological risk assessmentPesticide contaminationNutrient enrichmentFreshwater biodiversityEcosystem functions |
| spellingShingle | Peng Zhang Lixiao Ni Hind Alofaysan Mammadova Simuzar Sultan Norboy Karimov Forest restoration and biodiversity enhancement across China: Regional case insights into ecosystem function recovery and conservation outcomes Ecological Indicators Ecological risk assessment Pesticide contamination Nutrient enrichment Freshwater biodiversity Ecosystem functions |
| title | Forest restoration and biodiversity enhancement across China: Regional case insights into ecosystem function recovery and conservation outcomes |
| title_full | Forest restoration and biodiversity enhancement across China: Regional case insights into ecosystem function recovery and conservation outcomes |
| title_fullStr | Forest restoration and biodiversity enhancement across China: Regional case insights into ecosystem function recovery and conservation outcomes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Forest restoration and biodiversity enhancement across China: Regional case insights into ecosystem function recovery and conservation outcomes |
| title_short | Forest restoration and biodiversity enhancement across China: Regional case insights into ecosystem function recovery and conservation outcomes |
| title_sort | forest restoration and biodiversity enhancement across china regional case insights into ecosystem function recovery and conservation outcomes |
| topic | Ecological risk assessment Pesticide contamination Nutrient enrichment Freshwater biodiversity Ecosystem functions |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X2500915X |
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