New interactive functional indicator approach for river health assessment in an Asian temperate river: Comprehensive analysis of water chemistry, physical habitat, land use, and the biological disturbance of invasive alien species

Abstract

Elucidating the responses of aquatic communities to environmental (e.g., chemical, habitat, and flow regime) and biological disturbances is essential to the maintenance and restoration of healthy ecosystems. This study investigated the interactions between environmental and biological disturbance factors and functional indicators of ecological health in 99 sampling sites along a temperate river. Variance tests and multivariate statistical tools, such as non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and generalized linear models (GLMs), were employed to evaluate the responses of functional indicator guilds and ecological river health to various in-stream chemical, physical, habitat, and land-use pattern factors along with the biological impact of invasive alien species (IAS). Variance testing revealed significant variation (χ2 > 6.2 and p < 0.05) in common species abundance and ecological functional guilds among spatial groups according to chemical pollution levels, land-use intensity, and land-use patterns. NMDS analysis and GLMs based on trophic, habitat, and tolerance guilds, and the results of the multi-metric index of biological integrity for fish, indicated statistically significant patterns in response to environmental disturbance, particularly chemical degradation associated with nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) enrichment and organic pollution, loss of gravel and cobble substrates, and intensified agricultural land use. The spatial pattern of IAS abundance was also significantly correlated with the alteration in fish community structures. This study underscores the often-unnoticed impact of high IAS abundance on river health, and its interactions with chemical and physical degradation resulting from agricultural and urban land uses. In summary, this study highlights the importance of addressing multiple environmental and biological disturbances to maintain and conserve the health of river systems.