Assessing,with limited resources,the ecological outcomes of wetland restoration: a South African case

Resources for evaluating the ecological outcomes of ecosystem restoration projects are often limited, especially within government‐funded programs. In order to rapidly assess the ecological outcomes of wetland restoration, an improved approach has been developed, which was applied in the assessment of the ecological outcomes at nine restoration sites of South Africa's Working for Wetlands program. The sites encompass a diversity of restoration problems and land use contexts. The approach begins by distinguishing hydrogeomorphic (HGM) units, for which ecological condition is assessed and reported for hydrology, geomorphology, and vegetation pre‐ and post‐restoration. These three components are closely linked but, as demonstrated at some of the sites, may respond differentially to restoration interventions. For most HGM units, overall ecological condition was improved by between 10 and 30%, with the greatest contribution of restoration generally being to the hydrology component. Having determined the integrity and costs of the interventions, cost‐effectiveness is then reported in South African Rands per hectare equivalent restored, which was found to vary by more than an order of magnitude across the HGM units assessed. Cost‐effectiveness must be interpreted in the light of the long‐term integrity of the interventions, the site's landscape context, and the contribution of restoration to ecosystem services provision. Some sites may be considerably less cost‐effective than others, but the cost may nonetheless be justified if the sites make key contributions to ecosystem services provision. The study was conducted in the context of a formative evaluation and the findings are envisaged to improve wetland restoration practice.     

The classification of wetlands: integration of top-down and bottom-up approaches and their significance for ecosystem service determination

The typology of wetlands provides important information for both water resource managers and conservation planners. One of the most important aims of allocating wetlands to a certain type or class is to provide information about the ecosystem services that the wetland provides. There are two main approaches towards wetland classification. Firstly, there are top-down approaches whereby wetlands are divided into several categories based on a conceptual understanding of how the wetland functions (mostly with regards to water flows). Secondly there are bottom-up approaches whereby the classification of wetlands is based on the collection of data in the wetland that is then subjected to various clustering techniques (mostly with regards to biodiversity). The most utilized system of top-down classification assigns wetlands into hydrogeomorphic units, which function as a single unit in terms of hydrology and geomorphology. This type of classification is most useful for water resource planning, as it provides information about how the wetland is connected to the drainage network and what are the water inflows, throughflows and outflows of the wetland. The bottom-up classification approach typically focusses on the classification of wetland habitats rather than complete wetlands, where wetland habitat represents a spatial unit delineated on the basis of vegetation, embedded within the (complete) hydrogeomorphic unit, and defined as an area of wetland that is homogeneous in terms of opportunities for plant growth. At a broad scale, most ecosystem services can be superficially derived from the hydrogeomorphic unit type and the way water moves through a wetland, but habitat units and the plant species that define them would have a specific effect on the delivery of ecosystem services, for example, with different assemblages providing different resistance to flow. Some types of ecosystem services are exclusively linked to specific wetland habitats, especially provisioning services. For this reason, it is proposed that a combined approach of hydrogeomorphic classification together with a vegetation map, offers the maximum information value for ecosystem service determination. In order to account for the potential pitfall of “double counting” when combining the top-down and bottom-up approaches, each service needs to be considered individually with reference to the degree to which a service is either: (a) primarily determined by HGM class/attributes and modified by the vegetation class/attributes; or (b) primarily determined by the vegetation class/attributes.     

Regional prediction of wetland degradation in South Africa

Wetland assessments in South Africa continue to be undertaken at the scale of individual wetlands, while ultimately a landscape assessment is required for broader regional planning. The aim of this research was to develop probability models of degradation per wetland type using landscape-scale predictor variables. Condition data for a total of 463 seep, floodplain and valley bottom (channelled and unchannelled) hydrogeomorphic (HGM) units was combined with data for 21 potential explanatory variables for land cover, infrastructure and catchment physiography. Multiple logistic regression models to estimate the probability of degradation per HGM type were investigated at three different spatial levels (1,000?m buffer radius; 100 and 1,000?km² scales). Models at the intermediate scale were most useful and only these are reported. Percent natural vegetation, road density, population density and altitude, together with anthropogenic land use (cultivation and forestry plantation area) were important predictors of wetland condition, and differed per HGM type. Regional patterns of degradation within quaternary catchments in KwaZulu-Natal were dissimilar for each HGM type. There is potential to refine and extend the models for application at a national level, and to predict actual condition scores using ordinal logistic regression based on larger datasets.     

