Rehabilitation effects of artificial habitat patch on damaged riverside ecosystem

Ecological engineering methods were used to study the rehabilitation effects of artificial habitat patch on damaged riverside ecosystem in the Xixiaoyanzi River of Changchun City,northeastern China.Through artificial eco-rehabilitation and four years' natural succession in the experimental plot,three herbal plant species were increased,the plant community structure was optimized,a rather stable arbor-shrub-grass community structure was formed,the vegetation coverage reached above 95%,and the room for animal inhabitant was provided.The soil microorganism amount,soil bio-chemical reaction intensity,soil enzyme activity,organic matter content,nitrogen content,potassium content,species and the amount of benthic animals in habitat patch were higher than those in the control.The differences in soil microorganism amount,respiration intensity,fiber decomposition intensity,nitrogen fixation intensity,catalase enzyme activity,carbamide enzyme activity,organic matter content were all remarkable(P<0.05).Artificial habitat patch increased the stability of damaged riverside,promoted the function of riverside ecosystem,brought about the positive succession of riverside ecosystem and the favorable changes in soil environments.Meanwhile,soil erosion was controlled successfully in this region.Ecological riverbank not only reduces the economic cost,but also has ecological,environmental,landscape,educational and social values.This study provides a new pattern for ecological alteration of concrete riverside and ecological rehabilitation of damaged riverside.