A better rationale for wetland management

The present US Federal wetland management strategy under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act does not account for the differences in the natural values of wetlands and their different vulnerability to development pressure. The strategy, aimed at reducing the regulatory burden, provides for different levels of wetland protection, primarily by designating certain activities in or affecting wetlands as essentially harmless, having only minor impacts even when considered for their cumulative effects. Such activities are authorized under general permits precluding any evaluation of project impacts. A sounder, yet practical, rationale for wetland management and regulatory relief should be linked to the scarcity of certain wetland habitats, the habitat diversity or carrying capacity, the degree of degradation from past development, and the incremental losses already incurred within the same wetland ecosystem. The regulatory effort should be concentrated where these characteristics indicate high-value wetlands.Wetland impacts appear to fit into five basic orders of magnitude; these pertain to the relative cost and difficulty of impact mitigation. Up to 13 ecological and public-interest variables can modify the seriousness of the basic impact. Together, the basic orders of impact and modifying variables describe the theoretical framework for wetland management. However, a practical rationale for better wetland management must be constrained to factors not requiring a field investigation in advance of project planning for construction and development.This article was produced in part from work funded by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) of the United States Congress for use in its study, Wetlands: Their Use and Regulation. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of OTA.     

榆林河流域放牧活动对围栏内外湿地水环境NP含量的影响分析

对甘肃省西北部肃北蒙古族自治县石包城乡以南约1 km处的榆林河源头东岸的湿地水环境进行调查采样,选择磷酸盐、氨氮等水质指标及水文流量进行测定分析,研究结果表明,放牧活动对湿地水环境有影响,受到保护的湿地由于放牧行为较少,没有超出湿地的承载能力,因此影响较小。     

辉河湿地国家自然保护区生态系统健康评价

在RS和GIS技术的支持下,以1975和2006年两期遥感影像为信息源,从生态系统空间范围和服务功能价值变化的角度对呼伦贝尔辉河草原湿地国家级自然保护区的生态系统健康状况进行了分析.结果表明,1975～2006年间辉河湿地自然保护区的草原和湖泊面积分别减少了7346和2731hm2,湿地和干涸湖面积分别增加了6877和2953 hm2.从自然保护区的核心——湿地生态系统的斑块格局变化来看,1975～2006年间斑块密度增加了74.48个.hm-2,斑块连通度在100～300m的阈限值范围内呈减少的趋势,平均减少0.069±0.038.基于生态系统服务价值的评价结果表明,1975～2006年间辉河湿地国家自然保护区生态系统达到健康水平以上的区域面积为323215 hm2,占保护区面积的93.31%,生态系统较差和恶劣区的面积为23177 hm2,占总面积的6.69%.研究区的总生态价值盈余为8.8×107元,其盈余主要来源于草原向湿地的转化、水体向湿地的转化及干涸湖向草原的转化.     

丹东鸭绿江口湿地自然保护区开发与保护对策

丹东鸭绿江口湿地是我国重要的滨海类型湿地之一,是丹东市重要的自然资源。通过详细地分析目前保护区开发过程中存在的问题,对丹东鸭绿江口湿地国家级自然保护区的价值进行了系统地论述,提出了保护区在保护中进行开发,在开发中寻求保护的对策。     

太平湖国家湿地公园生态保育区草本植物区系及其在不同干扰下的多样性动态

为探明人类活动对太平湖国家湿地公园生态保育区草本植物多样性的影响,对该区域草本植物区系及其在不同干扰下的多样性动态进行了调查分析。结果表明:①该区共有草本植物25科,56属,68种,以禾本科(G ram ineae)、莎草科(Cyperaceae)和菊科(Compositae)为优势科,属的成分相对分散,该区草本植物均为寡种属和单种属,植物区系成分简单;②狗牙根(Cynodondactylon)为湿地公园生态保育区优势种群,在5个样地均形成优势群落,但在不同干扰类型下重要值有所变化;③吴家洲为无人区,狗牙根占绝对优势,植物演替处于初始阶段;④大湖冲农业干扰时间久远,农田杂草向滩涂湿地演替推进,物种α多样性各指数为5样地中最高;⑤轻微游憩活动造成营盘山草本植物多样性各指数较吴家洲高,近期建造的水泥游道、观台和篝火场地等对湿地景观造成了一定破坏;⑥苍耳(Xanthium sibiricum)因不被家畜食用、具化感作用,种子可随水和随家畜传播,造成石壁陈苍耳泛滥成灾,形成大面积优势群落,严重影响植被景观多样性和微生态系统的稳定性;⑦乌里村受渔业影响较大,滩地植被稀疏;⑧各样地草本植物β多样性显示,不同干扰类型已经对河口滩地的环境造成了影响,具体环境影响指标还有待于进一步研究。针对太平湖湿地公园生态保育区生物多样性保护存在的主要问题,提出了相应的保护和修复对策。     

泰州溱湖湿地浮游藻类的群落结构及与水质的关系

对江苏泰州溱湖湿地的浮游藻类进行了调查,分析了浮游藻类的群落结构、物种多样性以及浮游藻类与溱湖湿地水质理化参数的关系。调查共鉴定浮游藻类6门45属72种,绿藻种类最多,其次是硅藻和蓝藻,优势种主要以蓝藻门的微小平裂藻为主。根据藻类各项指标值,溱湖湿地已遭受污染,水体为富营养型。通过Pearson相关性分析揭示出溱湖湿地藻类的种类组成及多样性指数与溱湖湿地水质之间的关系,为溱湖湿地的防治提供浮游藻类方面的科学依据。     

