A new framework combining hydrological connectivity metrics and morphological spatial pattern analysis for the hydrological connectivity evaluation of wetlands

The quantitative evaluation of wetland hydrological connectivity is essential to the hydrological connectivity restoration-oriented ecological conservation and environmental management of wetlands. We proposed a framework to evaluate wetland hydrological connectivity with a combination of hydrological connectivity metrics and morphological spatial pattern analysis and recognized potential sites and links that had been generally overlooked in previous studies. Variations in hydrological connectivity revealed a decreasing trend followed by a gradual recovery from the critical time node of 2005 in Baiyangdian Lake. The core, one of the most important landscape types, played a dominant role in maintaining wetland hydrological connectivity at both temporal and spatial scales, and its variations matched those of hydrological connectivity. More importantly, we redressed the conventional ignorance of peripheral patches and links and recognized their importance in improving the hydrological connectivity of wetlands. The proposed framework provides an effective and practical tool for the hydrological connectivity evaluation of wetlands, expanding new insights into maintaining the health and integrity of wetland ecosystems. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:1064-1078. © 2022 SETAC.