Liu et al. (2025) Effects of green infrastructure composition and configuration on runoff regulation in watersheds: A global meta-analysis

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-10-15
• Authors: Z. Chen, Xinghao Lu, Yuncai Wang
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134418

Research Groups

• Center of Ecological Planning and Environment Effects Research, Joint Laboratory of Ecological Urban Design
• Department of Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University

Short Summary

This meta-analysis quantified the global effects of green infrastructure (GI) composition and configuration on watershed runoff characteristics, revealing that shrubland and forest land have strong regulatory effects, while higher GI patch density increases runoff. The study also identified critical forest land area thresholds for watershed ecological security.

Objective

• To systematically quantify the global effects of green infrastructure (GI) composition and configuration on runoff characteristics in watersheds.
• To identify the sources of heterogeneity in the relationship between GI composition/configuration and runoff characteristics.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global watershed scale.
• Temporal Scale: Synthesis of 121 peer-reviewed studies, covering various temporal periods of the original research.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Meta-analysis.
• Data sources: 121 peer-reviewed scientific studies.

Main Results

• Shrubland exhibited slightly stronger regulatory effects on runoff characteristics compared to forest land and grassland.
• Forest land significantly influenced multiple runoff indicators.
• Higher green infrastructure patch density significantly increased runoff.
• Moderators, including climate, topography, soil and geological conditions, and watershed area, significantly influenced the relationship between GI composition/configuration and runoff characteristics.
• A minimum Forest% (proportion of forest land area) threshold of 35 % is recommended to ensure watershed ecological security, with specific thresholds varying by climate zone and watershed scale.

Contributions

• Provides a systematic, quantitative global understanding of how green infrastructure composition and configuration influence watershed runoff.
• Identifies key moderators influencing the effectiveness of green infrastructure in runoff regulation.
• Establishes specific Forest% thresholds for different climate zones and watershed scales, offering evidence-based guidance for land-use planning and runoff regulation.

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Liu2025Effects,
  author = {Liu, Ling and Chen, Z. and Lu, Xinghao and Wang, Yuncai},
  title = {Effects of green infrastructure composition and configuration on runoff regulation in watersheds: A global meta-analysis},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134418},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134418}
}