The ecology of The Netherlands wetlands: characteristics,threats, prospects and perspectives for ecological research

Wetlands are among the worlds' most important, but also most threatened, environmental resources. Wetland losses have been in progress particularly from the industrial revolution onwards, because wetland functions could not successfully compete for space with other land uses. Wetlands became recently foci of conservation efforts because of the increased awareness of their importance in water management and wildlife conservation, and because of the diversity of their habitats. The Netherlands are relatively rich in wetlands: 16% of its' territory is regarded as internationally important wetland and 7% has been registered as such. The major Dutch wetland types are: coastal ecosystems, large riverine systems, base-rich freshwater systems, and nutrient-poor freshwater systems. Most threats to the Dutch wetlands are of man-made origin. They comprise: (1) Changes in hydrology leading to changed discharges, currents and desiccation; (2) Acidification; (3) Eutrophication; and (4) Toxification. Long-term threats are largely climate-change related, and concern temperature rise and the UV-B increase in irradiation. General conservation goals also apply to wetlands but Ramsar-registered wetlands have a special status. Conservation of the Dutch wetlands is difficult, because of the high population density of the country and its inherent threats. However, ecological targets and standards are increasingly set in national Policy Plans and international agreements. Rehabilitation and creation of wetlands is presently widely advocated, and sometimes realised. For ecological research, the sustainability of wetlands should get top priority. Such a research programme would focus on understanding the underlying ecological processes in natural and man-dominated wetland systems to prescribe conservation, rehabilitation and management strategies that would enhance the sustainability of these systems. Within this framework special attention should be directed to studies (1) At the ecosystem level of ecosystem parameters, of which natural oscillations and trends in time, and on which the impact of disturbances are quantified. Particularly these studies, in which often simulation models are used as tools for interpretation, can provide the basis for extrapolations in space and time; (2) On adaptation capacity and mechanisms of (groups of) species to extreme environmental conditions; (3) On (mutual) relationships between plants, animals and microorganisms (e.g. competition, grazing and mineralization); (4) On dispersion between small wetlands. For the contemporary quantitative assessment of the long-term effects of climate changes, the effects of temperature rise and increase in UV-B irradiation on individual species, communities and ecosystems should also be studied.     

Exploring the forms of wetland modifications and investigating the causes in lower Atreyee river floodplain area

The current study focuses on the various kinds of external and interior hydrological and morphological modifications of wetlands in the lower Atreyee river basin of India and Bangladesh. The relevant eight diverse causes were carefully investigated adopting various approaches such as consistency scaling, change detection, landscape fragmentation, and 2D floodplain modelling. As per the results, only 274.79 km² (2019) of wetland area is now available. A total of 650.04 km² of wetland area has been changed to other land uses in last 30 years and 106.97 km² of consistent wetland area has been turned into inconsistent. Reduction of the depth of water (77.09%) can be easily identified by NDWI intensity. Integrated large core wetlands have become fragmented into small patches increasing edge area ratio. Agricultural and built-up area expansions have been identified as the most important causes contributing to wetland conversion. According to the findings, 292.51 km² of wetlands have been replaced by agricultural land, with an additional 99.44 km² taken up by built-up area. Besides that, the construction of a dam across the Atreyee river has decreased maximum and average flow by 37% and 66.86%, respectively, which in turn has reduced overall flood frequency and the lateral flood extent of inundation areas (1627.3 km² or 15.97%). As a result, 231.23 km² wetland area in stress state is now left beyond the present active flood limit. Disconnection of drainage networks, groundwater-lowering, embankment of rivers, extension of infrastructure etc. are some of the other crucial causes of wetland transformation and loss. This study will undoubtedly be beneficial to decision-makers in their efforts to take a significant step towards conserving the wetland landscape, as well as to environmental preservation.     