黄淮海湿地生态系统服务与生物多样性保护格局的耦合性

研究生物多样性格局与生态系统服务格局之间的空间耦合效应,探讨以生物多样性保育为核心目标的自然保护体系同时能多大程度满足对生态系统服务功能的维护和支撑,已成为自然保护领域新的热点关注问题。目前研究多限于陆域生态系统,其方法难以适用于湿地生态系统。以黄淮海湿地——这一高强度人类活动的区域为研究区,基于湿地生态系统的横向连接度、纵向连接度(2D)以及结合地下水的垂向连接度(3D),对黄淮海地区湿地具有的生态系统服务功能进行了空间评估和分析,识别出具有重要意义的生态系统服务功能区域,结合现有保护区分布情况进行空间分析,评价现有保护区对生态系统服务功能的支持程度,即生物多样性保护与生态系统服务功能重点区域的空间耦合性。研究结果表明:目前湿地保护区并未有效覆盖湿地生态系统关键区域,湿地生态系统服务关键格局也存在大量明显的保护空缺。同时,随着2D到3D延伸,保护区对生态系统服务功能的支持程度也稍有提高,这与系统保护规划中选择不同保护目标后保护规划格局发生变化的情况类似,而生态系统服务功能的"热点地区"(重要区域)与保护生物学中所指的物种保护的热点地区类似,这表明生态系统服务功能的规划和保护也可以借鉴保护生物学中系统保护规划的理论和方法,为后续研究提供参照。     

Human impacts on hydrological health and the provision of ecosystemservices: a case study of the eMthonjeni–Fairview Spring Wetland,Grahamstown, South Africa

Wetland hydrological health and the provision of indirect ecosystem services in the eMthonjeni–Fairview Spring Wetland, Grahamstown, South Africa, were assessed in 2008, using the newly developed wetland assessment tools WET-Health and WET-EcoServices. Variation in health and ecosystem services were assessed over time, based on aerial photograph interpretation and the use of the score sheets in these assessment tools. Hydrological health and indirect ecosystem services of the wetland have been altered since 1949, due to human activities both in the catchment and the wetland. The most significant human intervention on the wetland's hydrological health was the result of road construction and invasion by alien plants. Water use by local residents had an unmeasurable effect on hydrological health. Wetland health is related to the provision of wetland ecosystem services, and cumulative impacts in the catchment and wetland have reduced the provision of many indirect wetland ecosystem services.     

湿地生态系统服务价值评估的空间尺度转换研究进展

湿地生态系统服务取决于一定空间尺度中的生态系统结构和生态过程,而人类从湿地生态系统获得利益的大小也与其空间尺度有着密切联系。同时,湿地生态系统服务价值评估的空间尺度转换问题也一直是整个湿地生态学研究中的热点和难点之一。在分析湿地生态系统服务空间尺度特征的基础上,提出了湿地生态系统服务价值评估研究中空间尺度转换的概念,即是指通过一个已经有的、与被估算湿地生态系统相似的更大空间范围的或更小空间范围的另一湿地生态系统的价值来估算该湿地生态系统的价值量的过程。介绍了常用的空间尺度转换的方法,主要包括成果参照法和空间模型分析两种方法,成果参照法又包括数值直接外推法和调整函数参照法(Meta分析法)。对目前空间尺度转换研究中存在问题进行总结,并对未来的研究进行了展望。     

基于生态系统评价的山水林田湖草生态保护与修复体系构建研究——以乌梁素海流域为例

山水林田湖草系统保护与修复工程实施的重要目标是维护和提升区域生态系统服务。从乌梁素海流域山水林田湖草的生态现状与功能出发,对乌梁素海流域水土流失、土地沙化等生态敏感性及土壤保持、水源涵养、生物多样性等生态功能重要性进行系统评价,形成基于生态敏感性和生态功能重要性相结合的空间格局评价结果。以维护和提升人类福祉所需的重要生态系统服务为目标,以乌梁素海流域生态敏感性和生态功能重要性相结合的空间格局评价结果为基础,制定了“一中心、二重点、六要素、七工程”的乌梁素海山水林田湖草生态保护与修复体系,并基于此将乌梁素海流域生态保护修复分为6个主要治理区域,形成“四区、一带、一网”的生态安全格局,通过具体工程实施,流域生态环境质量和生态服务能力将取得明显提升,防风固沙能力有效增强,生物多样性持续改善,水环境质量稳定达标,生态系统的稳定性明显加强。通过乌梁素海流域的分析案例为流域山水林田湖草生态保护与修复关键区域的识别提供了定量分析方法,为流域尺度构建生态安全格局、实现山水林田湖草系统保护和修复提供思路和途径。     

