7. Human Settlement, Inhabitation, and Travel Environment Studies in Water-Net Region

A water-net is a network of rivers, lakes, ports, or ditches crisscrossing each other. morphological classification of typical water-net areas: natural morphological classes include dendritic, trellis, radial, and annular; unnatural morphological species, such as the Amsterdam area water-net, Shunde Sankey fish pond, etc. Main issues in water-net region include the degradation and shrinking of waters. Human settlement activities in water-net region are divided into three categories: living activities, production activities, and spiritual activities. The impact of human construction on the ecological environment of the water network is manifold, from the state of harmonious coexistence between people and water in the early stage of urban formation, to the pollution and destruction in the industrial period, and then to the restoration and reuse in the post-industrial period. The construction activities of human beings have affected the water quality environment, species richness and species habitats of the river network to different degrees.