Application of frequency ratio and logistic regression models for assessing physical wetland vulnerability in Punarbhaba river basin of Indo-Bangladesh

Growingly scarce ecologically viable flood plain wetland of the Punarbhaba river basin is further endangered due to flow modification through Komardanga dam. This work intends to discover physical vulnerability of the wetlands in Punarbhaba river basin of Indo-Bangladesh considering seven conditioning parameters, e.g., water presence frequency (WPF) map, flood inundation map, frequency of pixel being non-permanent, agriculture presence frequency (APF) map, fragmentation of wetland, normalized differentiation built up index (NDBI), and wetland changes (WC). Frequency Ratio and Logistic Regression models have been used for deriving the vulnerability of wetland for both pre (1988–1992) and post dam (1993–2016) periods. From computed FR models it is exhibited that out of the total wetland area (194.81 km²), 5.88% and 2.92% area are high and very highly vulnerable in pre-dam period but such vulnerable area is increased to 33.45% and 23.10% in post-dam state (total wetland: 126.11 km²). LR models also state that in pre-dam period, high and very high vulnerable wetland area were 5.02% and 3.82% (total wetland: 194.79 km²) and it is enhanced to 28.94% and 24.49% in post-dam state (total wetland: 126.11 km²). Extensions of agricultural land, squeezing of active flood plain, lowering flood frequency are dominant determinants for growing wetland vulnerability.     

Carbon stocks,sequestration, and emissions of wetlands in south eastern Australia

Nontidal wetlands are estimated to contribute significantly to the soil carbon pool across the globe. However, our understanding of the occurrence and variability of carbon storage between wetland types and across regions represents a major impediment to the ability of nations to include wetlands in greenhouse gas inventories and carbon offset initiatives. We performed a large‐scale survey of nontidal wetland soil carbon stocks and accretion rates from the state of Victoria in south‐eastern Australia—a region spanning 237,000 km² and containing >35,000 temperate, alpine, and semi‐arid wetlands. From an analysis of >1,600 samples across 103 wetlands, we found that alpine wetlands had the highest carbon stocks (290 ± 180 Mg C_org ha^?1), while permanent open freshwater wetlands and saline wetlands had the lowest carbon stocks (110 ± 120 and 60 ± 50 Mg C_org ha^?1, respectively). Permanent open freshwater sites sequestered on average three times more carbon per year over the last century than shallow freshwater marshes (2.50 ± 0.44 and 0.79 ± 0.45 Mg C_org ha^?1 year^?1, respectively). Using this data, we estimate that wetlands in Victoria have a soil carbon stock in the upper 1 m of 68 million tons of C_org, with an annual soil carbon sequestration rate of 3 million tons of CO₂ eq. year^?1—equivalent to the annual emissions of about 3% of the state's population. Since European settlement (~1834), drainage and loss of 260,530 ha of wetlands may have released between 20 and 75 million tons CO₂ equivalents (based on 27%–90% of soil carbon converted to CO₂). Overall, we show that despite substantial spatial variability within wetland types, some wetland types differ in their carbon stocks and sequestration rates. The duration of water inundation, plant community composition, and allochthonous carbon inputs likely play an important role in influencing variation in carbon storage.     