Systematic planning for river rehabilitation: integrating multiple ecological and economic objectives in complex decisions

1. Owing to intensive human use, freshwaters are among the most seriously threatened and modified environments on the planet. Their poor condition and the risk to services that humans need from these ecosystems make their rehabilitation a priority. However, many previous studies have reported the poor performance of many rehabilitation activities. 2. Here, we analyse reasons for this poor performance, focussing on the planning of rehabilitation activities, and propose a new approach. We argue that the failure to include driving factors at a scale adequate to capture the ecological processes involved, together with an insufficient incorporation of socio‐economic aspects, is a key factor leading the poor performance of many rehabilitation activities. 3. We propose a new approach, ‘systematic rehabilitation planning’, that brings together advances made in conservation planning (cost‐effectiveness analysis) and ecosystem science (understanding the complexity of ecosystem processes). This enables planning to be done at the catchment scale, and the trade‐offs between various rehabilitation actions to be integrated and prioritised. 4. Finally, it is important, given the constraints imposed by a lack of knowledge, that the planning process is part of an adaptive cycle where it can benefit from and consolidate the experience gained during the implementation and monitoring stages.     

Developing an index of wetland condition from ecological data: An example using HGM functional variables from the Nanticoke watershed,USA

Demand for data on the ecological condition of wetlands is increasing as state and federal management programs recognize its value in reporting on the ambient condition of the resource, targeting restoration and protection efforts, evaluating the effects of mitigation and restoration practices, supporting regulatory decisions, and tracking the impact of land use decisions. We developed an approach for generating a single measure of wetland condition from ecological variables used in hydrogeomorphic (HGM) assessment. An Index of Wetland Condition (IWC) was developed from HGM field data collected to assess freshwater, non-tidal flat, riverine, and depression wetlands in the Nanticoke River watershed. The HGM variables were screened and scored based on a range check, responsiveness, and metric redundancy, employing a method used to develop indices of biotic integrity. Weights of the individual variables were adjusted to reflect our understanding of wetland ecology and to include variables that represented the vegetation, hydrology, and buffer of a wetland. The final IWC score discriminated high, medium, and low site disturbance classes in flat and riverine wetlands and high and low disturbance classes in depressions, one-way ANOVA F-values ranged from 44.5 to 79.1 (all p <0.0001). The combination of the IWC and HGM assessments provides a comprehensive evaluation of the wetland resource. HGM produces information on specific wetland functions. The IWC concisely conveys the ecological condition of the resource and maximizes the utility of the data collected in an HGM assessment.     

石羊河流域生态系统服务权衡与协同关系研究

生态系统服务权衡与协同研究是国际生态学、地理学等学科研究的热点。以石羊河流域为研究区,借助In VEST模型,对流域2005、2010和2015年的水源涵养、土壤保持、水质净化、碳储存和生物多样性五项服务进行精准测度,分析服务的时空格局及演变特征,并利用相关系数法逐像元定量计算5种服务之间的权衡与协同关系,从不同尺度分析权衡与协同关系的空间格局特征。结果表明:(1)各项服务具有空间异质性:水源涵养、土壤保持、碳储存、生物多样性呈"西南高-东北低"的空间格局,且水质净化、碳储存服务的高值区沿河流分布。(2) 10年期间,水源涵养、水质净化、碳储存、生物多样性服务呈现"整体增加-局部减少"的变化趋势,而土壤保持呈"整体减少-局部增加"的变化特征。(3)多种服务之间权衡与协同关系具有区域依赖特征:水源涵养与土壤保持、水源涵养与水质净化、水质净化与碳储存、水质净化与生物多样性、土壤保持与碳储存、土壤保持与生物多样性以权衡关系为主;水源涵养与碳储存、水源涵养与生物多样性、土壤保持与水质净化、碳储存与生物多样性以协同关系为主。定量可视化评估生态系统服务及权衡关系,为制定区域发展与生态保护双赢政策提供依据,同时也为其他流域的相关研究提供可靠参考。     

