Application of the Gini Index on the Evaluation of the Environmental Heterogeneity and Habitat Suitability Index for Larval Gobies

Abstract

Spatial environmental heterogeneity in the Yangtze River Estuary (YRE) is always mentioned but rarely quantified and included in the evaluation process. This study introduced the habitat suitability index evaluation model based on the Gini index (HSIgini) to evaluate the optimal ranges of suitable environmental factors for three typical estuarine gobies, i.e., Rhinogobius giurinus, Acentrogobius pflaumii, Odontamblyopus rubicundus, and their habitat quality. The evaluation was carried out based on field surveys conducted in the spring and summer of 2018–2020. The Lorentz curve and Gini index were used to evaluate the spatial environmental heterogeneities in the YRE. The spatial heterogeneity of environmental factors in the Yangtze Estuary ranged from 0.62 to 0.05, with the highest Gini index for salinity and the lowest for temperature. The combination of environmental factors had significant spatial effects on habitat, with temperature showing mainly seasonal effects. The study indicated that the YRE is a good habitat for gobies and that there is spatial and seasonal differentiation in the habitats of different species, greatly reducing interspecific competition. Environmental heterogeneity is important for biological processes and should be incorporated into the modeling of bio–environmental relationships in future research to provide a basis for environmental and biological conservation and management.