白洋淀流域湿地连通性研究

湿地在流域防洪减灾、水资源调节、缓解环境污染、保护生物多样性和维持区域生态环境方面具有重要功能和价值。作为我国北方平原湿地系统之一,白洋淀流域湿地对于保障雄安新区的水资源安全和良好生态环境等方面具有关键性作用。了解目前白洋淀流域湿地生态系统的现状对于新区建设和未来科学规划也具有重要意义。以2017年9月欧空局提供的10米分辨率的Sentinel-2B影像为主要数据源,并结合谷歌地球高分辨率卫星影像(分辨率0.23m),通过人工目视解译和机器自动分类等多种方式,绘制了白洋淀流域最新的湿地生态系统网络分布图;在此基础上,利用地理信息系统分析了白洋淀流域湿地的连通性(包括水文连通性和景观连通性)。结果显示:(1)2017年白洋淀流域湿地面积为4596.6km~2,包括沼泽、洪泛区、沟渠、湖泊、河流,主要分布在坡度为0°至2°,海拔在100m以下的平坦地区;而流域内非湿地面积约86%,以耕地和林地为主。(2)2017年白洋淀流域河道长度为2440km,面积为514 km~2,其中山区河道177 km~2,平原河道337 km~2。河道内耕地面积比例达27%,建设用地比例约为8%,河道占用明显。河道两侧1km、2km和3km距离范围内耕地比例分别占61.77%、62.53%、62.63%。随着距离的扩大,湿地面积减少,非湿地面积增加。(3)由于人类活动的直接和间接影响,河道的水文连通性下降,与河道没有受到干扰时的连通性水平相比,减少了三分之一。(4)从景观格局指数SPLIT和DIVISION指示的流域湿地连通性看,景观级别上流域内自然湿地的景观连通性最差,人工湿地次之。在类型级别上沼泽类型的连通性最差,河流、沟渠与洪泛区湿地类型的连通性较好,湖泊的景观连通性最好。为保障白洋淀流域水安全,以流域湿地网络为整体,恢复和增强流域湿地网络连通性,将有效提高雄安新区水资源安全和生态环境保护的能力。     

时空变化视角下北京市湿地优先保护格局

气候变化通过改变湿地水文过程等影响湿地的空间分布,城市化进程加剧了湿地破碎化程度并导致湿地生境退化,构建连续的湿地生态保护网络体系有利于应对气候变化和城市发展带来的负面影响、提高生物多样性保护水平。北京市现有湿地空间分布呈现斑块面积小、破碎化程度高等特点,为优化湿地保护区格局并应对气候变化和城市发展对北京市湿地生物多样性的影响,基于系统保护规划方法,以Marxan作为空间优化模型,结合PLUS模型和MaxEnt模型,模拟预测北京市湿地优先保护格局、识别湿地保护空缺并构建湿地分级保护区格局。研究表明:2020年北京市湿地存在80.15km²的保护空缺、2035年和2050年优化后湿地保护区占比分别为87.54%和85.95%,在满足本研究预设的生物多样性保护目标的前提下符合北京市湿地保护规划对湿地保护率的要求。为最优化资源分配,综合时空变化对湿地保护区空间分布的影响,构建了湿地分级保护区格局,将湿地保护区分为湿地永久保护区、湿地一级临时保护区和湿地二级临时保护区三个等级,以期为北京市分期建设湿地保护区、优化湿地生态保护网络体系和保护湿地生物多样性提供依据。     

雄安新区白洋淀生态属性辨析及生态修复保护研究

湿地是自然界生物多样性最丰富的生态系统之一,与社会发展和人类福祉息息相关。近年来,由于全球气候变化和人类活动的过度干扰,湿地正面临着面积萎缩、功能减弱、多样性降低等诸多问题,湿地退化已经成为制约区域可持续性发展的重大阻碍。伴随着生态文明建设逐渐成为中国特色社会主义建设的重要支柱,湿地生态修复工作得到前所未有的制度保障。深入剖析湿地属性,结合政策保障,有针对性的提出湿地保护与修复的治理措施,对区域的生态环境建设和可持续性发展具有重要意义。选择国家级新区-雄安新区的水命脉-白洋淀湿地为研究对象,在深入剖析其生态属性和已存在的生态问题的基础上,结合生态修复的原则、方法和步骤,提出生态修复与保护的可行性策略。研究结果表明,白洋淀本质是典型的湖泊湿地,同时兼具沼泽湿地特征,由于人类活动的剧烈干扰,白洋淀有向沼泽湿地逆向演替的变化趋势。湿地内存在面积萎缩、水资源量短缺、水环境污染问题突出及生物多样性减少等生态问题。本研究建议:为顺利建设雄安新区,首先,白洋淀湿地在算清"水账"、"污账"和"生态账"的前提下,进一步加强流域水资源调配,科学确定白洋淀湿地最佳水位,恢复淀区水量;其次,通过使用清洁生产技术和限制高排污企业建设等措施,加强污染防治,恢复湿地水质;最后,依据生态承载力理论,划分白洋淀流域的生态功能红线、环境质量红线和资源利用红线等国家生态保护红线体系,为尽快恢复湿地结构与功能提供制度保障。     