湟水国家湿地公园湿地价值及其辐射格局研究

评估湿地价值量并分析价值的空间分布情况,对湿地保护管理和区域规划利用具有重要的指导意义。以青海西宁湟水湿地公园为研究区,构建一套适合高原城市湿地的生态系统服务评价体系,采用功能价值法和断裂点模型法,分析公园的湿地价值及其辐射格局特征。结果表明:(1) 2020年湟水国家湿地公园的15项生态系统服务的总价值为6.18亿元,四大服务价值量按照价值高低排序依次为文化服务、调节服务、支持服务和供给服务;(2) 5个评价区中,湟水主河道的价值最高,其次为北川湿地和海湖湿地,最后是火烧沟公园和宁湖湿地;(3) 5大湿地区生态系统服务的辐射范围由大到小依次为:宁湖湿地>北川湿地>湟水主河道>海湖湿地>火烧沟公园;对湿地服务辐射范围叠加处理后,形成1个核心区和5个次核心区域;(4)湟水国家湿地公园的生态系统服务存在空间溢出情况,湟水主河道的生态系统服务向周边湿地公园溢出,其他四个湿地区之间生态系统服务存在相互溢出和叠加的现象。     

Spatial modelling of agrarian subsidy payments as an input for evaluating changes of ecosystem services

The only constant in landscapes is change. Among other influences, such as climate change, these changes are driven by political decisions affecting ecosystem services. The overall research objective is to define how the European Union's political strategies implemented through Rural Development Programmes and the Common Agricultural Policy might influence or change ecosystem goods and services in the future. This paper aims at outlining the research framework and especially focuses on spatially explicit modelling the distribution of subsidy cash flows on farm and parcel level. Experiments with changing political strategies and incentive payments were carried out in the Mondsee catchment (Austria) using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The results were visualised and show the dominant (inter-)national and regional funding programmes of this area. They further display the likely effects of changing political strategies on the monetary value of certain parcels and the overall farm–parcel balance. The validation of an aggregated set of funding measures reveals 15% deviation between the model framework and real subsidy payments. This approach is suitable for both (a) estimating the impact of changed funding strategies at EU level and (b) supporting farmers in identifying the best economic income sources on parcel and farm level. Embedded in the overall research objective the results constitute the basis for opening a discussion on how ecosystem services might change with political intervention strategies in rural areas and resulting landscape changes in the future.     

Planning for the recovery of Lake Toolibin,Western Australia

Lake Toolibin, an intermittently flooded freshwater wetland in the southwest of Western Australia, is threatened by salinization due to extensive clearing within its catchment. The lake is a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention because of the extensive stands of trees on the lake bed and its significance as a waterbird breeding site. Past research and monitoring have identified the causes of wetland vegetation and water quality decline and this information has been used to design a Recovery Plan for the lake. The plan is currently in the early stages of implementation and includes both short-term engineering measures to reduce salinity within the lake and long-term rehabilitation measures within the catchment. Community involvement in the recovery process is an integral part of the plan and ensures that recovery of the lake remains as the focus for ongoing catchment rehabilitation.     

基于SD模型的上海市湿地生态系统服务变化过程与情景研究

湿地是上海市城市生态系统的重要组成部分,但其面积在过去几十年间显著减少,影响了城市生态系统服务的供给。通过构建系统动力学模型模拟上海市湿地生态系统服务变化的过程与未来情景。研究表明:(1)该模型有效且具有实际仿真的可操作性,并可根据政策要求设定参数,对上海市湿地生态系统服务价值的变化进行模拟与预测,结果可为上海市制定湿地保护或生态规划政策提供可行性分析。(2)对4种不同"湿地面积增长率"的情景进行模拟,结果显示了未来经济以不同增速条件发展时湿地生态系统服务价值的变化:无论哪种情景,文化服务价值最高,占总价值的64%以上,且在研究时段内呈增长趋势;调节服务价值次之,呈增长趋势;供给服务价值最低,呈下降趋势。(3)到2025年,按照现行的政策,上海市湿地面积将减少至37.92×10~4hm~2,届时湿地生态系统服务价值为4711.56×10~8元,占上海市国内生产总值的20%,人均1.95×10~4元。     

