Sustainable Wetland Management Using the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework as a Guide in the Sierra Leone Case

The Sustainable Wetland Management adopted for this study depicts that, the identification of drivers and impacts is needed first, in other to get a clearer roadmap, after which the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework would come into play to serve as a pathway for Sustainability. The study evaluates how Sierra Leone might implement the Framework’s proposed strategies in National Wetland Management. As a result, the research tried to thoroughly examine the factors that contribute to wetland degradation as well as the effects they have on the people who live nearby. The purposive sampling method was used to administer 385 structured questionnaires to inhabitants. The data was then processed in an Excel spreadsheet. Microsoft Publisher was used to draw the framework and a descriptive analysis was done. Results indicated that;the majority of the inhabitants of Aberdeen Creek are traders/self-employed, furthermore, the majority chose the place because it’s less expensive and nearer to the workplace, settlement expansion and pollution are the two most common degrading activities, while flooding and health-related issues are some of the consequences, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is regarded to be a perfect tool for wetland management. It was concluded that to accomplish the objectives in the framework, it is necessary to have both political and social will. Satellite data and water quality research are further needed to validate the report.

Research on Wetland Restoration Technology and Design in Resource-exhausted Areas

Due to the lack of restrictions on the exploitation and use of coal mine resources in early China,many wetland lakes were formed because of the changes in geological structure and groundwater overflows,which seriously damaged the land for production and construction.At present,the research on the key technologies and landscape design of water ecosystems and wetland repair in subsidence areas is still insufficient.By analyzing the current situation of thePan'an Lake Wetland,this paper focuses on the strategies of wetland repair and landscape design in this resource-exhausted area.Further,it discusses the enlightenment of these strategies for transforming and planning similar areas in China.

Application of Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Design Concept in Hong Kong Wetland Park

Wetland park has become an important content of urban landscape design in China, and it is urgent to explore the ways of ensuring scientifi c planning and design and successful implementation of the planning and design in the preparatory stage and the late habitat management and monitoring stage. Taking Hong Kong Wetland Park for example, this paper reviewed the successful design concepts and scientifi c management practices on the basis of sorting out its planning, construction, management and monitoring experience, to provide useful references for the planning, design and management of wetland park in other regions.

Value Assessment of the Lake Honghu Wetland and Protection of Its Biodiversity

A wetland ecosystem's value may be considered as the value derived from its natural resources, the value derived from its eco-environment, the value for special protection and values in cultural, research and educational aspects. Lake Honghu, in the heartland of Hubei Province, covers a vast but shallow body of water and surrounding marshlands. It is conducive to farmland irrigation, flooding regulation, adjustment of the local climate and self-purification of the water quality. Because of its benign functions, the native ecosystem of the lake is ecologically sound, and the thriving wildlife in its ecosystem makes it a primordial pool of biodiversity. Besides, it is possible to transform it into a national base for environmental education and an R&D center for freshwater organisms, so that it can play a constructive role in heightening the public's awareness of environmental protection.

Plant Diversity Performance After Natural Restoration in Reclaimed Deyeuxia angustifolia Wetland

Deyeuxia angustifolia wetlands were widely distributed in the Sanjiang Plain in Northeast China. Due to strong demand for food production, large-area wetlands were reclaimed to farmlands, which threatened regional ecological security greatly. Since the 21 th century, returning farmlands to wetlands was widely adopted for natural restoration in the Sangjiang Plain. As the first reflection of wetland restoration, vegetation succession of restored D. angustifolia wetlands should be fully assessed. In this study, vegetation investigation was carried out in three restored D. angustifolia wetlands with 5, 8 and 12 yr restoration, respectively. Meanwhile, a natural D. angustifolia wetland was selected as reference wetland. Results showed that community composition changed greatly and there was visible community succession. Community dominant species changed from composite to gramineae as restoration time increasing.At first, weeds community appeared in the restored wetlands, especially the xerophytes developed to the pioneer species rapidly. And then, mesophytes and wetland species became the dominant species in the restored wetlands. Finally, wetland species, especially D. angustifolia, occupied the dominant position of restored community. Shannon-wiener index(H) and Simpson index(D) both decreased to close to natural D. angustifolia wetlands. Compared with natural D. angustifolia wetland, species composition and diversity in restored wetlands were more complex and higher. As restoration time increasing, there were not significant differences between community characteristics of restored wetlands and natural wetland. All these suggested that vegetation in reclaimed D. angustifolia wetland could be restored naturally, but its restored period is 10 yr at least. From another angle, it is important to protect current natural wetlands.

