Effect of human disturbances and hydrologic elements on the distribution of plant diversity within the Shamu watershed, Mt. Yuntai Nature Reserve, China

Chaojun Li; Hezhen Lou; Shengtian Yang; Xi Li; Jun Zhang; Zihao Pan; Yujia Zhang; Yin Yi; Jiyi Gong

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114833

Effect of human disturbances and hydrologic elements on the distribution of plant diversity within the Shamu watershed, Mt. Yuntai Nature Reserve, China

J Environ Manage. 2022 Mar 11:311:114833. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114833. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Chaojun Li¹, Hezhen Lou¹, Shengtian Yang², Xi Li³, Jun Zhang¹, Zihao Pan¹, Yujia Zhang¹, Yin Yi⁴, Jiyi Gong⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
² College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China. Electronic address: yangshengtian@bnu.edu.cn.
³ College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China.

PMID: 35287080
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114833

Abstract

This paper explores how human disturbance and hydrologic elements affect the spatial distribution pattern of plant diversity in the watershed, taking Shamu watershed in the World Natural Heritage Site as a case study. Spatial analysis of multisource remote sensing and plant diversity plots data were conducted using linear mixed effects models and structural equation models. Results revealed that the distribution of plant diversity in the watershed is mainly affected by human disturbance. However, under similar human disturbance levels, hydrologic elements also affect the plant diversity within the watershed. The topographic undulation and surface runoff significantly promote plant diversity, while the river network density, the watershed shape factor, the river longitudinal gradient do not. The influence of topographic undulation is more obvious than that of runoff on plant diversity, but the effect of topographic undulation and runoff on plant diversity is getting weaker from upstream to downstream within the watershed. In addition, the impact of hydrologic elements on plant diversity is mainly regulated by environmental factors Pre and Tem. The findings clarify how human disturbance and hydrologic elements affect plant diversity distribution within the watershed, optimizing the conservation theory of plant diversity resources and scientifically guiding the region's sustainable development.

Keywords: Human disturbance; Hydrologic elements; Karst; Meta-ecosystem; Plant diversity; Remote sensing.