What factor is suggested as having provided a buffer for the American species that the Chinese species lacked?

Answer

The expansive, relatively interconnected nature of the Mississippi system

The American Paddlefish benefitted from the expansive, relatively interconnected nature of the Mississippi system, which allowed populations to persist across a wider geographic area, offering a buffer against localized collapse.

What factor is suggested as having provided a buffer for the American species that the Chinese species lacked?
speciesanimalComparisonfishpaddlefish