氮磷在塘-湿地组合生态系统中的去除机制研究

采用多种形式的塘和湿地组合生态工艺完善传统的生态塘和湿地系统,能实现系统处理环境的多样化,提升对氮、磷的去除效能。对山东某组合生态处理系统的研究表明,组合生态处理系统能够有效提升对氮、磷营养物的去除效果。各生态单元水环境的差异影响着氮和磷的主导去除机制,使氮、磷表现出不同的季节去除规律。其中氮的去除主要依靠生物的硝化反硝化作用。底泥中的磷按照Fe-P>OPalk>Al-P>Ca-P>OPres逐渐变为Ca-P>Fe-P>Al-P>OPalk>OPres,与磷共沉降逐渐成为的主导去除机制。     

Particulate matter assessment of a wetland in Beijing

To increase the knowledge on the particulate matter of a wetland in Beijing, an experimental study on the concentration and composition of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 was implemented in Beijing Olympic Forest Park from 2013 to 2014. This study analyzed the meteorological factors and deposition fluxes at different heights and in different periods in the wetlands. The results showed that the mean mass concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were the highest at 06:00–09:00 and the lowest at 15:00–18:00. And the annual concentration of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 in the wetland followed the order of dry period (winter) > normal water period (spring and autumn) > wet period (summer), with the concentration in the dry period significantly higher than that in the normal water and wet periods. The chemical composition of PM_2.5 in the wetlands included NH₄⁺, K⁺, Na⁺, Mg^2 +, SO₄^2 −, NO₃⁻, and Cl⁻, which respectively accounted for 12.7%, 1.0%, 0.8%, 0.7%, 46.6%, 33.2%, and 5.1% of the average annual composition. The concentration of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 in the wetlands had a significant positive correlation with relative humidity, a negative correlation with wind speed, and an insignificant negative correlation with temperature and radiation. The daily average dry deposition amount of PM₁₀ in the different periods followed the order of dry period > normal water period > wet period, and the daily average dry deposition amount of PM_2.5 in the different periods was dry period > wet period > normal water period.     

Nitrate removal to its fate in wetland mesocosm filled with sponge iron: Impact of influent COD/N ratio

• CW-Fe allowed a high-performance of NO₃^‒-N removal at the COD/N ratio of 0. • Higher COD/N resulted in lower chem-denitrification and higher bio-denitrification. • The application of s-Fe⁰ contributed to TIN removal in wetland mesocosm. • s-Fe⁰ changed the main denitrifiers in wetland mesocosm. Sponge iron (s-Fe⁰) is a porous metal with the potential to be an electron donor for denitrification. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using s-Fe⁰ as the substrate of wetland mesocosms. Here, wetland mesocosms with the addition of s-Fe⁰ particles (CW-Fe) and a blank control group (CW-CK) were established. The NO₃^‒-N reduction property and water quality parameters (pH, DO, and ORP) were examined at three COD/N ratios (0, 5, and 10). Results showed that the NO₃^‒-N removal efficiencies were significantly increased by 6.6 to 58.9% in the presence of s-Fe⁰. NH₄⁺-N was mainly produced by chemical denitrification, and approximately 50% of the NO₃^‒-N was reduced to NH₄⁺-N, at the COD/ratio of 0. An increase of the influent COD/N ratio resulted in lower chemical denitrification and higher bio-denitrification. Although chemical denitrification mediated by s-Fe⁰ led to an accumulation of NH₄⁺-N at COD/N ratios of 0 and 5, the TIN removal efficiencies increased by 4.5%‒12.4%. Moreover, the effluent pH, DO, and ORP values showed a significant negative correlation with total Fe and Fe (II) (P<0.01). High-throughput sequencing analysis indicated that Trichococcus (77.2%) was the most abundant microorganism in the CW-Fe mesocosm, while Thauera, Zoogloea, and Herbaspirillum were the primary denitrifying bacteria. The denitrifiers, Simplicispira, Dechloromonas, and Denitratisoma, were the dominant bacteria for CW-CK. This study provides a valuable method and an improved understanding of NO₃^‒-N reduction characteristics of s-Fe⁰ in a wetland mesocosm.     

Macrophyte species composition and structure along littoral region in relation to limnological variables of a tropical wetland ecosystem

The composition and structure of macrophyte communities of the littoral region of Bhindawas wetland (India) was investigated. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) if limnological variables such as water chemistry and soil parameters are important determinants of species composition and abundance and (2) what is the variance in species richness and composition within the wetland. Twenty-eight macrophyte species belonging to 17 different families were identified with relatively low species diversity and richness (H′?=?2.09; Margalef index?=?1.12). Eichhornia crassipes, attained the highest relative frequency (22.69%), followed by Salvinia natans, Paspalum paspaloides, Phragmites karka, Cynodon dactylon and Cyperus alopecuroides. The first and second axis of CCA ordination explained 38.4% and 28.5% of the total variance of species–limnological variables relationship, respectively. Water-related variables (dissolved oxygen, pH and nitrate concentration) and soil nutrient factors (soil carbon and phosphorus levels) were significantly correlated to macrophyte distribution. Sampling sites formed two distinct groups based on cluster analysis, indicating varying ecological conditions. Generally, composition and abundance of macrophytes evince highly productive nature of the lake, while dominance of invasive species like E. crassipes and S. natans indicates high influence of increased nutrient levels and anthropogenic activities in the catchment on lake macrophyte composition.