我国湿地生态状况评价研究进展

从湿地生态状况评价定义、国际重要湿地和全国重点湿地生态状况和主要评价方法等方面研究综述了我国湿地生态状况评价。对全国1413处湿地生态状况的研究显示,国际重要湿地生态状况总体较好,重点湿地生态状况较差,生态状况差有341处,占24.85%,并系统分析了各类湿地生态状况评价的方法、内容和结果。认为湿地生态状况评价是满足湿地保护管理需求的一项基本技术研究工作,开展湿地生态状况评价可以从不同空间、时间尺度反映湿地生态变化趋势,满足湿地生态系统保护修复的管理要求,并揭示各生态因子的内在关系,是提高湿地的保护、管理和合理开发的重要技术手段。最后分析了当前湿地生态状况评价所面临的难点,并提出了相关对策建议。     

Distribution of waterfowl in the wetland of Northern Nigeria

Agbelusi, E.A. & Afolayan, T.A. 2000. Distribution of waterfowl in the wetland of Northern Nigeria. Ostrich 71 (1 & 2): 73.

Nigeria with a land area of 923 850 km² has approximately 24 000 km² of wetland. These wetlands are scattered all over the country and include the man-made lakes. The wetlands of northern Nigeria are important breeding sites for Afrotropical duck and also serve as the winter refuge for Palearctic birds from Europe. About 13 sites have been identified as the actual habitat and concentration points for waterfowl in the wetlands of northern Nigeria. Among these areas, the Hadeija-Nguru wetland represents one of the most productive and ecologically significant wetlands in Nigeria. This area supports about 58 000 waterbirds, belonging to about 376 species, which consist mostly of Palearctic and Afrotropical migratory birds. Some of the important bird species that are associated with the wetland of northern Nigeria are Black Crowned Crane, Pintail, White Pelican, White-faced Tree Duck, Knob-billed Goose, Spur-winged Goose, Gull-billed Tern and Saddle-billed Stork. The paper also discusses the management implications for waterfowl conservation and tourism in Nigeria.     

Rapid range expansion of the invasive quagga mussel in relation to zebra mussel presence in The Netherlands and Western Europe

Since its appearance in 2006 in a freshwater section of the Rhine–Meuse estuary (Hollandsch Diep, The Netherlands), the non-indigenous quagga mussel has displayed a rapid range expansion in Western Europe. However, an overview characterising the spread and impacts of the quagga mussel in this area is currently lacking. A literature study, supplemented with field data, was performed to gather all available data and information relating to quagga mussel dispersal. Dispersal characteristics were analysed for rate and direction and in relation to hydrological connectivity and dispersal vectors. To determine ranges of conditions suitable for quagga mussel colonisation, physico-chemical characteristics of their habitats were analysed. After its initial arrival in the freshwater section of the Rhine-Meuse estuary and River Danube, the quagga mussel demonstrated a rapid and continued range expansion in Western Europe. Quagga mussels have extended their non-native range to the network of major waterways in The Netherlands and in an upstream direction in the River Rhine (Germany), its tributaries (rivers Main and Moselle) and the River Meuse (Belgium and France). The calculated average quagga mussel dispersal rate in Europe was 120 km year^?1 (range 23–383 km year^?1). Hydrological connectivity is important in determining the speed with which colonisation occurs. Dispersal to water bodies disconnected from the freshwater network requires the presence of a suitable vector e.g. pleasure boats transferred over land. Upstream dispersal is primarily human mediated through the attachment of mussels to watercraft. The relative abundance of quagga mussel to zebra mussel has greatly increased in a number of areas sampled in the major Dutch rivers and lakes and the rivers Main and Rhine and the Rhine–Danube Canal leading to a dominance shift from zebra mussels to quagga mussels. However, evidence for displacement of the zebra mussel is limited due to the lack of temporal trends relating to the overall density of zebra and quagga mussel.     

