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Study on the Driving Factors of Plankton Community and Water Health Under the Terrain Barrier: A Case Study of Xinjiang
by
,
Long Yun
1,†, 
Changcai Liu
1,†,
Xuelian Qiu
1,
Fangze Zi
1,2,
Wenxia Cai
1,
Liting Yang
1,
Yong Song
1,* and
Shengao Chen
1,* 1
State Key Laboratory Incubation Base for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Tarim Basin, Tarim Research Center of Rare Fishes, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China
2
College of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Biology 2026, 15(3), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15030238
Submission received: 18 December 2025
/
Revised: 14 January 2026
/
Accepted: 20 January 2026
/
Published: 27 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wetland Ecosystems (2nd Edition))
Simple Summary
To elucidate the driving mechanisms of zooplankton communities in Central Asian artificial aquatic ecosystems, this study surveyed water environmental parameters and zooplankton communities in 10 artificial water bodies at the southern Altai foot and Tianshan’s northern/southern slopes. Results revealed significant spatial variations: water bodies in the southern Altai and northern Tianshan showed substantial fluctuations in temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP), whereas southern Tianshan waters showed more minor nutrient indicator variations. Marked regional differences in zooplankton communities were confirmed by cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). Across three basins, 19 dominant species were identified, grouped into 6 functional groups with distinct compositional differences—closely linked to nutrient fluctuations induced by regional barriers. Diversity varied by region: SA ranged from α-mesosaprobic to polysaprobic; NT was β-mesosaprobic; and ST ranged from β-mesosaprobic to lightly polluted. These differences were attributed to regional barriers and variations in glacial meltwater. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed that environmental factors collectively explained 71.1% of the variation in species distribution. This study demonstrates that regional barriers regulate zooplankton communities by altering aquatic conditions, with glacial meltwater exacerbating these differences, providing a scientific basis for the management and protection of artificial water bodies in arid areas.
Abstract
This study investigated the distribution patterns of zooplankton species composition and functional groups, their correlations with aquatic environmental factors, and the mechanisms underlying community stability under the influence of regional barriers in arid areas of Xinjiang, China. The aim was to elucidate the ecological processes driving zooplankton communities in artificial aquatic ecosystems in Central Asia. A systematic survey was conducted on water environmental parameters and zooplankton community structures across 10 artificial water bodies, including the southern foot of the Altai Mountains and both northern and southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains. The survey encompassed physical and nutrient indicators, and the results revealed significant spatial variation among water bodies across regions. Artificial water bodies in the southern Altai Mountains and northern Tianshan Mountains exhibited substantial fluctuations in temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP). In contrast, water bodies in the southern Tianshan Mountains showed less variation in nutrient indicators. Zooplankton identification results indicated marked differences in zooplankton communities across regions, which were further confirmed by cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). A total of 19 dominant zooplankton species were identified across the three basins, classified into 6 functional groups. The composition of zooplankton functional groups also varied considerably, which may be closely associated with significant fluctuations in nutrient indicators of aquatic environmental factors across regional barriers. Additionally, there were specific differences in zooplankton diversity among the three basins: the SA region ranged from α-mesosaprobic to polysaprobic and β-mesosaprobic; the NT region was classified as β-mesosaprobic; and the ST region ranged between β-mesosaprobic and lightly polluted. These results may be attributed to differences in regional barriers and glacial meltwater conditions. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed that environmental factors collectively explained 71.1% of the variation in species distribution. Exploring the zooplankton species composition and their relationships with aquatic environmental factors under different regional barriers provides a scientific basis for regional water resource management and environmental protection.
