Murdoch E. McKinnon , Felix C. Nwaishi , Bin Xu , Scott J. Ketcheson , Melanie Bird , Richard M. Petrone
{"title":"Hydrologic assessment of mineral substrate suitability for true moss initiation in a boreal peatland undergoing restoration","authors":"Murdoch E. McKinnon , Felix C. Nwaishi , Bin Xu , Scott J. Ketcheson , Melanie Bird , Richard M. Petrone","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107615","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107615","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tens of thousands of oil and gas well pads have been constructed in peatlands on the North American Western Boreal Plain. The introduction of true mosses directly onto residual mineral substrates left following the partial removal of well pads may present a means of re-establishing peatland ecosystem function on these sites post-decommissioning. Accordingly, an assessment of mineral substrate moisture dynamics was undertaken on a residual well pad on the Western Boreal Plain to determine whether requisite conditions for the establishment of true mosses would be maintained throughout the growing season. The results indicate that substrate moisture conditions were most favourable for true moss establishment when the water table was maintained within 6 cm of the mineral surface of the residual well pad. Such conditions were most frequently observed along edges of the pad receiving direct groundwater inputs from an adjacent peatland, representing an area covering just under half of the pad. However, water table variation was high in interior areas of the pad which were hydrologically disconnected from the adjacent peatland. Here, substrate moisture dynamics were not optimized for true moss establishment late in the season. Mosses introduced to these areas faced a considerable risk of desiccation, which was not directly alleviated by the application of a straw mulch. These findings suggest that the partial removal technique has the potential to create requisite moisture conditions for true moss establishment, but there is a need to enhance subsurface hydrological connectivity across residual pads in future implementations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 107615"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143682903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The road to seagrass restoration at scale using engineering","authors":"Richard K.F. Unsworth , Samuel C. Rees","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107607","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107607","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seagrass restoration efforts have been ongoing for decades, with early innovations dating back to the 1970s. While there has been progress, many projects have high failure rates, but the consensus within the literature is that increasing spatial scale will lead to higher success rates. To achieve scaled-up restoration, innovation in the context of mechanised approaches is required that can reduce the costs and labour-intensive processes and improve reliability. This review paper focuses on the restoration of seagrass meadows and how engineering solutions have been used to help scale up these efforts. The paper examines the different stages within seagrass restoration and how mechanised approaches have been used to date, along with their levels of success or failure. Various stages of restoration are examined, from seed collection, separation, storage, planting, and the biological and environmental engineering challenges associated with upscaling these efforts. The review focuses primarily on <em>Zostera</em> species due to its dominance in the literature, but expands to other species where possible. Although extensive mechanised approaches have been used (e.g. seed planting sleds), a common thread through the studies remains the limited underpinning understanding of the biology to improve the use of these methods and a solid understanding of the relative merits of the use of these techniques. Despite innovations, seagrass restoration is still marked by high failure rates. More interdisciplinary work is required to link biological and engineering solutions to environmental variability for greater restoration success.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 107607"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143682906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cristiane C. Moura , Thaís R. Costa , Múcio M.M. Farnezi , Paula A. Oliveira , Luciana C. Moura , Miranda Titon , Israel M. Pereira , Evandro L.M. Machado
{"title":"Is it possible to grow a typical riparian species in iron ore tailings?","authors":"Cristiane C. Moura , Thaís R. Costa , Múcio M.M. Farnezi , Paula A. Oliveira , Luciana C. Moura , Miranda Titon , Israel M. Pereira , Evandro L.M. Machado","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107606","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107606","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In riparian areas severely affected by the rupture of iron ore dams, the effective development of arboreal individuals remains elusive. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the growth and development of <em>Richeria grandis</em> Vahl. (Phyllanthaceae) seedlings, when subjected to iron ore tailings (<em>in natura)</em> (RMF) or subsoil (TS) from natural soils in the research region. The experiment used a completely randomized design and was conducted in a nursery in a region of rustification. Survival (%), height, diameter of the root collar, leaf number, and total chlorophyll were evaluated monthly. Substrate samples were collected at the beginning and end of the experiment to carry out chemical and particle size analyses in the laboratory. Subsequently, fully expanded leaves were collected from the seedlings for the extraction and quantification of their phytolite content. Their morphotypes were quantified, registered using microphotographs, identified, and classified according to their morphological characteristics, following the International Phytolith Nomenclature Code. After 12 months of evaluation, all <em>R. grandis</em> seedlings had survived and showed improved growth in height and number of leaves in RMF. <em>R. grandis</em> is an abundant producer of phytoliths and is characterized by the multiplicity of morphotypes in its leaves.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 107606"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143682907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alena Peterková , Ondřej Mudrák , Michal Holec , Karel Tajovský , Marie Hovorková , Saliha Irshad , Jan Frouz
