Wetland Restoration Study in...

Institute of Wetland Research, CAF

Wetland Restoration Study in China


Contents

Characteristics of wetlands and its threatens in China National policies and plans related to wetland restoration Wetland Restoration Study: Habitat Function Restoration of the Sand Mining Area of Yanqin County, Beijng


Characteristics of wetlands in China Abundant types ■ All the types of wetlands in Ramsar Convention

can be found in China Large area ■ Total area of 38.4855 million ha (each larger than

100 ha) ■ First in Asia, forth in the world

Extensive distribution■ Cold temperate to tropical ■ Coastal to inland ■ Plain-plateau and mountain area

Many types are located in one region and one type of wetland is distributed in different regions

Plain and plateau Coastal-inland


Characteristics of wetlands in China Rich in Biodiversity ■ Higher wetland plant: 225 families, 815 genus, 2276 species ■ Wild wetland animal: 25 orders, 68 families , 724 species

• Among the 57 endangered bird species in Asia, there are 31 are found in China, accounting for 54%

• Among the 15 crane species in the world, 9 are recorded in China, accounting for 60%

• Among the 166 anatidae species in the world, 50 species are found in China, accounting for 30%

Species sort quantity of the nation

Wild plant moss 267 12.7

fern 70 2.7

gymnosperm 20 8

angiosperm 1919 76.8

Wild animal

Fish 1050 27.19

beast 31 5.9

bird 271 20.9

Reptile 122 32.3

Amphibians 300 99.3


Threatens on wetland in China Natural factors ■ Climate change

■ Natural disaster

Drought……

Earthquake, debris flow etc.……


Threatens on wetland in China Human factors ■ Development of society, growth of population, increasing

demand for resource • pollution • appropriation • excessive utilization

■ Lack of public awareness, ■ inadequate wetland management and institutional

capacity building


A series of ecological problems caused by Wetland degradation

It is estimated that 87% of the Sanjiang plain wetland has disappeared since 1950’s. 8.7 billion m3 surface water lost

(Zhang, 2006)

Changes of marsh wetlands

1950s 2000s


A series of ecological problems caused by Wetland degradation

Change of mangrove wetland


Contents

Threatens on wetland in China National policies and plans related to wetland restoration Wetland Restoration Study: Habitat Function Restoration of the Sand Mining Area of Yanqin County, Beijng


National policies and planning related to wetland restoration

Action Plan for China's Wetland Protection(2000-2020) ■ Guidance of “positive protection, scientific restoration,

reasonable utilization, sustainable development” was established.

■ By 2020, different degree of restoration on degraded wetland will be completed, a set of important wetland resource will be restored effectively.

■ Wetland restoration as the main protection action was proposed

• Degraded wetland ecosystem restoration and reestablishment research and demonstration ( project 8)

• Wetland restoration and reestablishment of lower and middle reaches of Yangtze river projection 21

National master plan for wildlife and habitat conservation ■ It was warranted in 2001 though National Planning Commission ■ Protection of natural wetlands and rely mainly on

biological measures



In June 2004, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Notice on Strengthening the Protection and Management of Wetlands", this was the first policy statement made by the Chinese Central Government on the protection of wetlands, indicating that wetland protection has been put on the national agenda ■ Wetland restoration has an important strategic position in the wetland

protection ■ Chinese strategic aim of wetlands protection is the overall maintenance

of wetland ecosystems and the ecological characteristics of the basic functions, reverse the trend of degradation and shrinkage of wetland. Implementation of key ecological restoration of degraded wetlands areas, restore the natural ecological functions of wetlands designedly.



In September 2003, the State Council gave a principled written reply regarding the "National Wetland Protection Engineering Project" (2002-2030), outlining the grand objective for wetland protection ■ By 2030 complete ecological restoration 140 104 ha

establish 53 wetland conservation and rational use of national demonstration areas, wetland ecosystem functions and benefits are fully realized, and fulfill the sustainable utilization of wetland resource.