嫩江流域湿地生态需水量分析与预估

探讨了嫩江流域湿地生态需水量的计算方法,并对流域内不同降水频率下湿地生态需水量进行了计算。在此基础上,选择CMIP全球气候模式下RCP2.6、RCP4.5和RCP8.5等3种排放情景,预测2030年、2050年和2100年嫩江流域湿地生态需水量的变化趋势。研究结果表明:不同降水频率下的流域湿地生态需水量分别为丰水年70.284亿m3,平水年118.696亿m3,枯水年169.343亿m3,反映了其与气候条件的相关性。3种排放情景下湿地生态需水量变化受到最高、最低气温和降水量变化的共同影响,其中RCP2.6情景下需水量呈先增加后减少的趋势;RCP4.5和RCP8.5情景下需水量整体呈增加趋势,到2100年分别达到147.337亿m3和132.659亿m3。气候变化条件下,如何协调水资源需求间的矛盾,维持湿地生态系统健康稳定,将是未来研究关注的重点。     

Route choices, migration speeds and daily migration activity of European silver eels Anguilla anguilla in the River Rhine, north-west Europe

Downstream migration of Anguilla anguilla silver eels was studied in the Lower Rhine, Germany, and the Rhine Delta, The Netherlands, in 2004–2006. Fish ( n = 457) released near Cologne with implanted transponders were tracked by remote telemetry at 12 fixed detection locations distributed along the different possible migration routes to the North Sea. Relatively more A. anguilla migrated via the Waal than the Nederrijn, as would be expected from the ratio of river discharges at the bifurcation point at Pannerden. Downstream migration from the release site to Rhine-Xanten, close to the German–Dutch border, generally occurred in the autumn of the year of release but migration speeds tended to be low and variable and unaffected by maturation status or river discharge rates. Detection frequencies were not significantly related to discharge peaks or lunar cycles, but there was a minor detection peak 1–6 h after sunset. Between 2004 and 2009, 43% of the 457 A. anguilla released were never detected and of the 260 detected entering the Netherlands, 83 (32%) were detected escaping to the sea, 78 (94%) via the Nieuwe Waterweg and three (4%) and two (2%) via the sluices in the Haringvlietdam and Afsluitdijk, respectively. Possible causes of non-detections are discussed and it is suggested that many A. anguilla temporarily ceased migration, but that fishing mortality could have been important during passage through the Dutch parts of the Rhine. Practical implications of the results for predicting emigration routes, timings and magnitudes and use in management initiatives to promote escapement of A. anguilla silver eels to the sea are critically discussed.     

唐古拉山以北地区生态资产核算

生态系统核算可以为生态文明建设提供定量性的决策依据,包括生态资产核算和生态系统服务核算两个方面,生态资产指生产和提供生态系统产品和服务的生态系统。以唐古拉山以北地区(简称唐北地区)为研究对象对其生态资产进行了核算,建立生态资产实物量及变化核算表、损益表,提出了生态资产综合指数。2015年唐北地区草地生态资产面积为21800.01 km²,其中良级比重最高达68.46%,湿地生态资产面积为4763.01 km²,其中优级比例最高为59.72%,野生动植物共有138种,其中重点保护动物10种。2015年唐北地区生态资产综合指数为79.77,比2000年降低了3.60%。2000—2015年,湿地、草地生态资产分别增加了164.23、2.82 km²。2000—2015年湿地生态资产存量增加202.90 km²,其中由湿地恢复导致面积增加最大为200.50 km²,存量减少38.63 km²,其中湿地退化是导致存量减少的主要原因,面积为36.23 km^...     

