Hydrology: Current Research

Urban Rivers: A Landscape Ecological Perspective

Abstract

Jun Yue

Urban rivers are important physical elements and important ecological corridors. They not only play important ecological roles but also supply bases of stability, comfort, and sustainability in urban development. Due to the complex interaction between inner and outer elements of urban river landscapes, it is necessary to use the theory of landscape ecology to analyze the pattern, function, context, fragmentation and temporal change of urban river landscapes with appropriate scale. It will support the management and sustainable development of urban rivers. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the urban river landscapes from landscape ecological perspective. This paper firstly reviews the relevant studies in urban river landscapes, and then it carries out the research on the pattern of river corridors and river networks and the service functions. Next, it probes into the river landscape dynamic change at pattern and function aspects and the scale of relative study. Specially, because urban rivers are widely influenced by human activities, so this paper analyzes the disturbance of urban rivers further. This paper has proposed a basal framework for the research on urban rivers by the use of fundamental topics including pattern, function and dynamic change and so on in landscape ecology. It will play a directive role to understand urban rivers, resolve the water environment problems and to realize the sustainable development of urban river resources.