National wetland protection project implementation plan(2005-2010) ■ Including 4 priority projects on (1)wetland protection,

(2)restoration, (3)sustainable utilization demonstration and (4) capacity building

■ Up to 2009, the central government invested 11 billion yuan actually to carry out the construction of more than 100 demonstration projects.

National wetland protection project implementation plan(2011-2015)


Contents

Characteristics of wetlands and its threatens in China National policies and plans related to wetland restoration Wetland Restoration Study: Habitat Function Restoration of the Sand Mining Area of Yanqin County, Beijng


1.Location

Location and scope of the project area 9 miles to the west of Yanqin County of Beijing Project area of 56 ha


2.Risk analysis

Site selection ■ Recommended by Beijing Forestry Bureau of Parks & Yanqin Forestry

Bureau.

Confirmation of land ownership


3.Basic ecological conditions of the project area

Yanqing County, with the average temperature of 8 degrees. Annual precipitation is 493 mm with large annual variation (274mm-747.1mm). Temperate continental monsoon climate.

Gravel soil quality, poor water-retention capacity . Human activities such as dredging, severely damaged the native vegetation, sandy soil quality and low organic matter content make it a typical degraded wetland, and have demonstration value as a wetland restoration pilot site.


3.Basic ecological conditions of the project area

Native plant communities are mainly reed, sedge communities, cattail community, Nymphoides communities, land tree species are Populus, Salix, Ulmus and other trees. Human activities such as sand slash severely damaged the vegetation, with small part of the original vegetation remained


Remaining wetland vegetation


Land cover status

Bare soil

Sand mining slash

Wetland vegetation

Open water

Terrestrial vegetation

Agricultural land

Total


Hydrological conditions

This wetland consists of a group of water bodies of different sizes, which do not connect together , water supply is mainly from natural precipitation and underground side seepage from reservoir

Water system status

Feasible


4. Analysis

Problem analysis Potential risk analysis Status analysis Feasibility : water, soil, human disturbance


4. Analysis

■ Artificial promotion and the ecological self-restoration • Habitat transformation, self-design, mainly select native species

■ From nature, beyond nature • Function optimization, landscaping, assisting update

■ Be suitable for local conditions, cost savings • Abide by the natural conditions, water storage, adaptive management

Be ecological, natural and economical


4. Analysis

Water system adjustment Base repairing Bank strengthening vegetation reconstruction adaptive management


4. Analysis

The overall objective of restoration :1, Normal ecological functions of wetlands; 2, Symbolic function selection (water bird habitat); 3,A reflection of biodiversity

Target ecosystems: 1, Plants (artificial promotion) + Animals (natural recovery) 2, Shrubs (Artificial) - Herbal (Natural) Wetland 3, Simulation of natural wetlands succession process in this area

Achieve functional restoration through structure restoration


Hydrological Connection

Techniques content ■ Small water surface enlarging ■ Small water surface connection ■ Partial deep digging ■ Partial backwater

5.Restoration Techniques



Micro-terrain reshaping

Content Shallow wetlands construction Small water surface consolidation Habitat island creation

Applications Topography transformation of degraded wetlands

Shoal wetland Construction

Small water surface regulation

Habitat island creation

Application of micro-terrain reshaping Techniques


Content Layered backfill Planting pit backfill Planting tank backfill

Applications Degraded wetlands with poor soil or lack of loamy soil.

Matrix(soil) restoration

1. Layered backfill Techniques 2. Planting pit backfill Techniques

3.Planting tank backfill Techniques

Application of Matrix(Soil) restoration Techniques



Wetland vegetation restoration

Contents Applications

Mainly used in degraded wetlands with low vegetation coverage or none vegetation area.