The choice between desiccation of wetlands or the spread of Rhine water over The Netherlands

The dry summer of 1976 triggered a wholesale installation of sprinkler systems for agriculture. This dry summer also revealed areas in The Netherlands most susceptible to drought, namely sandy regions and the coastal fringe. This resulted in distribution of Rhine water to new areas, and in quantities hitherto unknown. The Second National Water Management Plan (1982) consequently focussed on enlarging the capacity of water distribution works. This distribution has led to a multitude of ecological effects, such as changes in salinity and nutrient concentration, as well as the spreading of contaminants. Consequently, the Third National Water Management Plan (1990) includes fewer distribution works because of the adverse environmental effects and the reduced feasibility due to increasing costs and decreasing agricultural benefits.A climatic change as predicted may result in climatic conditions in The Netherlands resembling those of France or the Mediterranean, implying drier summers and more precipitation in winter. An increased frequency of dry summers will no doubt revive water distribution plans now shelved and may even bring new ones to the drawing board. An increase in Rhine water distribution will have serious consequences for many aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, as will a lowering of the groundwater table. In this paper we will discuss the dilemma of choosing between allowing increased desiccation of wetlands as the climate becomes drier or increasing the distribution of Rhinewater and the potential ecological effects of these choices. Alternative strategies to water management also are discussed.This article is largely based on Duel et al. 1989.     

Do biodiversity patterns in Dutch wetland complexes relate to variation in urbanisation,intensity of agricultural land use or fragmentation?

Red list species densities of birds (maximally 22 km⁻²), and angiosperms (maximally 39 km⁻²) were used as biodiversity indicators in 21 larger complexes of wetlands across the Netherlands. Their covariability with a range of indicators of human land use was assessed, including population, road and visitor density, area covered by agriculture, open water, forest and residential housing. Data were collected on the wetland complexes as well as for a perimeter with 10 km radius. In a principal components analysis (PCA) with all land use variables, it was found that the population-density-related complex of urbanisation, fragmentation (by roads), and intensity of fertilizer use together explained most of the variability present (i.e. the first PCA axis explained 50%), whilst land use within these complexes was second with an additional 19% and waterside recreation third with 12%. Red list bird species density did not correlate with that of angiosperms, nor with any of the indicators used. For the 13 complexes on organic peatland, we observed an increase in maximum red list angiosperm species density with the proportion of open marshland (P < 0.01, r ² > 0.55), which, in turn, was negatively and closely correlated with the first PCA axis reflecting an urbanisation gradient across the Netherlands.     

Nutrient cycling and foodwebs in Dutch estuaries

In this review several aspects of the functioning of the Dutch estuaries (Ems-Dollard, Wadden Sea, Oosterschelde, Westerschelde, Grevelingen and Veerse Meer) have been compared. A number of large European rivers (especially Rhine) have a prevailing influence on the nutrient cycling of most Dutch estuaries. Owing to the increased loading of the estuaries with nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, effects of eutrophication on the biological communities could be demonstrated, mainly in the western Wadden Sea. The causality, however, of the relation between increased nutrient loading and increased biomass and production of primary producers in the turbid tidal Dutch ecosystems is questioned. The most obvious biological effects of eutrophication have been observed in a non-tidal brackish lagoon, Veerse Meer. The estuarine food web received major attention. Budget studies of the main primary producers revealed a dominance of phytoplankton in all Dutch estuaries, followed by microphytobenthos in the tidal systems and macrophytes in the lagoons. The quantitative distribution of primary producers and primary and secondary consumers shows remarkable similarities along the physical and chemical estuarine gradients, notwithstanding the large variability in space and the considerable inconstancy over time. Among the secondary consumers (waterfowl, marine fish, larger invertebrates) the levels of organic carbon consumption — expressed in g C m⁻² y⁻¹ — are almost the same, when tidal estuaries are compared with non-tidal lagoons, notwithstanding the fact that the consumer populations show large qualitative differences. The transfer from primary consumers to secondary consumers reveals a bottle neck: especially during late winter, when macrozoobenthos reaches its lowest biomass, food may be a serious limiting resource for large numbers of migratory waders foraging on the intertidal flats. The consequences of the Deltaplan, the closure of several estuaries in the southwest of the Netherlands and their subsequent transfer into non-tidal lagoons, offer complicated case studies of ecosystem changes. Several examples of long-term trends in ecosystem development in Grevelingen lagoon have been discussed.     

