Rebound in China’s coastal wetlands following conservation and restoration

Xinxin Wang, Xiangming Xiao (), Xiao Xu, Zhenhua Zou, Bangqian Chen, Yuanwei Qin, Xi Zhang, Jinwei Dong, Diyou Liu, Lianghao Pan and Bo Li ()
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Xinxin Wang: Fudan University
Xiangming Xiao: University of Oklahoma
Xiao Xu: Fudan University
Zhenhua Zou: University of Maryland
Bangqian Chen: Rubber Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences
Yuanwei Qin: University of Oklahoma
Xi Zhang: Fudan University
Jinwei Dong: Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Diyou Liu: China Agricultural University
Lianghao Pan: Fudan University
Bo Li: Fudan University

Nature Sustainability, 2021, vol. 4, issue 12, 1076-1083

Abstract: Abstract The coastal zone of China has experienced large increases in population, economy and urbanization since the early 1980s. Many studies have reported the loss, degradation and fragmentation of coastal wetlands in China at local to regional scales. To date, at the national scale, our knowledge of the spatial distribution, inter-annual variation and multi-decadal trends of coastal wetlands in China remains very limited. Here we analysed ~62,000 Landsat-5, -7 and -8 images over the period 1984–2018 and generated maps of coastal wetlands for individual years in China at 30-m spatial resolution. We found that coastal wetland area significantly decreased between 1984 and 2011. We also found a substantial increase in saltmarsh area and a stable trend of tidal flat area since 2012, driven by reduced anthropogenic activities and increased conservation and restoration efforts. These coastal wetland maps for the period 1984–2018 are invaluable for improvement of coastal wetland management and sustainability in China.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-021-00793-5

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