A coastal wetland habitat improvement and bird habitat ecological restoration method

Abstract

This invention discloses a method for improving coastal wetland habitats and ecologically restoring bird habitats, comprising the following steps: breaking dikes and removing weirs to dredge waterways and promote the connection of wetland water systems; constructing a certain number of bird habitat islands at a ratio of 1-2 per 10,000 square meters; moving soil to build dikes and constructing wetland embankments to meet the water level requirements of different bird habitats; vegetation regulation, gradually cutting Spartina alterniflora to restore the wetland food chain; wherein, 3-5 layers of slope protection baskets are laid around the habitat islands, and amphibians favored by birds are planted in the baskets, while halophytes are planted on the islands to form a natural wetland community, within which protected bird nests are placed; wetland plants are planted on the wetland embankments, and depressions are naturally formed between the dikes, where aquatic plants are planted. Implementing this technical solution can improve the habitat of coastal wetlands, promote the rapid recovery of native plants and the improvement of the food chain, and provide wetland birds with a diverse vegetation, stable food sources, and a suitable habitat for breeding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of coastal wetland restoration and bird habitat protection technology, and in particular to a method for improving coastal wetland habitats and ecologically restoring bird habitats. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of my country's coastal economy and the booming marine fisheries, coastal wetlands, as important habitats for birds, have suffered severe encroachment. Especially in recent years, the booming wetland tourism industry has led to a rapid increase in the number of tourists visiting coastal wetlands annually, resulting in increasing human interference with the wetland environment. However, due to historical reasons, the protection efforts for my country's coastal wetlands are far from sufficient, infrastructure is lagging far behind, and the rampant invasion of harmful alien species in recent years has severely degraded native coastal vegetation, leading to a deterioration of wetland habitats. The morphological structure and ecological functions of coastal habitats, which are closely related to bird survival, have undergone a regressive change. The conservation functions of wetlands have been severely weakened, biodiversity has declined, water bodies have become polluted, seriously affecting the survival and reproduction of birds and threatening agricultural production and people's daily lives. Therefore, accelerating the implementation of coastal wetland habitat improvement and bird habitat ecological restoration is urgently needed, as it is a necessary condition for ensuring the ecological health of coastal wetlands and enhancing wetland bird biodiversity.

[0003] In recent years, in conjunction with my country's projects of returning fishing areas to wetlands and returning farmland to grassland, some large and medium-sized coastal cities in my country have launched wetland ecological restoration projects and begun a series of wetland restoration experiments and studies, achieving certain results. For example, Guan Bo et al. (2011) conducted an ecological restoration experiment on the native plant Suaeda salsa in the Yellow River Delta on the west coast of the Bohai Sea, using soil improvement methods such as tilling, fertilization, and reed debris cultivation, and proposed a method for effectively improving severely degraded saline-alkali wetland soil and rapidly restoring wetland vegetation; Huang Wenhao (ZL201710695290.X) proposed a method for ecological restoration of damaged coastal wetlands, the core of which is to construct an ecological isolation zone and control the growth of Ophiopogon japonicus through water volume control, manpower, and machinery. Grass growth restores wetland vegetation; Fan Pingping et al. (ZL201310539965.3) proposed a method for rapidly restoring the ecological function of coastal wetlands, mainly through the production of bio-fertilizers, soil tillage, sowing of *Suaeda salsa*, and soil upgrading to promote the gradual restoration of coastal wetlands; Li Jiajun et al. (ZL202110402770.9) invented a deep-plowing machine for coastal wetland ecological restoration, which can save labor and improve the ecological restoration effect when applied to wetland restoration projects. These preliminary research results have enriched the theory and practice of wetland restoration in my country to a certain extent and accumulated experience for carrying out coastal wetland restoration projects in my country. However, although these studies have incorporated the concepts of nature and ecology to a certain extent, due to the lack of systematic wetland resource research and bird demand surveys, their technical focus is only on how to restore native plants and build simple and stable plant communities, while the crucial aspects of bird habitat and survival, such as bird plant preferences, habitat improvement, and food chain restoration, have not been addressed or studied. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for improving coastal wetland habitats and ecologically restoring bird habitats, in order to meet the actual needs of wetland habitat improvement and ecological restoration projects in the current coastal ecological environment construction in my country.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A method for improving coastal wetland habitats and restoring bird habitats includes the following steps:

[0007] (1) Breaking dikes and removing weirs, that is, removing abandoned pond dikes, earthen dams, grass weirs and other structures in wetland areas outside the sea dikes, clearing obstacles in wetland waterways, and promoting the connection of wetland water systems;

[0008] (2) Wetland island construction: The remaining waste soil is piled up and a certain number of bird habitat islands are built at a ratio of 1 to 2 per 10,000 square meters. The habitat islands are randomly distributed and as evenly distributed as possible. The island diameter is 4 to 10 meters and the height is 0.5 to 1 meter above the sea level. The island is surrounded by 3 to 5 layers of slope protection baskets with a slope of 45 to 60 degrees from above the sea level. Amphibian plants that birds like are planted in the holes of the slope protection baskets. Halophytes are naturally planted on the island to form a natural wetland community. Conservation bird nests are scattered and randomly arranged in the community.

[0009] (3) Relocation and construction of embankments, that is, the construction of strip-shaped wetland embankments in the wetland through bottom engineering to meet the water level requirements of different birds; wetland plants are planted on the wetland embankments, and depressions are naturally formed between the embankments, where aquatic plants are planted; the height of the wetland embankments is roughly level with the sea level, the width is 3-5m, and the density is 2-3 embankments per 100m.

[0010] (4) Vegetation regulation, namely, by gradually cutting Spartina alterniflora and replanting Suaeda salsa in a timely manner, the native coastal vegetation can be restored as soon as possible and the wetland food chain can be repaired.

[0011] The slope protection basket is made of concrete and has a near-Z-shaped shape. The finished unit consists of a basket body and a connecting body. The basket body has a central hole, and the connecting body has a central hole. The upper and lower slope protection baskets are connected together to form a whole. The basket body is a hollow cube with an outer side length of 25-30cm, an inner side length of 18-20cm, and a thickness of 3-5cm. The connecting body is perpendicular to the basket body and is a hollow cuboid. The lengths of the outer and inner long sides are equal to the outer and inner side lengths of the basket body, the outer short side is 8-10cm, the inner short side is 5-8cm, and the thickness is equal to that of the basket body.

[0012] The conservation bird nest is a tripod-shaped structure. The finished conservation bird nest consists of 3 legs, 1 upper ring, 1 lower ring, and several connecting columns, all of which are cut and welded from 3mm thick metal iron rods. The upper ring has a diameter of 20-25cm, the lower ring has a diameter of 12-15cm, the legs are 10-15cm long, and the connecting columns are 15cm long. Geraniums or goosegrass clumps are evenly placed inside the rings to attract birds to perch, rest, and incubate their eggs.

[0013] The amphibians are composed of two or more species of *Reed*, *Polygonum hydropiper*, *Pedrush*, *Imperata cylindrica*, *Rumex acetosa*, and *Miscanthus sinensis*, planted in a dense mixed planting manner with a planting density of 8-10 plants / m². The halophytes are composed of three or more species of *Tamarix chinensis*, *Strawberry ferns*, *Hibiscus rosa-sinensis*, *Artemisia argyi*, *Reed*, and *Salvia splendens*, planted in a random mixed planting manner with a planting density of 3-6 plants / m². The wetland plants are composed of three or more species of *Zizania latifolia*, *Typha orientalis*, *Alisma plantago-aquatica*, *Umbrella simonii*, and *Sparganium stoloniferum*, planted in a dense mixed planting manner with a planting density of 15-20 plants / m². The aquatic plants are composed of three or more species of *Reed*, *Potamogeton crispus*, *Hydrilla verticillata*, *Clerodendrum trichotomum*, *Snapdragon*, and *Myriophyllum spicatum*, planted in a dense mixed planting manner with a planting density of 20-30 plants / m².

[0014] The progressive Spartina alterniflora mowing method involves dividing the Spartina alterniflora into mowing and retention zones every 10-20 meters perpendicular to the coastline from the seaside, with appropriate lengths. In the first year, the Spartina alterniflora in the mowing zones is removed at the roots, and Suaeda salsa is replanted as appropriate, while the retention zones are left untreated. In the second year, the Spartina alterniflora in the retention zones is removed at the roots, and Suaeda salsa is replanted as appropriate, while the Spartina alterniflora in the mowing zones is mowed a second time. In the third year, the remaining Spartina alterniflora in the wetland is mowed again to completely remove the Spartina alterniflora and gradually restore the Suaeda salsa community.

