筑坝蓄水将迫使淹没区陆生生态系统退化消失,改变其下游受影响河段的环境与生态,破坏自然河流连续性与连通性,是影响河流生态系统显著且强烈的人类活动。河流梯级开发对其生态系统的影响可能存在“累积效应”,即将大坝拦截阻隔对河流生态系统的影响逐级“放大”。然而,“累积效应”的作用对象、途径与水文生态机制目前仍不明晰。不仅如此,河流梯级开发的适应性管理的对象、目标、时空范围与作用途径等已不能简单地参照或套用当前以恢复水文自然情势来修复河流生态系统为主线的实践模式,其适应性管理取决于对河流—水库系统生态结构功能、演替规律的科学认识,也受到多利益主体的制约和影响。长江上游梯级开发在全球大河流域开发中独树一帜,将深刻改变长江上游河流生态格局。对长江上游梯级开发的适应性管理应以优化河流—水库生态结构功能、维持河流—水库生态系统健康为目标。揭示长江上游梯级开发“累积效应”的作用对象与形式,通过优化提升生态系统服务以权衡多利益主体诉求,构建长江上游绿色水电运营管理新体系,值得进一步探索。

As a kind of anthropogenic activity with significant impact on river ecosystem, dam construction and reservoir creation will result in the degradation and disappearance of terrestrial ecosystem in its flooded area. It will cause the significant change of downstream eco-environment and disrupt the continuity and connectivity of natural rivers. There may be “accumulative effects” on the impact of river cascading development on its ecosystems, which is to “amplify” the impact of damming on river ecosystems step by step. However, the role, approach, and hydro-ecological mechanisms of the “accumulation effect” are still not clear. Additionally, this will also result in the uncertainty in the objective, targets, spatio-temporal scope and action path of adaptive management of river cascading development. In river cascading development, the current adaptive practice on restoring natural hydrological processes and river ecosystem may no longer be effective. There is need to understand the function and structure of river-reservoir system and its succession. The trade-offs between multi-stakeholders of river-reservoir system shall be also taken into consideration. The upper Yangtze River has experienced intensive cascading development, which is unique among the world’s rivers and will profoundly change the ecosystem in the upper Yangtze. The adaptive management of upper Yangtze should aim at optimizing the ecological structure of rivers and reservoirs and maintaining the health of river-reservoir ecosystems. Future research could be focused on the role and form of “accumulative effects” in upper Yangtze, and the trade-offs among multiple stakeholders. These will construct a new paradigm for the operation and management of green hydropower in the upper Yangtze.