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]