Small water surface vegetation restoration Large water surface vegetation restoration Restoration for vegetation exposed from beach in normal water level Restoration for vegetation below Normal water level

Waterfront vegetation restoration Buffer zone vegetation restoration slope protection vegetation restoration



Wetland vegetation planting Techniques

1. Small water surface 2.Large water surface 3. exposed beach upon the Normal water level

4. below Normal water level

4. Waterfront 5. Buffer zone 6. slope protection

Restoration Techniques

Bird food Bird hiding Bird nest


Bank slope protection

Technical contents ■ Stakes slope protection Techniques ■ Rock slope protection Techniques ■ Eco bags slope protection Techniques ■ Ecological concrete slope protection

Techniques Applications ■ Mainly used in the banks which would

be easily collapsed and impacted by water

Rock-protection

Stakes-protection

Eco-bags slope protection

Restoration Techniques


6.Monitoring

After the basic completion of restoration project, certain signs points should be set according to the monitoring requirements to regularly collect water samples and soil samples, and to monitor the effectiveness of restoration project implementation; Set a number of plots, to observe the biological diversity of wetlands, plant growth, the number of animals (including soil fauna), plant water use data, and to assess the ecological functions of vegetation. Use the removable weather station to observe the specific periods of meteorological data (including precipitation and wetland water level changes).


7.Assessments

Through the investigation of soil organic matter content in the recovery area and the contrast area in 2011, the soil organic matter content of 0-10cm is higher than that in the control area.

Depth (cm) Types Sample plots

1 2 3 4 5 6

Surface soil Contrast area* 12.85 12.73 12.12 12.84 12.47 12.82

Recovery area 13.12 13.16 13.26 13.07 13.17 13.28

0 10 Contrast area* 12.94 12.70 12.24 12.73 12.96 12.59

Recovery area 13.16 12.84 12.81 13.05 13.30 13.21

10 20 Contrast area* 13.04 12.08 12.60 12.91 13.10 12.98

Recovery area 13.04 12.87 12.63 13.06 13.14 13.28

Soil animal diversity significantly increased after the restoration

Period Samplt plots Shannon Wiener Index

H' Hmax Uniformity index(J') Dominance index D 1/D

Fall

Contrast area 0.588 0.602 0.976 0.253 3.960 Natural wetlands 0.790 1.146 0.690 0.223 4.477 Restoration area 0.718 0.954 0.752 0.218 4.579

Winter

Contrast area / / / / / Natural wetlands 0.391 0.477 0.819 0.393 2.545 Restoration area 0.359 0.602 0.596 0.560 1.786

Soil organic content significantly increased after the restoration


7.Assessments

Wetland vegetation cover: 3% 69% Water surface area: 5% 26% Plant species: 74 204 (38 kinds of aquatic plants, 90 kinds of wetland plants 90)

The kinds and quantity of wetland birds significantly increased

Chinese name Species name Protection class Before restoration

After restoration

Upupa epops

Streptopelia decaocto

Sturnus cineraceus 2 Emberiza pusilla 2 Ardea cinerea

2 Ardea alba 2 Grus grus Second-class

2 Anas platyrhynchos 2 Tadorna ferruginea

quantity of wetland birds significantly increased

2 Ardea cinerea2 Ardea alba

2 Grus grus Second-class2 Anas platyrhynchos2 Tadorna ferruginea

Vegetation cover ratio species quantity

Before After

Vegetation types and cover significantly increased after the restoration


8. Adjustment

2007.9 2009.7 2011.5 @ Google


Land cover change Area ha

2008 2012

Bare soil 15.13 10.22

Sand mining slash 10.70 2.9

Wetland vegetation 1.36 9.8

Open water 10.56 12.05

Terrestrial vegetation 11.26 14.04

Agricultural land 7.01 7.01

Total 56.02

Result


wetland landscape before and after the restoration.

2008



2008

2009



2008

2009 2010



2008

2009 2010

2011



2008

2009 2010

2011

2012


Discussion

Correctly understand the concept of wetland Scientific concept and classification of wetland

Clarify the goal of wetland restoration, wetland restoration is not simply the restoration of water surface Carefully select method of water supplement , the sustainment of wetland cannot rely on permanent carrying-water supplement The differences between wetland ecosystem restoration and city gardening Wetlands and Forests


Thanks for your attention!

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