基于生态系统服务视角的山水林田湖草生态保护与修复——以洞庭湖流域为例

山水林田湖草系统保护与修复的重要目标是维护和提升区域生态系统服务。基于山水林田湖草生命共同体理念,以维护和提升人类福祉所需的重要生态系统服务为目标,提出生态系统服务视角下的山水林田湖草系统治理框架,以实现流域生态系统整体保护、质量提升和格局优化。基于该框架,以洞庭湖流域为例,通过流域生态系统格局、生态系统质量状况分析、流域生态系统服务重要性评估和生态问题识别,构建流域生态安全格局,为实现可持续的山水林田湖草生命共同体提出系统保护与修复布局建议。通过洞庭湖流域的分析案例为流域山水林田湖草生态保护与修复重要区域的识别提供了可借鉴的指标和定量分析方法,为流域尺度构建生态安全格局、实现山水林田湖草系统保护和修复提供思路和途径。     

黄淮海地区跨流域湿地生态系统保护网络体系优化

运用系统保护规划方法,以集水区为保护规划单元,综合考虑三维(3D)连接性(横向、纵向、垂向)和跨流域调水工程,通过不可替代性分析和保护空缺识别,对黄淮海地区跨流域湿地生态系统保护网络体系优化进行研究,并通过与已有保护体系对比,评估了优化体系的效用.结果表明： 依据不可替代性大小和连接性原则,湿地保护空缺可分为优先保护空缺和一般保护空缺;黄淮海地区湿地生态系统保护体系经过优化后,湿地保护状况整体上有较大改观,其中所有湿地类型受保护比重由初始的20%左右增长到46.8%,且各湿地类型保护状况都有不同程度的改善,优化体系中的受保护比重大多在40%以上.无论是从近期还是长远来看,湖泊湿地保护都应给予较多关注.生态系统服务价值和生物多样性相整合、保护和恢复相结合是未来湿地生态系统保护规划研究中应关注的方面.     

中国内陆湿地生态系统服务价值评估——以71个湿地案例点为数据源

湿地生态系统为人类生存和发展提供了多种服务功能,不仅包括水资源、水产品等直接输出功能,还包括调蓄洪水、净化水质、调节大气成分等调节服务功能和文化服务功能。通过对已经发表湿地生态系统服务功能价值评价相关的文献进行搜集和整理,得到全国71个湿地案例点的价值评价数据,在此基础上对湿地生态系统各项服务功能在全国各区域的生态系统价值量进行对比分析。全国湿地价值评价结果显示,按照各项服务功能按照价值量高低排序依次为调节气候调蓄洪水涵养水源净化水质保持土壤产品输出固碳释氧生物栖息地旅游休闲科研教育。在对全国湿地进行分区分析得知,东北平原及山区、东部地区和青藏高原地区在各项调节、供给服务功能方面发挥着显著的积极作用,这3个区域同时也是我国湿地的密集分布区。结合不同地理分区下的湿地生态系统服务功能价值量特点,可以实现区域发展与湿地生态环境研究的协同发展,并能够为湿地的保护和建设起到科学、合理的参考方案。     

基于选择实验的三江平原湿地生态系统服务功能价值评价及偏好异质性研究

维持与保护生态系统服务功能是实现可持续发展的基础,定量评价湿地生态系统服务功能的经济价值已成为当前生态学领域研究的前沿课题。以三江平原湿地为研究对象,应用选择实验法,选取湿地面积、生物多样性、水源涵养和自然景观等4项湿地属性,运用随机参数Logit模型(RPL)对其进行货币化评价,并结合潜在分类模型(LCM)证实并解释公众对湿地生态系统服务功能的偏好异质性。研究结果显示:湿地生态系统服务功能的价值依次为水源涵养湿地面积生物多样性自然景观。对于维持当前各项湿地生态系统服务功能的总价值为14.61亿元/a,改善价值为98.58亿元/a。此外,研究发现受访者可分为资源偏好型、景观偏好型和价格敏感型等3个潜在类别,不同类型的群体对湿地生态系统服务功能存在不同偏好;女性和更高学历的受访者更偏好于资源保护,高收入和到景区旅游次数多的受访者更偏好于景观保护,而教育和收入水平越低的受访者更倾向于选择价格较低的湿地管理方案。研究有助于湿地可持续管理政策的优化设计,为相关环境政策的制定提供理论依据。