黄河三角洲滨海湿地健康条件评价概念模型

A Conceptual Model for the Assessment of Coastal Wetlands Health in the Yellow River Delta

滨海湿地健康与生物学特征主要取决于区域上的水文与盐度体制以及景观尺度上的土地利用现状。然而,由于滨海湿地条件评价的指标和标准并不十分清楚,因此,对滨海湿地系统条件进行评价,目前仍是环境科学的难点。中国地质调查局(CGS)青岛海洋地质研究所与美国地质调查局湿地研究中心合作先后为美国密西西比河下游生态环境及中国黄河三角洲(YRD)滨海湿地评价建立了概念模型。本文将陈述YRD湿地评价的概念模型。此模型的建立在于确定滨海湿地当前的条件和随时间改善或退化的过程,以及确定优先管理的区域。CGS项目之所以选取YRD作为滨海湿地的研究对象主要是因为它具有重要的生态意义。由于上游来水减少或黄河断流,该区湿地生境十分脆弱。本文提出此概念模型可为今后湿地条件评价指标确定、调查研究活动和数据采集提供指导。通过该模型的构建,使环境变化可用具体指标来度量,从而服务于滨海湿地生态系统的保护与管理活动。

The physical and biological nature of coastal wetlands is fundamentally controlled by its hydrologic and salinity regimes and by its setting within a landscape mosaic of natural and human land uses. Assessing the health of coastal wetlands, however, remains a problem because no clear set of criteria for estimating this ecosystem. The Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology,China Geological Survey （CGS） and National wetlands research center, U.S. Geological Survey （USGS） joint great efforts to successively develop both conceptual models for coast and environmental geology in the Lower Mississippi Valley （LMV） and evaluating the health condition of coastal wetlands in Yelllow River Delta （YRD）. The later effort will be presented in this article. This conceptual model is to identify geologic or anthropogenie processes that control ecosystem structure and function and response to drivers, effectors, management, and disturbance. Thus, the evolution of this ecosystem could be monitored, and management of priorities over these newly creative lands could be advised. The reason for the QIMG of CGS to select YRD＇s wetlands as research areas both because of the importance of ecology and great stress due to the strong salinity （or lacking of fresh water） and extensive human modification to the landscape from the Yellow River. It is expected that the conceptual model will represent a framework to guide the further research activities, which include data collection, development of assessment indicators. With this model, environmental changes based on the observation of various indicators must be detectable in order to improve the management and conservation of this ecosystem.