5. Conclusion
This evidence confirmed marked differences in riparian zone health conditions with respect to land-use patterns in the TGDR. Overall, the Kruskal-Wallis tests illustrated the significant contrast between the different transects of geographical locations and RHIs (p< 0.05). The results of factor analysis for riparian zone variables were more complex, and the source of trace indicators harder to isolate. A combination of multivariate statistical methods successfully identified the critical riparian health indicators (14 out of 27) that signify changes in the buffer zones caused by the pressure indicators (7 out of 13) under the influence of different land uses. Among the selected riparian health indicators, the data confirmed that plant cover, erosion, and exotic parameters possessed a high number of variables. The variables that caused the most disturbance, considered pressure indicators, were land-use designs, farming systems, and activities involving pollutants. From a methodological perspective, it was challenging to determine the effect of pressure indicators on larger areas in the same manner. The use of two approaches provided the right solution and proved to be a reliable tool for dealing with this situation. We found that even under similar conditions, pressure impact was different in these riparian areas. Generally, the Pearson correlation showed the highest comparative interaction strength from the urban transects, whereas the rural–urban transitional transects displayed the lowest association. The AHC exposed similarities between rural and rural–urban transitional sites, which confirmed the substantial dissimilarity of urban locations. These results demonstrate significant dissimilarities in the riparian zones of different geographical sites within the TGDR, indicating the requirement for distinct operational practices in these areas. Our findings are comprehensive and provide the necessary information for reservoir administrators to implement functional changes suited to particular riparian area situations.