Causes of Wetland Degradation and Ecological Restoration in the Yellow River Delta Region

Yellow River delta （YRD） is one of the biggest deltas that there is a large area of wetland in the world. Thanks to soil （sands） sediment carried by the Yellow River, there was averagely the newly formed land 21.3 km^2 in YRD. During the development of petroleum industry and urban expansion, wetlands were degraded due to population growth, irrational land use, in addition to adverse natural eco-environment such as lower precipitation, higher soil evaporation and soil salinazation. The major ecological measures to restore degraded wetland concerned with ensuring water supply, especially establishing perfect irrigation works; protecting virgin plant communities and assisting them to regenerate by the way of site preparation, improving living surroundings; introducing salt-tolerant plants to increase vegetation species and plant coverage, thereby enhancing the capability of wetland to combat contamination and pollution through plant remediation, uptake, absorption, etc. Finally making a comprehensive land use plan, accordingly removing deleterious facilities.

STUDY ON WETLAND BIODIVERSITY IN CHINA

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Estimation on wetland loss and its restoration potential in Modern Yellow River Delta,Shandong Province of China

Wetland is one of the most important ecosystems with varied functions and structures,and its loss has been a major issue.Wetland loss in Modem Yellow River Delta(MYRD) becomes a serious environmental problem,so its restoration attracts a great deal of attention from academia and governments.This article proposes a GIS-based multi-criteria comprehensive evaluation methodology for potential estimation of wetland restoration,using MYRD as an example.The model uses four kinds of data(hydrology,terrain,soil,and land use) and could be adapted by planners for use in identifying the suitability of locations as wetland mitigation sites at any site or region.In the application of the model in the MYRD,the research developed a lost wetland distributed map taking the better wetland situation of 1995 as the reference,and elevated the overall distribution trends of wetland restoration potential based on wetland polygon.The results indicated that the total area of wetland loss from 1995 to 2014 was 568.12 km^2,which includes 188.83 km^2 natural wetland and 21.80 km^2 artificial wetland,respectively.The areas of lost wetland with low,middle,and high resilience ability are 126.82 km^2,259.92 km^2,and 119.59 km^2,occupying 25.05%,51.33%,and 23.62%,respectively.The high-restoration-potential wetland included98.47 km^2 of natural wetland and 21.12 km^2 of artificial wetland,which are mainly bush,reed,and ponds.The highrestoration-potential wetland is mainly distributed in the vicinity of Gudong oil field,the Yellow River Delta protected areas,and the eastern sides of Kenli county and Dongying city.

Butterfly Assemblages of Two Wetlands: Response of Biodiversity to Different Environmental Stressors in Sierra Leone

In a bid to enhance the integrity and health of selected network of ecosystems and effectively manage them in Sierra Leone, a baseline assessment of butterfly diversity of two wetland ecosystems Mamunta Mayosso Wildlife Santuary (MMWS) and Sierra Leone River Estuary (SLRE) affected by different environmental stressors was undertaken as part of the Sierra Leone Wetland Conservation Project (SLWCP). We hypothesised that different environmental stressors affect butterfly communities in wetlands in Sierra Leone and the higher the stress the lower the butterfly diversity in an area. Sampling was conducted via field identification by wing patterns, flight mode, direct counts along transects and charaxes trapping. A total of 2300 individuals representing 95 species of butterflies were recorded. Though butterflies were evenly distributed at both sites, MMWS recorded the highest richness and abundance of butterflies during both seasons. This observation is reported to be because of high environmental stressors such as mining, agriculture and pollution from factories in the SLRE. The results further show that MMWS is made up of a mosaic of different vegetation patches that support higher diversity of butterfly species. This study also reveals that anthropogenic activities have a negative impact on butterfly diversity.

Characterization of Springtime Coliform Populations at the End Creek Wetland Restoration (Union Co., Oregon, USA): A Three-Year Study

In 2005, a 550-acre tract of agricultural land containing two small streams near La Grande, Oregon was registered in the U.S. Federal Wetlands Reserve Program. This designation was part of a plan to reclaim and restore the wetland to its natural state. Initial efforts at the End Creek Restoration Project restored both End Creek and South Fork Willow Creek to a natural course through rechanneling, and several plantings had restored some of the native flora. Since its establishment, the End Creek streams and floodplain have become a reserve for summer steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a threatened anadromous salmonid, and many migratory birds. The threatened Columbia Spotted Frog has also established itself in some of the ponds. As part of an effort to establish a baseline for water quality, we monitored total springtime coliform and fecal coliform bacteria in three of the End Creek ponds for three years. The results of this study indicate that, throughout any given spring, the numbers of both coliform and fecal coliform bacteria can fluctuate markedly among ponds on any given day, and that in any particular pond the numbers fluctuate from week to week. In addition, our analysis suggests that in early spring, the numbers of these organisms also fluctuate from year to year. The causes of these fluctuations are not well understood, but are expected to reflect both springtime flooding and the migrations of source animals such as waterfowl and cervids. Information gathered from this study will help inform future management activities on the wetland.