[0015] Beneficial effects:

[0016] 1. This application introduces the theory of restoration ecology into coastal wetland restoration projects. It takes vegetation improvement and community optimization as the guide, and takes the effective protection, breeding and attraction of birds as the starting point. Through site-specific vegetation adjustment and habitat reconstruction, and by skillfully using artificial breeding measures and water and soil engineering measures, it creates an ecological restoration model for coastal birds with a better structure, stable community and continuous food chain, which is conducive to the growth, settlement and reproduction of wetland bird populations and promotes the improvement of coastal bird biodiversity.

[0017] 2. This application effectively overcomes the limitations of existing technical literature, such as monotonous plant restoration communities, simplistic objectives, and failure to consider the habitat needs of birds. Under the premise of ensuring beautiful coastal wetland landscape, good protective function, and improved carbon sequestration, it creates a superior wetland environment for the survival of coastal birds through structural adjustment and habitat improvement. This is conducive to the habitat and reproduction of migratory birds worldwide, and to the diversification of coastal wetland functions. It is of great significance to the conservation of biodiversity of coastal birds in my country. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, and the advantages of the present invention in the above and / or other aspects will become clearer.

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure for implementing the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the slope protection basket;

[0021] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing how the slope protection baskets are connected to each other;

[0022] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the external structure of a bird's nest in wetland conservation.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a progressive method for mowing Spartina alterniflora.

[0024] Map markings: 1. Sea level; 2. Depression; 21. Aquatic plants; 3. Habitat island; 31. Halophytes; 32. Amphibians; 4. Wetland embankment; 41. Wetland plants; 5. Seawall; 6. Conservation bird nest; 61. Foot support; 62. Upper ring; 63. Lower ring; 64. Connecting pillar; 65. Grass clump; 7. Slope protection basket; 71. Connected; 72. Basket body; 73. Basket hole; 74. Connecting hole; 8. Cutting strip; 8′. Retention strip. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention can be better understood from the following embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and should not, and will not, limit the invention as described in detail in the claims.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, a method for improving coastal wetland habitats and restoring bird habitats includes the following steps in its implementation:

[0027] (1) Breaking dikes and removing weirs, that is, removing abandoned ponds, earthen dams, grass weirs and other structures in wetland areas outside the seawall 5, clearing obstacles in wetland waterways, and promoting the connection of wetland water systems;

[0028] (2) Wetland island construction: The remaining waste soil is piled up and a certain number of bird habitat islands 3 are built at a ratio of 1 to 2 per 10,000 square meters. The habitat islands 3 are randomly distributed and as evenly distributed as possible. The island diameter is 4 to 10 meters and the height is 0.5 to 1 meter above the sea level 1. The island is surrounded by 3 to 5 layers of slope protection baskets 7 with a slope of 45 to 60 degrees above the sea level 1. Amphibian plants 32 that birds prefer are planted in the holes of the slope protection baskets 7. Halophytes 31 are naturally planted on the island to form a natural wetland community. Conservation bird nests 6 are scattered and randomly arranged in the community.

[0029] (3) Relocation and construction of embankments, that is, by constructing strip-shaped wetland embankments 4 in the wetland through bottom engineering, to meet the water level requirements of different birds; wetland plants 41 are planted on the wetland embankments 4, and depressions 2 are naturally formed between the embankments, and aquatic plants 21 are planted in the depressions 2; the height of the wetland embankments 4 is roughly level with the sea level 1, the width is 3-5m, and 2-3 are set up per 100m.

[0030] (4) Vegetation regulation, namely, by gradually cutting Spartina alterniflora and replanting Suaeda salsa in a timely manner, the native coastal vegetation can be restored as soon as possible and the wetland food chain can be repaired.

[0031] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the raw material of the slope protection basket 7 is concrete, and the shape of the single unit is close to "Z". The single finished product is composed of a basket body 72 and a connecting body 71. The basket body 72 has a basket hole 73 in the center, and the connecting body 71 has a connecting hole 74 in the center. The upper and lower slope protection baskets 7 are connected to each other to form a whole through the connecting body 71. The shape of the basket body 72 is a hollow cube with an outer side length of 25-30cm, an inner side length of 18-20cm, and a thickness of 3-5cm. The connecting body 71 is perpendicular to the basket body 72 and has a hollow cuboid shape. The lengths of the outer and inner long sides are equal to the outer and inner side lengths of the basket body 72, the outer short side is 8-10cm, the inner short side is 5-8cm, and the thickness is equal to that of the basket body 72.