{"title":"Plant and fauna biodiversity benefits from the combination of reclaimed and unreclaimed sites in heaps after uranium mining","authors":"Alena Peterková , Ondřej Mudrák , Michal Holec , Karel Tajovský , Marie Hovorková , Saliha Irshad , Jan Frouz","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107613","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107613","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mining significantly impacts the environment, but post-mining sites, particularly those left to natural succession, often support numerous rare species. Plant and soil fauna communities were studied using field inventories and pitfall trapping on reclaimed and unreclaimed heaps after uranium mining near Příbram (Czech Republic), and in the surrounding landscape (control site). All macrofauna invertebrates were sorted into orders, while Oniscidea, Diplopoda, Chilopoda, Araneae, Carabidae, and Formicidae were identified to the species level.</div><div>Unreclaimed heaps were covered with stones, sparse shrubby and herbaceous vegetation, while reclaimed heaps were covered by 0.5 m of topsoil and planted with mixed forest. The control site consisted of forest and agricultural land. The number of plant layer species and vegetation cover at this level on unreclaimed heaps were lower compared to reclaimed ones. However, the average number of tree species was higher on unreclaimed sites, despite the average cover of tree layer was lower.</div><div>A total of 24,101 individuals were caught, with 15,507 identified into 209 species. The highest number of red-listed species was found in reclaimed sites (<span><span>Kusumoarto et al., 2020</span></span> (21)), followed by unreclaimed sites (<span><span>Heneberg and Řezáč, 2018</span></span> (14)) and the control site (<span><span>Chase and Leibold, 2002</span></span> (6)). Spiders dominated the red-listed species (<span><span>Luff, 1998</span></span> (24)) across all locations.</div><div>Habitat preferences differed across all identified invertebrates. Reclaimed sites represent an intermediate state between unreclaimed heaps and the control site. Reclaimed and unreclaimed sites were significantly different from each other, as well as from the control site.</div><div>Our study indicates that both reclaimed and unreclaimed heaps serve as important biodiversity hotspots for threatened or endangered species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 107613"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Velizara Stoilova , Eva Bergman , David Aldvén , Rachel E. Bowes , Olle Calles , Nils Nyquist , Daniel Nyqvist , Piotr Rowinski , Larry Greenberg
{"title":"Downstream guidance performance of a bubble curtain and a net barrier for the European eel, Anguilla anguilla, in an experimental flume","authors":"Velizara Stoilova , Eva Bergman , David Aldvén , Rachel E. Bowes , Olle Calles , Nils Nyquist , Daniel Nyqvist , Piotr Rowinski , Larry Greenberg","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107599","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107599","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Populations of the European eel (<em>Anguilla anguilla)</em>, a critically endangered species, have been severely impacted by migration barriers, as losses due to turbine-induced mortality can be substantial. To prevent eels from entering turbines, effective guidance systems are needed to redirect downstream-migrating eels towards safer alternative passage routes. Although physical guidance screens may have very high guidance efficiencies, these generally come with high construction and maintenance costs and are difficult to scale up to large rivers. Behavioural guidance systems are typically less costly, but have often been ineffective. Hence, more work is needed to identify more effective behavioural solutions or physical barriers that are less costly to upscale. In this study, we assessed the performance of a physical net barrier (23 mm mesh size) and a behavioural bubble curtain guidance solution, for downstream-migrating eels and compared these with a guidance-free control at four different water velocities (0.1, 0.4, 0.7 and 1 m/s) in a large experimental flume using PIT-telemetry and video. The overall passage rate with the net barrier was 68 % higher than during the control treatment, whereas there was no significant difference between the bubble curtain and the control. We also found an effect of eel body size, where larger eels were less likely to enter the bypass than smaller eels. Velocity did not influence passage rate. Video data, in addition, revealed that b guidance along the barrier was greater, and passes through the barrier fewer, for the net barrier than for the bubble curtain and the control. The results suggest that net guidance solution for downstream guidance of eels should be explored further, whereas the bubble curtain does not appear appropriate for eel guidance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 107599"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Joseph W. Parkinson , Ciaran McLaverty , Pernille Nielsen , Jon C. Svendsen , Ana T. Lima , Martin Macnaughton , Wolfgang Kunther
