Protect wetlands

Wetlands are one of the most important environmental capitals of mankind. They are also ecosystems rich in biodiversity and high productivity in nature.

On January 13, 2014, China included wetland protection work in the performance evaluation of party committees and governments at all levels

Important significance

It not only has rich resources , as well as huge environmental regulation functions and ecological benefits. Various types of wetlands play an important role in providing water resources, regulating climate, conserving water sources, homogenizing floods, promoting siltation and land creation, degrading pollutants, protecting biological diversity, and providing production and living resources for humans.

⑴Ecological benefits of wetlands

Maintain biological diversity. Wetland biodiversity plays a very important role. Wetlands are extremely rich in wild animals and plants, many of which are rare and endemic species. It is an important area rich in biodiversity and a habitat and breeding ground for endangered birds, migratory birds and other wild animals. Among more than 40 species of birds under first-level national protection, about 1/2 live in wetlands. China is one of the countries with the richest wetland biodiversity. There are 57 endangered bird species in Asia, and 31 species have been found in China's wetlands. There are 15 species of cranes in the world, and 9 species are in China's wetlands. Many wetlands in China are habitats for rare waterfowl and fish of international significance. The natural wetland environment provides abundant food and good living and breeding space for birds and fish, and plays an important role in species preservation and protection of species diversity. . Wetlands are important genetic gene banks, which are of great significance for maintaining the survival of wild species populations and for selecting and improving species with commercial significance. China has used wild rice hybrids to cultivate new rice varieties, which have the characteristics of high yield, high quality, and disease resistance, and have produced huge benefits in improving grain production.

Regulate floods and prevent natural disasters. Wetlands play an important role in controlling floods and regulating water flow. Wetlands play an important role in water storage, regulating river runoff, recharging groundwater and maintaining regional water balance. Wetlands are natural "sponges" for water storage and flood prevention. The seasonal and annual distribution of precipitation in our country is uneven. Through the regulation of natural and artificial wetlands, excess water from rainfall and rivers can be stored to avoid flood disasters and ensure a stable supply of water for industrial and agricultural production. Many lakes such as Dongting Lake, Poyang Lake, and Taihu Lake in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River once played a water storage function and prevented countless floods; many reservoirs played a huge role in flood control and drought relief. Many wetlands along the coast resist the impact of waves and tides, preventing wind and waves from eroding the coast. Research data from the Chinese Academy of Sciences shows that the swamp wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain store 3.84 billion cubic meters of water. Due to the regulating effect of the large floodplain wetlands in the upper reaches of the Naoli River, the flood peak in the lower reaches can be reduced by 50%. In addition, evaporation from wetlands creates rainfall in nearby areas, stabilizing regional climate conditions and regulating regional climate.

Degrade pollutants. As industrial and agricultural production and other human activities as well as natural processes such as runoff bring pesticides, industrial pollutants, and toxic substances into wetlands, the biological and chemical processes of wetlands can degrade and transform toxic substances, benefiting local and downstream areas.

⑵ Economic benefits of wetlands

Provide rich animal and plant products. China's fish production and rice production both rank first in the world; lotus roots, lotus root, water chestnuts, gorgon ginseng, and some fish, shrimp, shellfish, algae, etc. provided by the wetlands are nutritious non-staple foods; some wetland animals and plants can also be used as medicine ; Many animals and plants are also important raw materials for the development of light industry, such as reed, which is an important raw material for papermaking; the use of wetland animal and plant resources also indirectly drives the development of the processing industry; China's agriculture, fishery, animal husbandry and sideline production have played a significant role in Depend on the natural resources provided by wetlands.

Provide water resources. Water is an indispensable ecological factor for human beings, and wetlands are the main source of water for human development, industrial and agricultural production and urban living water. Our country's numerous swamps, rivers, lakes and reservoirs play a huge role in conveying, storing and supplying water.

Provide mineral resources. There are various mineral sand and salt resources in the wetland. The alkaline lakes and salt lakes in China's Qinghai-Tibet, Mongolia and Xinjiang regions are relatively concentrated, with a complete range of salt types and huge reserves.

The salt lake not only contains a large amount of common salts such as table salt, Glauber's salt, trona, and gypsum, but is also rich in various rare elements such as boron and lithium. Most of China's important oil fields are located in wetland areas. The development and utilization of underground oil and gas resources in wetlands is of great significance to the national economy.

Energy and water transport. Wetlands can provide a variety of energy sources. Hydropower plays an important role in China's power supply. Hydropower reserves rank first in the world, reaching 680 million kilowatts, and have huge development potential. There are many estuaries and harbors along the coast of my country, which contain huge tidal energy. Peat is extracted directly from the wetland for burning, and the forest and grass in the wetland are used as fuelwood, which is an important source of energy in the rural areas surrounding the wetland. Wetlands have important water transportation value, and the rapid economic development of coastal and riverine areas has largely benefited from this. China has approximately 100,000 kilometers of inland waterways, and inland water transport accounts for approximately 30% of the freight volume.

⑶ Social benefits of wetlands

Sightseeing and tourism. Wetlands have aesthetic functions such as natural sightseeing, tourism, and entertainment. Many important tourist attractions in China are located in wetland areas. The coastal beaches and seawater are important tourism resources, and there are also many lakes that attract people because of their spectacular natural scenery and have been developed as tourist and health resorts. Dianchi Lake, Taihu Lake, Erhai Lake, Hangzhou West Lake, etc. are all famous scenic spots. In addition to creating direct economic benefits, they also have important cultural value. In particular, water bodies in cities have important social benefits in beautifying the environment, regulating climate, and providing recreational space for residents.

