[Relationship between landscape pattern and river water quality in Wujingang region, Taihu Lake watershed].

Wujingang region was taken as the study area to explore the relationship between landscape pattern and river water quality. Remote sensing image was interpreted and buffer zones were constructed, and then landscape patterns characterized by land-use patterns and five selected landscape metrics including Number of patches (NP), Area-weighted mean patch fractal dimension (FRAC _AM), Shannon's diversity index (SHDI), Shannon' s evenness index (SHEI), Contagion index (CONTAG) in each buffer zone were obtained. By employing the correlation analysis between the landscape pattern and river water quality, the results indicated that the river water quality was influenced by landscape pattern. The percentage of built-up area was positively related with water quality indicators, demonstrating that the percentage of built-up area was one of the key factors affecting the river water quality, while the percentage of cultivated land showed a negative relationship. Furthermore, the relationships between the selected five landscape metrics and water quality were also revealed. SHDI and SHEI were significantly positively related with water quality indicators, while CONTAG showed the opposite relationship.