Emergy-Based Evaluation of Xiaolangdi Reservoir’s Impact on the Ecosystem Health and Services of the Lower Yellow River

Xiangping Zhang (), Yuanjian Wang (), Junhua Li, Yanhui Zhang and Shuping Zhang
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Xiangping Zhang: Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Yellow River Conservancy Commission, No. 46, Shunhe Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou 450003, China
Yuanjian Wang: Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Yellow River Conservancy Commission, No. 46, Shunhe Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou 450003, China
Junhua Li: Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Yellow River Conservancy Commission, No. 46, Shunhe Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou 450003, China
Yanhui Zhang: School of Environmental Science, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, No. 3601, Hongjing Street, Jiangning District, Nanjing 211171, China
Shuping Zhang: China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology, No. 24, Xiheba Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100028, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-17

Abstract: The disturbance in river ecosystems caused by reservoirs and dams has become a critical topic, attracting increasing attention. However, the extent to which reservoir and dam construction and operation impact downstream river ecosystem health and ecosystem service functions is not fully understood. This research examines the Xiaolangdi Reservoir and the Lower Yellow River (LYR) ecosystem in China as a case study. We analyzed the complex material and energy flows in the LYR ecosystem using emergy theory and developed a set of emergy-based indicators for the quantitative assessment of river ecosystem health and services under reservoir operation interference. The results indicate that the total natural capital and environmental endowments of the LYR ecosystem have remained relatively stable after the operation of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir, with an increase in renewable emergy input. The ecosystem’s vigor decreased slightly, while the biomass emergy diversity index remained stable. However, the total emergy inputs increased significantly, with external feedback inputs becoming the most important emergy source for the LYR ecosystem. The resilience of the LYR ecosystem improved, with a significant increase in emergy density and a decrease in the emergy sustainability index. These findings suggest that although the river ecosystem continues to provide supporting services to human society, the extent of these services has diminished compared to pre-perturbation levels. In this research, a methodology for analyzing the impact of key reservoir operations on the ecosystem health and services of a large river is proposed to provide support for large river sustainable development studies.

Keywords: river ecosystem; sustainability management; emergy analysis; the Lower Yellow River; Xiaolangdi Reservoir (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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