ABSTRACT The functionality of global rivers has been adversely affected by environmental pollution and habitat degradation. We investigated the mechanisms through which climate variables modulate the impact of human activities on basin ecosystems. We compared the Han and Wei rivers, located on opposite sides of the Qinling Mountains, and modeled how climate modulates the effects of human activities on basin food webs. Water samples were collected from the Han and Wei Rivers, respectively, and we analyzed them using a combined environmental DNA (eDNA)‐hydrological coupling model and Empirical Dynamic Modeling. We found that the food web complexity showed a gradual decline from upstream to the outlet in the Han River, while the Wei River exhibited the opposite pattern. Food web complexity in the Han River was 67.18% higher than in the Wei River. The effects of human activities on ecological networks were associated with climate, with increased precipitation weakening the negative impact of human activities. Our results suggest that climate can modulate the effects of human activities on basin ecological networks. Additionally, basin ecosystems in arid regions demonstrate reduced resilience to withstand human activities under challenging climatic conditions.
Zhang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.