{"title":"Developing a sustainability framework for eco-engineering of blue infrastructure","authors":"Joseph W. Parkinson , Ciaran McLaverty , Pernille Nielsen , Jon C. Svendsen , Ana T. Lima , Martin Macnaughton , Wolfgang Kunther","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107604","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107604","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal hardening, via marine infrastructure construction (MIC), is contributing to the urbanisation of coastal environments, adding challenges for the resilience of marine ecosystems. Concrete is the preferred material for MIC due to desirable construction properties. Ecological-engineering efforts aim to increase the ecological value of concrete use in MIC via artificial material modifications, promoting ecological functions of MIC and creating new artificial marine habitats. Generally, ecological-engineering efforts include a wide array of stakeholders with variations for any singular project dependent on a myriad of environmental, resource and societal factors which affect the scale, scope and budget of projects. This can potentially lead to missing elements for obtaining an encompassing sustainability assessment of these types of projects on a societal, environmental and economic level. This perspective communication identifies and discusses experiences from recent ecological-engineering projects with concrete. Development of a collaborative, interdisciplinary framework will hope to guide current and future projects to achieve sustainability for ecological engineering practices for MIC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 107604"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143642736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Somayeh Mirzaee , Mehdi Pajouhesh , Fumitoshi Imaizumi , Khodayar Abdollahi , Christopher Gomez
{"title":"Gully erosion development and the role of vegetation cover in arid area during an extreme flood (Case study: Dashtiari gully, Iran)","authors":"Somayeh Mirzaee , Mehdi Pajouhesh , Fumitoshi Imaizumi , Khodayar Abdollahi , Christopher Gomez","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107600","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107600","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study constructs a hot-spot analysis to explore the relationship between extreme floods and the dynamics of gully erosion in the Dashtiari region of southeastern Iran, specifically within a 6 km<sup>2</sup> area along the coastal ecosystem of the Oman Sea. Utilizing UAV-photogrammetry, we assessed the impact of a significant flood event in January 2020, characterized by 113 mm of rainfall and a 200-year return period. Our analysis revealed a total of 5198 samples collected across various channel sections, with average elevation changes of 3.4 m downstream, 2.7 m in the middle stream, and 2.8 m upstream of study area. The most substantial morphological changes were found in the downstream area, with bankside and bed measurement changes of 2.9 m and 3.8 m, respectively. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that the downstream section exhibited a 31 % greater elevation change compared to the middle stream. The role of vegetation cover was also evaluated, showing that sedimentation rates were significantly higher within 1 m downstream of trees compared to distances of 3 m and 7 m at upstream of trees. The results revealing that as the distance from the tree increases, sedimentation decreases in both upstream and downstream directions. Despite the overarching influence of erosion, sedimentation emerged as a dominant process downstream. Statistical analyses confirmed significant differences in channel dynamics at a 99 % confidence level, highlighting the complex interplay of hydrological and geomorphological factors in gully erosion dynamics. These results underscore the importance of vegetation cover in mitigating erosion and highlight the need for in-depth analysis to address adverse impacts on the environment and local communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 107600"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143629082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kaixin Zhang , Libo Ning , Kaizi Ning , Zhonghao Jin , Xiping Wang , Hongsheng Zhu
{"title":"Structural characteristics and spatial heterogeneity of vegetation and below-ground habitat during the long-term succession of ecosystems in mining areas","authors":"Kaixin Zhang , Libo Ning , Kaizi Ning , Zhonghao Jin , Xiping Wang , Hongsheng Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mining activities can cause significant disturbances to ecosystems. To investigate the long-term impacts of mining and ecological restoration on vegetation communities and their below-ground habitat structure in mining areas, this study aims to reveal the relationship between aboveground and underground vegetation structures and explore the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation root systems and soil properties across different soil layers. This study uses the natural background area as a reference ecosystem and selects the mining disturbance area, mining restoration area, and natural background area in the southern Taihang Mountains as the research sites. Field surveys and laboratory analyses of plant communities and their below-ground habitats were conducted using ecological geology theories and methods. This mainly included plant species, height, and cover, as well as the distribution of fine roots and soil physicochemical properties within soil profiles (0–100 cm). Firstly, mining activities impose long-term adverse impacts on vegetation diversity and growth, resulting in a “patchy” distribution of vegetation and soil that disrupts the synergistic interactions between vegetation and soil systems. However, mine restoration gradually re-establishes the coordination between vegetation and soil systems. Secondly, there is a strong correlation between the aboveground and underground structures of vegetation. Both the aboveground and underground components of vegetation exhibit a layered structure. The distribution range of root systems varies across different plant species. Significant differences in the frequency of fine roots are observed in the soil surface layer (0–20 cm) between different ecosystems, with overlap occurring in the 20–40 cm layer, and minimal