Impacts of Ecological Restoration and Human Activities on Habitat of Overwintering Migratory Birds in the Wetland of Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Province, China

Increasing human activities have contributed to global climate change, and thus resulted in a downward trend in the number of species and population sizes of migratory birds. This trend is closely related to a reduction in habitat size and lower habitat quality. The Poyang Lake wetland in China constitutes one of Asia's largest overwintering habitats for migratory birds. Over the past 10 years, restoration projects have improved the habitat ecology of these wetlands. In this study, we assessed the changes in habitat quality for overwintering migratory birds from 2000 to 2012 near two villages in the Poyang Lake wetland using the In VEST model. Average habitat quality for migratory birds has been improved by 18.8% and47.7%. Differences in the degrees of habitat improvement can be attributed to differences in the change of habitat size and in the impact of threat sources that resulted from the combined effects of restoration and human activities in these two villages.

Studies on Wetland Biodiversity in China

This paper briefly summarizes the history of wetland research, the evolvement of wetland science, and their impacts on the understanding of wetland biodiversity in China. A marsh is the key type and basic component of a wetland. Defining the marsh and wetland plants is the basis for understanding the wetland and its biodiversity. The comprehensive multiple factorial classification principles and the multiple developmental models of the wetland are two innovative feats achieved by Chinese scientists, and their application has further promoted ecological research. The CAS Wetland Research Center has made historic contributions to the study of the wetland and its biodiversity in China. Also, the paper discusses several important tasks of wetland and biodiversity research.

Research Status and Development Trend of Coastal Wetland Ecological Restoration

In recent years,with the influenced by both man-made and natural factors.coastal wetlands sharp decline in the area,lack of resources,biological diversity declined,and the ecosystem function damaged.Through on current issues such as pollution and destruction of coastal wetlands analysis of coastal wetlands in research conducted a review and prospect of ecological restoration.So the protection and restoration of coastal wetlands should be brook no delay.The article based on the current pollution and destruction of the coastal wetlands analyses,and reviewed the current effective measures to restore coastal wetlands mainly in china and abroad.

Mangrove wetlands distribution status identification, changing trend analyzation and carbon storage assessment of China

This research investigates the ecological importance,changes,and status of mangrove wetlands along China’s coastline.Visual interpretation,geological surveys,and ISO clustering unsupervised classification methods are employed to interpret mangrove distribution from remote sensing images from 2021,utilizing ArcGIS software platform.Furthermore,the carbon storage capacity of mangrove wetlands is quantified using the carbon storage module of InVEST model.Results show that the mangrove wetlands in China covered an area of 278.85 km2 in 2021,predominantly distributed in Hainan,Guangxi,Guangdong,Fujian,Zhejiang,Taiwan,Hong Kong,and Macao.The total carbon storage is assessed at 2.11×10^(6) t,with specific regional data provided.Trends since the 1950s reveal periods of increase,decrease,sharp decrease,and slight-steady increases in mangrove areas in China.An important finding is the predominant replacement of natural coastlines adjacent to mangrove wetlands by artificial ones,highlighting the need for creating suitable spaces for mangrove restoration.This study is poised to guide future mangroverelated investigations and conservation strategies.

Isotopic evidence for soil water sources and reciprocal movement in a semi-arid degraded wetland:Implications for wetland restoration

