Habitat and phenology dynamics of Potamogeton crispus in a north China shallow lake: patterns and drivers
摘要
Curly-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) has spread widely in shallow lakes along the East Route of China’s North Water Diversion Project, posing ecological risks, while its habitat and phenological dynamics remain poorly understood. Taking Weishan Lake in the North China Plain as the study area, we integrated multisource remote sensing data (Sentinel-2, Landsat-5 & 8 and moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS)) to build a dense normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series. Based on the life-history and spectral features of curly-leaf pondweed, we applied double logistic function fitting and the dynamic threshold method to extract key phenological metrics: start of growing season (SOS), end of growing season (EOS), and length of growing season (LOS). The results showed that during 2003–2023, the habitat area of curly-leaf pondweed followed a logistic growth pattern, expanding rapidly throughout the lake from 2009 to 2019 and then declining and shifting southwestward under human interference after 2019. Although the interannual phenological trends of curly-leaf pondweed were insignificant, the standard deviations of EOS and LOS increased markedly, indicating enhanced spatial heterogeneity. Water quality (especially total phosphorus) strongly regulated the habitat area variation of curly-leaf pondweed, and water temperature dominated its phenological variations, with June water temperature significantly affecting EOS and LOS. Water depth induced a lakeshore-to-lake-center gradient in the phenology of curly-leaf pondweed, particularly for SOS. Human harvesting further reshaped the phenological spatiotemporal patterns of curly-leaf pondweed, especially EOS. This study provides insights into curly-leaf pondweed management and remote sensing-based phenological mapping.