3.1. Distribution of Riparian Health and Stress Factor Characteristics
The differences in riparian health conditions and pressure status are represented by their relative total score percentage (Figure 5). The condition mean score was relatively high in the rural–urban transitional areas (86.28%), whereas urban areas exhibited the lowest condition level, with a total score of 80.11%. The urban region also experienced the highest-pressure impact (38.41%), followed by rural–urban transitional (36.28%) and rural (35.02%) regions. Subsets of the condition index displayed irregular patterns. Considering all subsets collectively, rural–urban transitional areas exhibited a better riparian condition, with their subsets habitat, plant cover, regeneration, erosion, and exotics scoring 18.00, 23.43, 12.28, 16.31, and 16.49%, respectively. However, these same subsets showed an inferior status in the urban area, scoring 15.07, 22.22, 11.19, 16.85, and 14.81%, respectively.
[Figure 5 to be inserted about here]
Research data obtained from both indexing and subsets were tested for statistical significance of differences. The Kruskal-Wallis test results displayed notable diversity among the geographical locations and within riparian health and pressure indices, including subsets (Table 1). The indexing of RHIs (with their subsets) and pressure indicators consistently revealed significant differences (p < 0.01) across rural areas. The p -value remained at 0.000** for every indicator index. The pattern of the Kruskal-Wallis test results was different for the other two geographical locations. The indicator indices of rural–urban transitional areas were statistically significant at p < 0.01 for habitat, plant cover, erosion, exotics, condition, and pressure, and p < 0.05 for regeneration. The differences in urban areas were statistically significant at p < 0.01 for erosion and pressure andp < 0.05 for plant cover, regeneration, exotics, and condition. However, no significant difference was detected for habitat in these areas.
[Table 1 to be inserted about here]