Understanding water dynamics is a prerequisite for the restoration of degraded ecosystems in arid and semiarid regions.In this study,we carried out δD and δ^(18)O analyses of precipitation,unsaturated soil water,overland flow,surface runoff,and groundwater samples from a seasonally flooded wetland in the Momoge National Nature Reserve of the Songnen Plain,Northeast China,to identify the water sources and understand the mechanisms of unsaturated soil water movement.Unsaturated soil water content(W/W%)at every 20 cm along with a soil profile(0–100 cm)was collected during the growing season,and the HYDRUS-1D model was used to simulate temporal-spatial variations.The results showed that the local meteoric water line(δD=5.90δ18O-7.34,R2=0.95)had a smaller slope and intercept than the global meteoric water line because of strong evaporation at our study site under semi-arid climate.The groundwater was partly recharged by local precipitation via overland flow and unsaturated soil water infiltration.Unsaturated soil water was sourced from both precipitation and groundwater with variations at different depths.The upper soil layer at 0–15 cm was mainly sourced from limited precipitation,while the groundwater could move up to a 25 cm layer during the dry period.The unsaturated soil water content increased with soil depth in the top 40 cm,decreased at depths of 40 to 80 cm,and increased again at depths of 80 to 100 cm.The HYDRUS-1D model could simulate the unsaturated soil water dynamics well in the upper(0–40 cm)and lower(80–100 cm)sections,but poorly for depths of 40–80 cm due to the upward and downward flow.The bidirectional unsaturated soil water movement highlights the importance of capillary groundwater for wetland plants with similar climatic or hydrogeological conditions.

The Influence of Induced Drought Stress on Germination of Cenchrus ciliaris L.and Cenchrus setigerus Vahl.:Implications for Rangeland Restoration in the Arid Desert Environment of Kuwait

Drought impacts in arid desert ecosystems can result in decreased ecosystem productivity and biodiversity.Imple­mentation of restoration projects in arid desert environments is largely dependent on water availability and soil mois­ture condition.This study investigated the influence of induced drought stress by using polyethylene glycol(PEG-6000)solution on germination viz.Cenchrus ciliaris and Cenchrus setigerus as the important rangeland species.The water stress potential treatments were 0(control),-0.5 MPa,-1.0 MPa,-1.5 MPa,and-2.0 MPa.The extent of seed germi­nation was severely affected by decreased water stress potential.As drought increased,the percentage of germination decreased in both Cenchrus’species.The water deficit at-0.5 MPa showed a significant(P<0.001)reduction in the final germination percentage in the case of C.setigerus and C.ciliaris by 65%and 42.5%,respectively.At-1.0 MPa to-1.5 MPa,changes in intermediate germination were observed in C.ciliaris(from 35%to 17.5%,respectively)and C.setigerus(from 22.5%to 11.25%respectively).Higher levels of water stress(-2.0 MPa)prevented the survival of both species.Understanding the germination strategies of native desert plant species associated with drought stress and identifying favorable conditions during the germination process can be useful for restoration practices and rangeland management actions to improve desert ecosystems and maintain biodiversity.

Restoration of Damaged Ecosystem Services on Wetlands in Northern Part of the Volga-Akhtuba Floodplain (Russia)

Due to the regulation of the river Volga flow, expanding of the territories intended for construction and development of agriculture wetlands Volga-Akhtuba floodplain are being significantly transformed and are losing many of their qualities. Non-regulated loads lead to the break of natural physical and chemical characteristics of water bodies, loss of biodiversity, degradation of structure and functions of biological communities and, as a result, to decreasing of potential ecosystem services. Restoration of the lost qualities of water ecosystems is a key factor in increasing sustainability of reclaimed landscapes and creating comfortable conditions for living of locals and their economic activity. On the territory of the biosphere reserve “Nature park” “Volga-Akhtuba floodplain” a number of model sites were defined in order for research projects and practical work on restoration of degraded landscapes to be executed. The widest range of the lost ecosystem qualities is being restored during work on Lake Zapornoye. Restoration of ecosystem functions is being implemented according to the main economic activities carried out in this area. Ecosystem services of the area are specified in accordance with its functional purpose. The existing landscape and ecology conditions have been studied and estimated to see if the planned ecosystem services can be provided. The project suggests the following activities: restoration of hydro-morphological characteristics, reconstruction of habitats for biodiversity and their ecosystem services, improvement to restore and preserve recreational qualities of landscape. The project includes the monitoring the effectiveness of restoration. Monitoring program is based on indices of environmental assessment.