Educational and scientific research value. Wetland ecosystems, diverse animal and plant communities, endangered species, etc. all play an important role in scientific research. They provide objects, materials, and experimental bases for education and scientific research. Some wetlands retain information on past and present biological and geographical evolution processes, which are of great value in studying environmental evolution and paleogeography

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How to protect and utilize foreign countries Wetlands

From old industrial areas to urban wetland paradise

One of the British experiences in wetland protection and utilization is to transform abandoned old industrial areas near cities into wetland parks.

The London Wetland Center is the world's first wetland park built in the center of a metropolitan area. It is only a 25-minute drive from Buckingham Palace. Few people know that this area was once just four abandoned reservoirs. During the construction of the London Wetland Center, local people always held on to their concerns. With the awareness that a wetland is an ecosystem, the establishment and operation of an ecosystem takes a certain amount of time and cannot be rushed. Therefore, this wetland park was not opened to the public until 8 years after its completion. During this period, scientific and technological personnel regularly monitored the recovery status of organisms. Until here, there are abundant water plants and luxuriant trees.

Today, it has become the largest urban artificial wetland system in Europe, with more than 300,000 aquatic plants and more than 30,000 different trees planted, inhabiting and migrating all year round. More than 180 species of birds pass by.

Scientific management promotes healthy development of wetlands

While protecting wetlands, how can we not only generate certain economic benefits but also carry out scientific research? Japan’s approach in this regard is worth learning from

The first is to strictly control the number of tourists. In order to avoid human activities having a major impact on the wetland, once tourists approach or reach the preset number of people, the wetland park will no longer let them in; secondly, Focusing on education and entertainment, many animal models in the wetland park are carved from cork. This reduces production costs and does not harm the animals. The park also sells cork for tourists to make small animal models by themselves; the third is reasonable design Park Facilities Hokkaido Wetland Park has designed a route for tourists to see the most scenery, determined the best viewing time, and provided a large amount of information for tourists to access. The staff estimated the walking distance when tourists feel tired, and set up just the right pavilions for rest. When tourists sit down and take a look, they will find that there are some small pictures and information about wetland animals and plants next to them. After the trip, the tourists had a great time and learned happily.

Wetland Scenic Area It should also become a good scientific research base. Japan's Huahu Wetland Reserve has been observing migratory birds for many years. From the day the first bird flew in until the last bird left, it was recorded that the staff were still within two kilometers of the reserve. A large number of cameras are set up, and the lens can be zoomed in at any time when needed, which facilitates close observation by scientific researchers or tourists without disturbing the birds.

Improve wetland protection awareness in practice

Not disturbing small animals is one of the requirements for studying and viewing wetland organisms. In wetland parks in some European and American countries, you can often see parents telling their children to be quiet because the little bird next to them is sleeping. In return, the park A special area will also be opened for tourists to get close contact with wetland animals and plants.

Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota, USA. The city has a famous wildlife refuge, which attracts a large number of animals every year. Tourists, especially primary and secondary school students, can personally use small nets and other tools to catch fish, shrimps and insects, observe under a microscope and learn relevant biological knowledge; in the experience area of ??Lake Biwa Wetland Park in Japan, tourists can reach into the pool Adults and children rolled up their sleeves and joined in to touch fish and pinch sea cucumbers, having a great time; at the Wetland Experimental School in Ansan City, South Korea, students can pedal water by themselves to pump water into the sunbathing pond. Salt, sun-dried salt can be taken away by students from the tidal flats near the school. The staff also planted various common plants in wetlands for students to identify

Regional linkage *** to jointly protect wetland resources

A considerable part of wetland resources spans multiple countries and regions. Therefore, regional linkage and cooperation have become inevitable choices for protecting wetlands and other ecological environments. The migration of bar-tailed godwits is a successful example.

Every year in late March, more than 5 million bar-tailed godwits depart from New Zealand in the southern hemisphere and fly non-stop to tidal flats in countries such as China, North Korea and Japan in the northern hemisphere. They rest here for about 5 weeks and then continue. Flying to Alaska in the United States to breed offspring, and then flying back to New Zealand, this journey of more than 350,000 kilometers spans 22 countries and regions. Only when these countries and regions work together can this migration be completed smoothly.

To this end, Australia and Japan fund seminars every year for countries along the way to exchange data and share information. The United States has also equipped some birds with small satellite tracking devices worth US$5,000.

, and used 3 satellites for full monitoring, and the data obtained were provided free of charge to relevant organizations in these 22 countries and regions. More importantly, each country and region is trying its best to protect the wetlands along the way, and it is not easy to develop these wetlands that may only be used by a small amount in a year. The birds have been using the wetlands for several weeks, and everyone knows that once a wetland along the way is damaged, the journey across 22 countries and regions will no longer be possible. In a sense, protecting wetlands means protecting ourselves as humans. In today's China, wetland protection faces severe challenges due to its huge population, rapid economic growth, and limited land resources. This requires people from all walks of life to work together and participate in protecting wetlands to achieve the country’s sustainable development strategy