Evaluating the metabolic structure and interrelationships of the Lijiang River Basin based on ecological network analysis

Abstract

Study regionThe Lijiang River Basin in southwest China. Study focusThis research focuses on the structure, function, and evolution of the water metabolic system. It quantifies multiple water metabolic processes involve in water cycle, considering natural and social influences. Furthermore, an integrated water metabolism network system is established, and the ecological network analysis is introduced to quantitatively simulate the water circulation in metabolic processes and analyze the interaction between metabolic components in the Lijiang River Basin during 2010 to 2020. New hydrological insights for the regionThe results contribute to a deeper understanding of the nature, state, and stability of water metabolism. The water metabolic system in the basin is balanced, with a moderate robustness and a high efficiency. The structure of the water metabolism is unchanged, with little fluctuation of the flow transmission, revealing the development of metabolic structure in the Lijiang River Basin. The surface water compartment (more than 80% of the total) contributes most significantly to the water metabolic processes, with abundant natural inflow. Water consumption is mainly driven by the agricultural irrigation compartment. The relationships among pairwise compartments are mutualistic and synergistic, indicating a healthy metabolic process. Exploitation and being exploited relationships are the dominant types. These insights reveal how water metabolism is quantified, and the water metabolic structure and relationships can be further optimized by improving the water efficiency.