As an attraction of anthropogenic activity, the impact of artificial disturbance on riparian ecosystems is an increasingly ecological question. However, how riparian species response to urbanization and human disturbance is unclear. This research aimed to study the relationship between ecological characteristics of the common reed and environmental factors along an urbanized river. The 40 sampling plots along the Shonai River that run across the urban and suburban areas of central Japan were investigated. The distribution of common reed was investigated in six plant community types with different species composition. We found that common reed with a dominant stand tends to distributed in the riparian habitats that close to the river while far from roads. Our results showed that the soil properties such as electrical conductivity, and pH were negatively related to the colonization of common reed. Among the anthropogenic factors, the percentage of impervious surface and distance to the road had a negative correlation with the coverage and biomass of common reed. These results suggested that the negative effects of anthropogenic impacts on the ecology of common reed, and appropriate management should be conducted to maintain the sustainability in riparian areas.
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