Work

Quantitative Analysis of Spatiotemporal Variations in Ecological Water-Supplementation Benefits of Rivers Based on Remote Sensing: A Case Study of the Yongding River (Beijing Section)

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: River ecosystems play a crucial role in the global water cycle and regional ecological security, yet they face severe challenges under the dual pressures of human activities and climate change. To systematically assess the spatiotemporal characteristics and driving mechanisms of river ecological impacts, this study proposes a modular and transferable method, which is Quantitative Analysis of Spatiotemporal Variations in Ecological Water-Supplementation Benefits of Rivers Based on Remote Sensing (QASViewSBR). Taking the Yongding River (Beijing section) from 2016 to 2023 as a case study, this research integrates multi-source remote sensing and ground monitoring data to extract river water bodies using an improved Normalized Difference Water Index and Vertical–Horizontal polarization characteristics. The Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess (STL) method was employed for time-series trend decomposition, Pearson correlation analysis was applied to identify driving factors of area changes, and the Pelt algorithm was used to quantify the response range of riparian vegetation to changes of river water levels. An integrated analytical framework of “dynamic monitoring—time series analysis—driving factor identification—spatial heterogeneity assessment” was established, enabling standardized end-to-end analysis from data acquisition to evaluation. The results indicate that the river water area in the basin increased significantly after 2019, with enhanced seasonal fluctuations. Under the ecological water supplementation policy, the “human-initiated, natural-response” mechanism was clearly observed, and the ecological responses along both riverbanks exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity due to variations in surface features and topography. QASViewSBR exhibits good universality and transferability, providing methodological support for ecological restoration and management in different river basins.

Source: Applied Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/app16020614

Authors: Lisheng Li, Qinghua Qiao, Hongping Zhang

Institutions: Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Changes in China

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Clean water and sanitation, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896