Rapid urbanization negatively affects landscape, ecological connectivity, and biodiversity of wetland ecosystems worldwide, and the specific effect mechanisms need to be deeply explored. In the present study, we aimed to determine if and how rapid urbanization has affected the biodiversity and ecosystems of wetlands in Kunshan, which has ranked first among China's top 100 counties and cities in comprehensive strength for 20 years. We conducted field investigations in 11 towns of Kunshan, where we determined different water parameters and biodiversity indices in the wetlands of urban, middle, and natural regions as well as several urbanization indices. The results indicated an upward trend for the biodiversity indices, including density, biomass, species number, Shannon diversity, and Margalef richness of the aquatic plants and macrobenthos from the urban to middle to natural regions. Furthermore, the results indicated a downward trend for the water parameters, including salinity, total dissolved solids, pH, total phosphorus content, ammonia nitrogen content, and permanganate index from the urban to middle to natural regions. Overall, the biodiversity indices of aquatic organisms were negatively correlated with water parameters and urbanization indices, including population density, gross domestic product, number of industrial enterprises above the designated size, industrial energy consumption, and building construction area. Thus, the results demonstrate that rapid urbanization leads to habitat destruction and biodiversity reduction in aquatic plants and macrobenthos. This study provides scientific implications for management and restoration of urban wetlands during rapid urbanization, including water pollution control, ecological shoreline protection, ecological connectivity optimization, aquatic plants, and macrobenthos restoration.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |