Diagnosing habitat degradation of submerged plants in urban lakes: An integrated analysis of underwater light limitation, lake optics, and DOM chemo-diversity
Urban lakes are vital socio-economic and ecological assets, yet their aesthetically pleasant clear water states often degrade along with losses of submerged plants. Restoration failures are frequently due to ambiguous linkages between stressors and habitat deterioration. This study developed an inte...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Ecological Informatics |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954125003164 |
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| author | Qian Hu Lei Xu Songhe Jiang Manqi Chang Aiwen Zhong Wenkai Li Hongmei Zhao |
| author_facet | Qian Hu Lei Xu Songhe Jiang Manqi Chang Aiwen Zhong Wenkai Li Hongmei Zhao |
| author_sort | Qian Hu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Urban lakes are vital socio-economic and ecological assets, yet their aesthetically pleasant clear water states often degrade along with losses of submerged plants. Restoration failures are frequently due to ambiguous linkages between stressors and habitat deterioration. This study developed an integrated diagnostic framework, combining underwater light limitation modelling, lake optic analysis, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) chemo-diversity. The extent of habitat degradation is quantified by the probabilities of a random site that satisfies the minimal light requirement of submerged macrophytes in a lake. Meanwhile, causes of degradation are identified by lake optic analysis and highly correlated DOM-derived indexes that reflect footprints of primary pollution sources. Our findings reveal severe underwater light limitation in four investigated urban lakes in Jiujiang (China), which were driven mainly by elevated chlorophyll-a levels. Domestic sewage was identified as the predominant pollution source, with minimal agricultural and industrial impacts. By establishing a clear stressor-habitat linkage, the results emphasise reducing sewage inputs as a priority for effective lake restoration. This study offers a multi-disciplinary diagnostic framework for managing submerged plant habitat loss in urban lakes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-abae8c037a2d4c2f86020cab2cb49245 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1574-9541 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Informatics |
| spelling | doaj-art-abae8c037a2d4c2f86020cab2cb492452025-08-20T05:05:41ZengElsevierEcological Informatics1574-95412025-12-019010330710.1016/j.ecoinf.2025.103307Diagnosing habitat degradation of submerged plants in urban lakes: An integrated analysis of underwater light limitation, lake optics, and DOM chemo-diversityQian Hu0Lei Xu1Songhe Jiang2Manqi Chang3Aiwen Zhong4Wenkai Li5Hongmei Zhao6Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Plant Resources Conservation and Utilisation, Lushan Botanical Garden, Jiangxi Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiujiang 332900, China; Corresponding authors.Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Plant Resources Conservation and Utilisation, Lushan Botanical Garden, Jiangxi Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiujiang 332900, ChinaXiuhe Hydrology and Water Resources Monitoring Centre, Jiujiang 332000, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center of Eco-Environment in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Wuhan 430014, ChinaJiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Plant Resources Conservation and Utilisation, Lushan Botanical Garden, Jiangxi Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiujiang 332900, China; Corresponding authors.State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaKey Laboratory of Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education/School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330022, ChinaUrban lakes are vital socio-economic and ecological assets, yet their aesthetically pleasant clear water states often degrade along with losses of submerged plants. Restoration failures are frequently due to ambiguous linkages between stressors and habitat deterioration. This study developed an integrated diagnostic framework, combining underwater light limitation modelling, lake optic analysis, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) chemo-diversity. The extent of habitat degradation is quantified by the probabilities of a random site that satisfies the minimal light requirement of submerged macrophytes in a lake. Meanwhile, causes of degradation are identified by lake optic analysis and highly correlated DOM-derived indexes that reflect footprints of primary pollution sources. Our findings reveal severe underwater light limitation in four investigated urban lakes in Jiujiang (China), which were driven mainly by elevated chlorophyll-a levels. Domestic sewage was identified as the predominant pollution source, with minimal agricultural and industrial impacts. By establishing a clear stressor-habitat linkage, the results emphasise reducing sewage inputs as a priority for effective lake restoration. This study offers a multi-disciplinary diagnostic framework for managing submerged plant habitat loss in urban lakes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954125003164Urban lakesSubmerged plantsStressor-habitat degradation linkageUnderwater light limitationDOM chemo-diversity |
| spellingShingle | Qian Hu Lei Xu Songhe Jiang Manqi Chang Aiwen Zhong Wenkai Li Hongmei Zhao Diagnosing habitat degradation of submerged plants in urban lakes: An integrated analysis of underwater light limitation, lake optics, and DOM chemo-diversity Ecological Informatics Urban lakes Submerged plants Stressor-habitat degradation linkage Underwater light limitation DOM chemo-diversity |
| title | Diagnosing habitat degradation of submerged plants in urban lakes: An integrated analysis of underwater light limitation, lake optics, and DOM chemo-diversity |
| title_full | Diagnosing habitat degradation of submerged plants in urban lakes: An integrated analysis of underwater light limitation, lake optics, and DOM chemo-diversity |
| title_fullStr | Diagnosing habitat degradation of submerged plants in urban lakes: An integrated analysis of underwater light limitation, lake optics, and DOM chemo-diversity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diagnosing habitat degradation of submerged plants in urban lakes: An integrated analysis of underwater light limitation, lake optics, and DOM chemo-diversity |
| title_short | Diagnosing habitat degradation of submerged plants in urban lakes: An integrated analysis of underwater light limitation, lake optics, and DOM chemo-diversity |
| title_sort | diagnosing habitat degradation of submerged plants in urban lakes an integrated analysis of underwater light limitation lake optics and dom chemo diversity |
| topic | Urban lakes Submerged plants Stressor-habitat degradation linkage Underwater light limitation DOM chemo-diversity |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954125003164 |
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