The stereoscopic spatial connectivity of wetland ecosystems: Evaluation method and regulation measures

Currently, the weakened connectivity of wetland ecosystems is the most important factor leading to the destruction, degradation, and disappearance of wetlands. Studying changes in wetland ecosystems connectivity enables the understanding the hydrological processes in wetland ecosystems and provides significant support for the study of ecological water demand. However, recent research on the connectivity of wetland ecosystems has primarily focused on intuitive Heilongjiang River Basin in China (HRBC) connectivity in terms of hydrology and geomorphology, while the impact of wetland ecosystems on habitats has been ignored. The present study applied an innovative method to evaluate and regulate the stereoscopic spatial connectivity (SSC) of the wetland ecosystems in the HRBC. In this method, the water requirements of typical organisms in the region were considered, and the hydrological trends in the wetland ecosystems along with the status of the SSC were analysed using remote sensing images. A regulation mode for improving the stereoscopic spatial connectivity index (SSCI) was proposed. The results revealed that over the past 35 years, the wetland ecosystems in the study area shrank significantly, with the SSCI decreasing from 41.30% in 1980 to 35.08% in 2015. By comparing the correlations among temperature, precipitation, agricultural land, construction land, and the wetland ecosystems during the same period, it was proven that human activity serves as the major driving force behind the observed loss of wetlands in the system. Subsequently, the key protected areas needing protection to maintain the SSC of the wetland ecosystems were clarified, and the key recovery areas were determined based on three scenarios featuring high, medium, and low feasibility, which greatly improved the SSCI and generalization route after regulation. In general, the proposed SSC evaluation and regulation method is widely applicable to all kinds of wetland ecosystems located on animal habitat and migration routes, which can fully reflect the ecological effects of wetland ecosystems, and this method has certain reference significance for the evaluation and regulation of wetland ecosystems in other regions.