Urban expansion and wetland shrinkage estimation using a GIS-based model in the East Kolkata Wetland,India

The usefulness and need for wetland ecosystems are in general, manifold. Nonetheless, their current situation in many parts of the world is truly a matter of concern, both in terms of biodiversity as well as human well-being. While policy development and decision-making are vital, there is also a great need to understand the wetlands transition process, taking into account measures for their conservation. In an attempt towards such an understanding, this study analyses the eco-social transformation of the East Kolkata Wetland (EKW). As a primary step to examine the patterns and drivers of wetland change in the EKW, land cover changes have been quantified. In addition, the significance of the driving factors has been adjudged and modelled using Wetland Shrinkage Monitoring (WSM) model. The outcome shows that wetland shrinkage largely determined by proximity forces of urban growth. While the Markov transition indicates that 46% out of 38 km² wetland tends to alter to other classes, wetland transition 2025 points out that almost 9 km² area is at critical risk. In addition to these findings, the study ascertains that a decent functioning of the local authorities and a comprehensive land use planning are indispensable to curb wetland degradation.     

1973-2013年黄河三角洲湿地景观演变驱动力

1973-2013年间,日益加剧的人类活动和愈发严峻的自然环境对黄河三角洲湿地景观形成巨大威胁。人与自然双重影响下黄河三角洲湿地发生了怎样的变化,哪些因素、多大程度上导致了这种变化的发生,科学解答这些问题对于加强黄河三角洲湿地保护具有重要意义。以Landsat卫星1973-2013年40a的9期影像为数据源,利用人工目视解译方法构建研究区景观数据库,在分析研究区景观特征的基础上,通过主客观相结合的方法,构建了能够反映黄河三角洲地区景观湿地化和人工化状态的表面湿地-人工状态指数(SWCSI)。结合黄河入海水沙、区域降水以及地方生产总值(GDP)、水产品产量和原盐产量,分别从区域尺度和像元尺度上,定量分析了过去40年黄河三角洲湿地景观演变的驱动力及其空间差异。研究表明:(1)过去40年来,黄河三角洲自然湿地面积不断萎缩,人工湿地增加,湿地总面积减小,黄河三角洲整体上呈现出人工化或湿地退化趋势,同时也存在明显的空间异质性:滨海地区以人工化和湿地退化趋势为主,黄河入海口地区以湿地化趋势为主,中西部和西南部传统农耕区基本无变化。(2)黄河三角洲湿地景观的人工化或湿地退化趋势是过去40年来黄河水沙减少、人类活动加剧共同作用的结果。区域尺度上,人类社会经济活动对黄河三角洲湿地景观演变起主导作用,黄河径流量和输沙量的作用明显弱于社会经济因素。像元尺度上,驱动因素的空间异质性是导致黄河三角洲湿地景观演变空间异质性的原因。湿地的发展主要归因于自然因素,以黄河水沙作用最为关键;湿地的人工化或退化过程以人类社会经济活动的强制改造为主导,但是否伴随黄河水沙变化的潜在影响,对特定区域而言应是确定的,但仍很难从像元尺度进行量化。     

