Wetland conservation legislations:global processes and China’s practices

Natural wetland areas in China have experienced a continuous decline over the past two decades,which is partly due to the lack of comprehensive wetland protection laws and regulations.Despite investing over 4.24 billion USD in wetland conservation and restoration since 2000,the deterioration of wetlands persists.This study reviews the development of global wetland protection laws and regulations,analyzes the progress of wetland legislation in China and explores the impact of economic development levels on wetland protection legislation,while also providing an in-depth interpretation of the core elements of the‘Wetland Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China’.The results indicate that since the late 1940s,wetland protection laws and regulations have begun to emerge,with most developed countries gradually implementing related policies between the 1980s and 1990s;about 71%of wetland protection laws are concentrated in 29 countries,while 69 countries still lack specific wetland protection laws.An analysis of 962 global documents reveals that wetland protection legislation mainly focuses on the protection of water resources,species and ecosystems.China’s wetland legislation started late,with the‘Wetland Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China’being officially implemented only in June 2022.Furthermore,the study points out that economic development plays a crucial role in wetland legislation worldwide.Lastly,the article summarizes the key features of the‘Wetland Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China’,including the improvement of the environmental protection legislative system,increased penalties for illegal occupation of wetlands,clearer protection goals and the assurance of the integrity and connectivity of wetland ecosystems through stringent policies.

Perturbation and delayed recovery of the reed invertebrate assemblage in Camargue marshes sprayed with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis

Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis （Bti） is the most commonly used larvicide to control mosquitoes worldwide. Considered as nontoxic to most organisms, Bti can nevertheless cause trophic perturbations to natural communities by reducing the abundance of Chironomidae, which are a key element of wetland food webs. Since August 2006, up to 8400 of the 33 000 ha of mosquito larval biotopes in the Camargue （Rh6ne delta, in southern France）, are monitored by a public agency and Bti-sprayed （aqueous solution of VectoBac 12AS at 2.5 L/ha） whenever mosquito larvae （Ochlerotatus easpius and Oc. detritus） appeared in water bodies. This resulted in 30-50 aerial treatments/year, in addition to ground spraying of unknown frequency. The sprayed habitats include Phragmites australis reedbeds, which support a specific avifauna of conservation concern. We compared the abundance of invertebrate prey available to passerine birds at treated and control sites relative to the predicted values based on hydrology over a 9-year period. Food available to reed passerines was significantly reduced at treated areas, translating into a 34% decrease in breeding birds based on predictive modeling. The most affected arthropods were Diptera, Aranaea, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera. No cumulative effects were observed over time, but the recovery of the invertebrate assemblage after the cessation of mosquito control was delayed due to Bti spore persistence and proliferation in the sediments. While hydrology remains a prime factor influencing primary and secondary productivity of the Camargue reed marshes, Bti spraying had significant negative effects on animal communities at several trophic levels.