Restoration and Rational Use of Degraded Saline Reed Wetlands:A Case Study in Western Songnen Plain, China

The protection, restoration and sustainable use are key issues of all the wetlands worldwide. Ecological, agronomic, and engineering techniques have been integrated in the development of a structurally sound, ecologically beneficial engineering restoration method for restoring and utilizing a degraded saline wetland in the western Songnen Plain of China. Hydrological restoration was performed by developing a system of biannual irrigation and drainage using civil engineering measures to bring wetlands into contact with river water and improve the irrigation and drainage system in the wetlands. Agronomic measures such as plowing the reed fields, reed rhizome transplantation, and fertilization were used to restore the reed vegetation. Biological measures, including the release of crab and fish fry and natural proliferation, were used to restore the aquatic communities. The results of the restoration were clear and positive. By the year 2009, the reed yield had increased by 20.9 times. Remarkable ecological benefits occurred simultaneously. Vegetation primary-production capacity increased, local climate regulation and water purification enhanced, and biodiversity increased. This demonstration of engineering techniques illustrates the basic route for the restoration of degraded wetlands, that the biodiversity should be reconstructed by the comprehensive application of engineering, biological, and agronomic measures based on habitat restoration under the guidance of process-oriented strategies. The complex ecological system including reeds, fish and crabs is based on the biological principles of coexistence and material recycling and provides a reasonable ecological engineering model suitable for the sustainable utilization of degraded saline reed wetlands.

Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentrations and Stoichiometries Across a Chronosequence of Restored Inland Soda Saline-Alkali Wetlands, Western Songnen Plain, Northeast China

Soil carbon(C), nitrogen(N) and phosphorus(P) concentrations and stoichiometries can be used to evaluate the success indicators to the effects of wetland restoration and reflect ecosystem function. Restoration of inland soda saline-alkali wetlands is widespread, however, the soil nutrition changes that follow restoration are unclear. We quantified the recovery trajectories of soil physicochemical properties, including soil organic carbon(SOC), total nitrogen(TN), and total phosphorus(TP) pools, for a chronosequence of three restored wetlands(7 yr, 12 yr and 21 yr) and compared these properties to those of degraded and natural wetlands in the western Songnen Plain, Northeast China. Wetland degradation lead to the loss of soil nutrients. Relative to natural wetlands, the mean reductions of in SOC, TN, and TP concentrations were 89.6%, 65.5% and 52.5%, respectively. Nutrients recovered as years passed after restoration. The SOC, TN, and TP concentrations increased by 2.36 times, 1.15 times, and 0.83 times, respectively in degraded wetlands that had been restored for 21 yr, but remained 29.2%, 17.3%, and 12.8% lower, respectively, than those in natural wetlands. The soil C∶N(RC N), C∶P(R CP), and N∶P(R NP) ratios increased from 5.92 to 8.81, 45.36 to 79.19, and 7.67 to 8.71, respectively in the wetland that had been restored for 12 yr. These results were similar to those from the natural wetland and the wetland that had been restored for 21 yr(P > 0.05). Soil nutrients changes occurred mainly in the upper layers(≤ 30 cm), and no significant differences were found in deeper soils(> 30 cm). Based on this, we inferred that it would take at least 34 yr for SOC, TN, and TP concentrations and 12 yr for RC N, R CP, and RN P in the top soils of degraded wetlands to recover to levels of natural wetlands. Soil salinity negatively influenced SOC(r =-0.704, P < 0.01), TN(r =-0.722, P < 0.01), and TP(r =-0.882, P < 0.01) concentrations during wetland restoration, which indicates that reducing salinity is beneficial to SOC, TN, and TP recovery. Moreover, plants were an important source of soil nutrients and vegetation restoration was conducive to soil nutrient accumulation. In brief, wetland restoration increased the accumulation of soil biogenic elements, which indicated that positive ecosystem functions changes had occurred.

Soil fauna diversity at different stages of reed restoration in a lakeshore wetland at Lake Taihu,China

Introduction:Wetland soil fauna support material cycling and restoration processes in wetland ecosystems.In our study,we observed variations in wetland soil fauna on the shores of Lake Taihu,China.We examined the relationships between fauna and major environmental factors,and looked at the short-and long-term changes in reed wetlands under restoration and in the natural reed lakeshore.Outcomes:We identified 93 groups of soil fauna in different wetlands and found significant differences in the lakeshore wetlands’soil fauna assemblages,depending on the length of the restoration period.By analyzing the soil fauna community evenness,dominance,number of taxa,and diversity,we found minimal seasonal variation in the soil fauna community diversity and abundance.The abundance of soil fauna in the sites under restoration decreased with depth below the soil surface.The reed restoration was obvious in the succession of the soil fauna groups in the long-term site.Although the restoration had an overall positive long-term effect on the soil fauna communities,there were no obvious short-term changes in the number of individuals.Conclusion:The study explored various potential measures to restore soil fauna in the Lake Taihu wetland and developed a theoretical basis for restoring the lakeshore wetland ecosystem.