A framework for the construction of effective landscape ecological network with integrating hydrological connectivity: A case study in Dongjiang River Basin, China

Xin Jiang; Zhi-Yun Jiang; Zhen-Ya Li; Jie Su; Li-Na Tang; Meng-Di Wu; Yi-Jia Wang

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124509

A framework for the construction of effective landscape ecological network with integrating hydrological connectivity: A case study in Dongjiang River Basin, China

J Environ Manage. 2025 Mar:376:124509. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124509. Epub 2025 Feb 15.

Authors

Xin Jiang¹, Zhi-Yun Jiang², Zhen-Ya Li³, Jie Su⁴, Li-Na Tang⁵, Meng-Di Wu⁶, Yi-Jia Wang⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China.
² School of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China. Electronic address: zyjiang@scnu.edu.cn.
³ School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
⁴ School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China.
⁶ School of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.

PMID: 39952000
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124509

Abstract

The rise in frequency of extreme climate events has led to notable variation in water storage capacity within many basins around the world, resulting in the simultaneous occurrence of seasonal water shortages and flooding issues. The development of a basin landscape ecological network that is grounded in hydrological connectivity has the potential to markedly improve ecosystem resilience in the basin as well as to facilitate the integrated advancement of ecological conservation and water resource management. This study assessed the hydrological connectivity of the Dongjiang River Basin, China, in terms of Euclidean distance, over the period from 2000 to 2023. Additionally, a boosted regression tree (BRT) model was utilized to ascertain the weights of various ecological resistance factors. The minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model was subsequently applied to construct a landscape ecological network and to facilitate the identification of ecological pinch points and barriers. Results showed that the mean hydrological connectivity within the Dongjiang River Basin varied between 160 m and 220 m. The overall probability density distribution of hydrological connectivity exhibited characteristics consistent with a semi-normal distribution. The respective contribution rates of elevation, annual average temperature, annual precipitation, and land use type to hydrological connectivity were quantified as 0.57, 0.22, 0.20, and 0.01. In this study, 31 ecological corridors, spanning a cumulative length of 1043.85 km, were identified. Among these corridors, certain ones exhibited a high degree of alignment with the actual distribution of surface water, covering 11.95% of the area, whereas others predominantly traversed forested regions, accounting for 68.58%. The areas designated as ecological pinch points and ecological barriers encompassed 21.78 km² and 183.37 km², respectively. These findings offer valuable scientific insights for the ecological protection of basins, the planning and management of water resources, and the prevention and control of flooding in both urban and rural contexts.

Keywords: Dongjiang River Basin; Ecological corridor; Ecological network; Ecological pinch point; Hydrological connectivity.

MeSH terms

Climate Change
Conservation of Water Resources* / methods
Ecology
Ecosystem
Floods* / prevention & control
Floods* / statistics & numerical data
Hydrology*
Models, Theoretical
Rivers*
Water Resources / supply & distribution
Water Supply / methods
Water Supply / statistics & numerical data