Urbanization has changed the distribution pattern of zooplankton species diversity and the structure of functional groups

Urbanization has brought devastating disasters to the species diversity of urban wetlands. However, due to the complexity of the urban environment, the process and causes of urban biodiversity distribution patterns are not clear. In this study, we explored the patterns and formation of spatial differentiation in zooplankton in the context of urbanization by using spatial instead of temporal methods to reveal the urbanization process in the urban intensive Huaihe River Basin. The results showed that the diversity of zooplankton decreased with increasing urbanization level, and the species composition in areas with different urbanization levels was significantly different. At the same time, the water quality of wetlands increased with decreasing urbanization level, which exhibited a significant positive correlation with the species richness of zooplankton. Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) were the main factors affecting the spatial differentiation pattern of zooplankton. Moreover, the increase in nutrients changed the structure of zooplankton functional groups, while rotifers showed strong resistance to pollution. The inhibition of chromium (Cr) on the density of zooplankton functional groups should not be ignored. The results reveal the spatial differentiation mechanism of zooplankton in the process of urbanization and emphasize the necessity of urban wetland ecological restoration and habitat reconstruction.