Net landscape carbon balance of a tropical savanna: Relative importance of fire and aquatic export in offsetting terrestrial production

The magnitude of the terrestrial carbon (C) sink may be overestimated globally due to the difficulty of accounting for all C losses across heterogeneous landscapes. More complete assessments of net landscape C balances (NLCB) are needed that integrate both emissions by fire and transfer to aquatic systems, two key loss pathways of terrestrial C. These pathways can be particularly significant in the wet–dry tropics, where fire plays a fundamental part in ecosystems and where intense rainfall and seasonal flooding can result in considerable aquatic C export (ΣF_aq). Here, we determined the NLCB of a lowland catchment (~140 km²) in tropical Australia over 2 years by evaluating net terrestrial productivity (NEP), fire‐related C emissions and ΣF_aq (comprising both downstream transport and gaseous evasion) for the two main landscape components, that is, savanna woodland and seasonal wetlands. We found that the catchment was a large C sink (NLCB 334 Mg C km^?2 year^?1), and that savanna and wetland areas contributed 84% and 16% to this sink, respectively. Annually, fire emissions (?56 Mg C km^?2 year^?1) and ΣF_aq (?28 Mg C km^?2 year^?1) reduced NEP by 13% and 7%, respectively. Savanna burning shifted the catchment to a net C source for several months during the dry season, while ΣF_aq significantly offset NEP during the wet season, with a disproportionate contribution by single major monsoonal events—up to 39% of annual ΣF_aq was exported in one event. We hypothesize that wetter and hotter conditions in the wet–dry tropics in the future will increase ΣF_aq and fire emissions, potentially further reducing the current C sink in the region. More long‐term studies are needed to upscale this first NLCB estimate to less productive, yet hydrologically dynamic regions of the wet–dry tropics where our result indicating a significant C sink may not hold.     

Seed Banks in Arid Wetlands with Contrasting Flooding,Salinity and Turbidity Regimes

Aquatic plant communities in arid zone wetlands underpin diverse fauna populations and ecosystem functions yet are relatively poorly known. Erratic flooding, drying, salinity and turbidity regimes contribute to habitat complexity, creating high spatial and temporal variability that supports high biodiversity. We compared seed bank density, species richness and community composition of aquatic plants (submergent, floating-leaved and emergent) among nine Australian arid zone wetlands. Germinable seed banks from wetlands within the Paroo and Bulloo River catchments were examined at nested scales (site, wetland, wetland type) using natural flooding and salinity regimes as factors with nondormant seed density and species richness as response variables. Salinity explained most of the variance in seed density (95%) and species richness (68%), with flooding accounting for 5% of variance in seed density and 32% in species richness. Salinity-flooding interactions were significant but explained only a trivial portion of the variance (<1%). Mean seed densities in wetlands ranged from 40 to 18,760 m⁻² and were highest in wetlands with intermediate levels of salinity and flooding. Variability of densities was high (CVs 0.61–2.66), particularly in saline temporary and fresh permanent wetlands. Below salinities of c. 30 g l⁻¹ TDS, seed density was negatively correlated to turbidity and connectivity. Total species richness of wetlands (6–27) was negatively correlated to salinity, pH and riverine connectivity. A total of 40 species germinated, comprising submergent (15 species), floating-leaved or amphibious (17 species), emergent (6 species) and terrestrial (6 species) groups. Charophytes were particularly important with 10 species (five Chara spp., four Nitella spp. and Lamprothamnium macropogon), accounting for 68% of total abundance. Saline temporary wetlands were dominated by Ruppia tuberosa, Lamprothamnium macropogon and Lepilaena preissii. Variable flooding and drying regimes profoundly altered water quality including salinity and turbidity, producing distinctive aquatic plant communities as reflected by their seed banks. This reinforces the importance of hydrology in shaping aquatic biological communities in arid systems.