Overview on Habitat Monitoring Methods Under Watershed Ecological Space Management

Abstract

Habitat consist of the physical, chemical, and biological features that support the survival and growth of aquatic organisms, and the maintenance of biological processes and ecological function. However, habitat is spatially and temporally heterogeneous and displays spatial autocorrelation, mean that at large spatial scales, the maintenance of ecological function is complex. Consequently, it is difficult to characterize and interpret habitat characteristics, especially over large space-time scales. Although a wide variety of habitat monitoring methods have been proposed, there is still lack of well-developed methods for long-term tracking and monitoring of habitat changes at the watershed scale. Here, the characteristics of watershed habitats and the importance of monitoring in environmental management were explored based on the concept, purpose, and significance of habitat monitoring. Several monitoring methods were summarized and compared, and the key scientific limitations and requirements of habitat monitoring (e.g., spatial scale, survey scope, characteristic parameters, data acquisition, etc.) evaluated. Based on this, key aspects for successful habitat monitoring in China are proposed as baseline information for the research and application of habitat monitoring for watershed-scale ecological space management.