Impact of biophysical characteristics of urban rivers on public perceptions of water‐related ecosystem services

Abstract Water‐related ecosystem services (WES) provided by urban rivers are influenced by complex interactions between social and ecological systems. Understanding the public perception of WES is crucial for sustainable planning and management of urban rivers in the future. Although studies on public perception on WES have been growing in recent years, relevant research on urban rivers, particularly on how biophysical factors influence WES perception, remains limited. This study examines the public perception of WES across three types of urban rivers in Jinan, China, using a combination of questionnaire surveys and field investigations. Binary logistic regression is applied to analyse how the biophysical characteristics of urban rivers affect the public perception of WES. The main findings are as follows: (1) Public awareness of WES provided by urban rivers is generally low, especially regarding water purification. (2) The type of river significantly influences public perception, with natural rivers eliciting higher perceptions of WES. (3) The key factors that affect public perceptions of WES include water quality, flow speed, sinuosity, arbour coverage and habitat diversity. (4) Synergistic positive effects on public perceptions are observed among water quality, sinuosity and habitat diversity. This research supports the promotion of public engagement in environmental management and provides valuable insights for policy development and the sustainable development of urban rivers. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.