Rivers are important channels connecting water and material circulation from lands to oceans. Currently, more than 845,000 dams have been constructed on about 2/3 of the world’s rivers. Damming leads to river fragmentation, formation of lakes, deposition of sediment in cascade reservoirs, and changes in river flow patterns, physical and hydrochemicalconditions and habitat foraquatic plants, plankton andfish. These changes interfere with reproduction, recruitment and biological growth,with impacts on system biodiversity and integrity. Coupled with the long-term cumulative impacts of climate change, water use, river regulation, and water pollution, most rivers worldwide suffer from degradation of ecosystem integrity.In many river basins, the lack of data on river physicochemical conditions, habitat structure and biological communities constrainsthe assessmentof aquatic ecological integrity and development of biodiversity protectionsstrategies. To address river ecosystem degradationand develop restoration plans and strategies requires starting from clarification of the ecological status and major stressors causingriver ecosystemdegradation, followed bythe developmentof restorationstrategies and governance systemsthataddress dominant issues at appropriate spatial and temporal scales.
Aiming at the problems of strong temporal and spatial heterogeneity, poorly understooddegradation mechanisms and ineffective governance pathways to manage large river ecosystems, this Research Topic will discuss scientific methods of ecosystem integrity evaluation for different types of rivers, expound the mechanisms and driving factors of river ecosystem degradation and loss of ecological integrity, and report on new technologies that support riverrestoration, protection and management. Our objective is to compile newmethods, indictors, insights,and casestudies on the assessment ofriver ecosystem integrity, to provide a sound scientific basis for biodiversity and ecosystems protection and restoration.
Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Integrity assessment methods and indicators (physical, chemical and biological indicators) for river ecosystems;
2. Application of eDNA technology in river species diversity and ecosystem integrity assessment;
3. Effects of habitat lossandinvasive species;
4. Effects of cascade damming on element transport in river-reservoir ecosystems;
5. Effects of periodic inundation on biogeochemical cycling of nutrients in reservoir water-level zones and its contribution to reservoir eutrophication;
6. Geochemical cycles of nutrients and heavy metals at theriver sediment-water interface and sediment pollution control;
7. Effects of industrial wastewater, agricultural non-point source pollution and urban domestic sewage on river water quality, the sediment environment, biodiversity and community succession;
8. Carbon cycle and eco-environmental effects of climate change on river ecosystems;
9. Behavior and ecological effects of new pollutants (e.g. POPs, microplastics, nanoparticles, antibiotics, etc.) in river ecosystems;
10. Principles, practices and technologiesto support protection and restoration of degraded river ecosystems.
Rivers are important channels connecting water and material circulation from lands to oceans. Currently, more than 845,000 dams have been constructed on about 2/3 of the world’s rivers. Damming leads to river fragmentation, formation of lakes, deposition of sediment in cascade reservoirs, and changes in river flow patterns, physical and hydrochemicalconditions and habitat foraquatic plants, plankton andfish. These changes interfere with reproduction, recruitment and biological growth,with impacts on system biodiversity and integrity. Coupled with the long-term cumulative impacts of climate change, water use, river regulation, and water pollution, most rivers worldwide suffer from degradation of ecosystem integrity.In many river basins, the lack of data on river physicochemical conditions, habitat structure and biological communities constrainsthe assessmentof aquatic ecological integrity and development of biodiversity protectionsstrategies. To address river ecosystem degradationand develop restoration plans and strategies requires starting from clarification of the ecological status and major stressors causingriver ecosystemdegradation, followed bythe developmentof restorationstrategies and governance systemsthataddress dominant issues at appropriate spatial and temporal scales.
Aiming at the problems of strong temporal and spatial heterogeneity, poorly understooddegradation mechanisms and ineffective governance pathways to manage large river ecosystems, this Research Topic will discuss scientific methods of ecosystem integrity evaluation for different types of rivers, expound the mechanisms and driving factors of river ecosystem degradation and loss of ecological integrity, and report on new technologies that support riverrestoration, protection and management. Our objective is to compile newmethods, indictors, insights,and casestudies on the assessment ofriver ecosystem integrity, to provide a sound scientific basis for biodiversity and ecosystems protection and restoration.
Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Integrity assessment methods and indicators (physical, chemical and biological indicators) for river ecosystems;
2. Application of eDNA technology in river species diversity and ecosystem integrity assessment;
3. Effects of habitat lossandinvasive species;
4. Effects of cascade damming on element transport in river-reservoir ecosystems;
5. Effects of periodic inundation on biogeochemical cycling of nutrients in reservoir water-level zones and its contribution to reservoir eutrophication;
6. Geochemical cycles of nutrients and heavy metals at theriver sediment-water interface and sediment pollution control;
7. Effects of industrial wastewater, agricultural non-point source pollution and urban domestic sewage on river water quality, the sediment environment, biodiversity and community succession;
8. Carbon cycle and eco-environmental effects of climate change on river ecosystems;
9. Behavior and ecological effects of new pollutants (e.g. POPs, microplastics, nanoparticles, antibiotics, etc.) in river ecosystems;
10. Principles, practices and technologiesto support protection and restoration of degraded river ecosystems.