differences found in the 40–100 cm layer. Finally, the contents of soil available N, available P, and organic matter exhibit a decreasing trend with increasing soil depth, with distribution curves resembling an “S” shape. Nutrient levels are higher in the surface soil, where fine plant roots are concentrated. A layered pattern exists in the spatial heterogeneity of plant root systems and soil available N, available K, available P, and organic matter. It is suggested that the relationship between plant diversity and soil spatial heterogeneity should consider the below-ground habitat range associated with the survival of tree, shrub, and grass vegetation. This study is of significant importance for scientifically guiding the ecological environment protection and restoration of mining areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 107601"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143619711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Milan Barna , Markéta Chudomelová , Lukáš Alexa , Hana Cigánková , Tomáš Černý , Petr Petřík
{"title":"Ecosystem recovery following post environmental change near an aluminium smelter in Žiar nad Hronom, Slovakia","authors":"Milan Barna , Markéta Chudomelová , Lukáš Alexa , Hana Cigánková , Tomáš Černý , Petr Petřík","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107585","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107585","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a result of aluminium production that started in 1953, the surroundings of the aluminium smelter and foundry in Žiar nad Hronom are among the most polluted areas in Slovakia. Following the introduction of a new technology in 1996, emissions from the plant have decreased significantly, but it is not clear to what extent the ecosystems in the area have recovered and whether they still carry traces of pollution. We have evaluated the recovery process 23 years after the change in technology by analysing the current contamination of the ecosystem around the factory. In 2019, we sampled the soil, herbaceous plants (<em>Arrhenatherum elatius</em> and <em>Artemisia vulgaris</em>), and woody plants (<em>Salix euxina</em>, <em>Alnus glutinosa</em>, and <em>Carpinus betulus</em>) along three transects running in different directions from the smelter and compared our results with those of a study conducted in 1971. Our data indicate that the concentrations of elements differ depending on the plant life form. Some elements accumulated more in trees (light elements, Sr, Ca, Zn, and Mn) whereas others accumulated more in herbs (K, P, Cl, Si, and Cu). A resurvey of vegetation data has shown clear signs of ecosystem recovery. Over the past ∼50 years, soil fluoride contamination has decreased several-fold and the slope of the distance–decay relationship has flattened. As regards plant leaf biomass, the distance–decay relation has faded out or even reversed, but the concentrations of fluorine in leaves further from the source of pollution remain as high as, or even exceed, values measured ∼50 years ago. Although the ecosystem around the plant is recovering from the past pollution, the revitalization process is still ongoing. Most importantly, concentrations of fluorine in plant biomass continue to exceed the health risk limit, and the meadows adjacent to the smelter are still unsuitable for agricultural purposes. Our study shows that ecosystem recovery will be a long-term process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 107585"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143619710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Keke Hu , Gulimire Hanati , Hashan Haliyakepaer , Sulitan Danierhan , Wenjun Liu
{"title":"Mutual promotion relationship of ecological base flow and basin wetland restoration in arid areas","authors":"Keke Hu , Gulimire Hanati , Hashan Haliyakepaer , Sulitan Danierhan , Wenjun Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107587","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107587","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change and human activities are continuously affecting global environmental change, causing severe damage to rivers and watersheds wetland ecosystems in arid areas. However, the interaction between ecological base flow (EBF) in rivers and wetland restoration (WR) in watersheds remain poorly understood. In this study, we analysed the changing characteristics of EBF and WR in the Niya River Basin in Xinjiang, a typical arid area, as well as the interaction between the two. The results showed that the EBF of the Niya River increased slowly at an annual rate of 0.241 m<sup>3</sup> s<sup>−1</sup> • (10a)<sup>−1</sup> from 1978 to 2022, with significant seasonal changes throughout the year, and the proportion during the normal flow periods reached 97.9 %. The WR in the basin also showed the same change trend, the wetland area and fractional vegetation cover (FVC) in the basin increased annually, and the groundwater level (GWL) had a seasonal variation of 1 m to 4 m with precipitation. However, the species composition in the wetland was relatively thin, and the structural function had to be improved. The intra-annual correlations between EBF and GWL and between EBF and FVC were 0.884 and 0.729, respectively. There was a positive mutual promotion relationship between EBF and WR in the watershed, the guarantee or increase of EBF can provide sufficient water resources for the growth of plants and animals in wetlands, and maintain the stability of wetland ecological environment to promote WR. The WR can increase river runoff by promoting water circulation and other means, ensuring that EBF is continuously met, thereby improving the health and stability of river ecosystems. Our study could provide valuable insights for guaranteeing the EBF of rivers in arid areas, protecting and restoring wetlands, and managing and scheduling water resources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 107587"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143611207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}