Mechanism of hydrological connectivity impacts on the stability of hydrology-vegetation-soil systems in oasis wetlands

doi:10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00367

Journal of Desert Research ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1): 282-290.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00367

Mechanism of hydrological connectivity impacts on the stability of hydrology-vegetation-soil systems in oasis wetlands

Wen Li¹^,²(), Bing Liu¹^,³(), Xiao Wang¹, Bin Wang¹^,², Changkun Yang¹^,², Weihao Sun¹^,²

^1.Linze Inland River Basin Research Station / State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands，Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources，Chinese Academy of Sciences，Lanzhou 730000，China
^2.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences，Beijing 100049，China
^3.China and Iran Joint Laboratory on Agriculture and Ecology in Arid Regions，Lanzhou 730000，China

Received:2025-11-20 Revised:2025-12-31 Online:2026-01-20 Published:2026-03-09
Contact: Bing Liu

Abstract

Abstract:

The coupled hydrology-vegetation-soil system of oasis wetlands is a research hotspot in wetland science and a critical unit for maintaining ecological security and carbon sequestration in arid regions. However， existing studies have mostly focused on the response of individual elements to water variations， lacking a systematic integration of multi-factor feedback mechanisms and cascading effects on system stability driven by hydrological connectivity. From a system-coupling perspective， this paper reviews the latest progress in key ecological processes of oasis wetlands under the influence of hydrological connectivity and synthesizes the driver-response-feedback pathways and stability assessment methodologies. Four coupled processes and mechanisms driven by changes in hydrological connectivity are identified：（1） the regulatory mechanisms of horizontal， longitudinal， and vertical connectivity on water budgets and salt transport；（2） the adaptive succession of vegetation communities along hydrological gradients and their nonlinear feedback on hydrological processes through morphological and community structural changes；（3） soil carbon （C） and nitrogen （N） cycling processes driven by hydro-saline-redox environments； and （4） the cascading effects and system stability degradation mechanisms transmitted along the hydrology-vegetation-soil chain. Furthermore， regarding the assessment and maintenance of oasis wetland stability， the limitations in critical threshold identification， multi-process coupling simulation， and the construction of standardized evaluation systems are systematically summarized. To address the ecological risks posed by impaired hydrological connectivity， future research should emphasize long-term site observations and multi-source data fusion， develop multi-scale coupling models that incorporate nonlinear thresholds， and refine the stability early-warning system based on the DPSIR-TOPSIS framework， providing a theoretical basis for enhancing carbon sink functions and restoring degraded oasis wetlands.

Key words: hydrological connectivity, vegetation dynamics, soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, hydrological processes, stability

CLC Number:

Wen Li, Bing Liu, Xiao Wang, Bin Wang, Changkun Yang, Weihao Sun. Mechanism of hydrological connectivity impacts on the stability of hydrology-vegetation-soil systems in oasis wetlands[J]. Journal of Desert Research, 2026, 46(1): 282-290.

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Mechanism of hydrological connectivity impacts on the stability of hydrology-vegetation-soil systems in oasis wetlands

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