Abstract: Riparian vegetation buffer zone is the ecotone between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, which has unique spatial structure and ecological service functions, being a research hotspot in ecological and environmental sciences. In this paper, the researches on the ecosystem structure of the riparian zone and its main ecological service functions in biodiversity conservation and non-point nitrogen pollution prevention were summarized and analyzed. Owing to the complicated structure, multiple interference factors, and high spatial-temporal heterogeneity of the riparian zone, more theoretical and case studies are needed to improve the scientific management of riparian ecosystem. It was prospected from the viewpoints of ecosystem ecology and landscape ecology that further researches in the following fields would be made: (1) effects of human disturbances such as the spatiotemporal change of land use on the biodiversity and eco-environment in the riparian zone, (2) effects of different riparian vegetation buffer zones and regional environmental characteristics on the purification mechanisms and control processes of non-point nitrogen pollution, and (3) development of ecosystem management models adaptive to our regional and environmental characteristics, and quantitative study of dynamic changes in riparian ecosystem structure, process, and function as well as their relationships with and impact mechanisms of human disturbances, based on the small-scale and long-term observation in fixed location and mechanism study and on the comprehensive usage of mathematical methods, remote sensing, and GIS, with the aim of providing scientific evidences and management policies for the sustainable development of regional economy.

Key words: Reclaimed years, Soil elements, Temporal and spatial change, Ziwuling forest area