[0032] The amphibians 32 consist of two or more species of *Reed*, *Polygonum hydropiper*, *Pedrush*, *Imperata cylindrica*, *Rumex acetosa*, and *Miscanthus sinensis*, planted in a dense mixed planting manner with a planting density of 8-10 plants / m². The halophytes 31 consist of three or more species of *Tamarix chinensis*, *Strawberry ferns*, *Hibiscus rosa-sinensis*, *Artemisia argyi*, *Reed*, and *Salvia splendens*, planted in a random mixed planting manner with a planting density of 3-6 plants / m². The wetland plants 41 consist of three or more species of *Zizania latifolia*, *Typha orientalis*, *Alisma plantago-aquatica*, *Umbrella simonii*, and *Sparganium stoloniferum*, planted in a dense mixed planting manner with a planting density of 15-20 plants / m². The aquatic plants 21 consist of three or more species of *Reed*, *Potamogeton crispus*, *Hydrilla verticillata*, *Clerodendrum trichotomum*, *Snapdragon*, and *Myriophyllum spicatum*, planted in a dense mixed planting manner with a planting density of 20-30 plants / m².

[0033] like Figure 4 As shown, the conservation bird nest 6 is a tripod pot-shaped structure. The finished conservation bird nest 6 consists of 3 legs 61, 1 upper ring 62, 1 lower ring 63, and several connecting columns 64, all of which are cut and welded from 3mm thick metal iron rods. The upper ring 62 has a diameter of 20-25cm, the lower ring 63 has a diameter of 12-15cm, the legs 61 are 10-15cm long, and the connecting columns 64 are 15cm long. Geraniums or goosegrass hay bales 65 are evenly placed inside the rings to attract birds to perch, rest, and incubate their eggs.

[0034] like Figure 5As shown, the gradual Spartina alterniflora mowing method involves dividing the Spartina alterniflora into mowing zones 8 and retention zones 8′ every 10-20 meters perpendicular to the coastline from the seaside, with appropriate lengths. In the first year, the Spartina alterniflora in the mowing zone 8 is removed at the root, and Suaeda salsa is replanted as appropriate, while the retention zone 8′ is left untreated. In the second year, the Spartina alterniflora in the retention zone 8′ is removed at the root, and Suaeda salsa is replanted as appropriate, while the Spartina alterniflora in the mowing zone 8 is mowed a second time. In the third year, the remaining Spartina alterniflora in the wetland is mowed again to completely remove the Spartina alterniflora and gradually restore the Suaeda salsa community. If one cycle is not completely cleared, a second or even third cycle can be performed until the Spartina alterniflora is basically completely eliminated.

[0035] This invention provides a concept and method for an ecological scenic revetment structure for urban rivers. Many methods and approaches exist for implementing this technical solution; the above description is merely a preferred embodiment. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of this invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this invention. All components not explicitly stated in this embodiment can be implemented using existing technologies.

Claims

1. A method for improving coastal wetland habitats and restoring bird habitats, comprising the following steps: (1) Breaking dikes and removing weirs, that is, removing abandoned ponds, earthen dams, grass weirs and other structures in wetland areas outside the sea dike (5), clearing obstacles in wetland waterways, and promoting the connection of wetland water systems; (2) Wetland island building: The remaining waste soil is piled up and a certain number of bird habitat islands (3) are built at a ratio of 1 to 2 per 10,000 square meters. The habitat islands (3) are randomly distributed and as evenly distributed as possible. The island diameter is 4 to 10 meters and the height is 0.5 to 1 meter above the sea level (1). The island is surrounded by 3 to 5 layers of slope protection baskets (7) with a slope of 45 to 60 degrees above the sea level (1). Amphibian plants (32) that birds like are planted in the holes of the slope protection baskets (7). Halophytes (31) are naturally planted on the island to form a natural wetland community. Conservation bird nests (6) are scattered and randomly arranged in the community. (3) Relocating soil to build embankments, that is, constructing strip-shaped wetland embankments (4) in the wetland through bottom engineering to meet the water level requirements of different birds; wetland plants (41) are planted on the wetland embankments (4), and depressions (2) are naturally formed between the embankments, and aquatic plants (21) are planted in the depressions (2); the height of the wetland embankments (4) is roughly level with the sea level (1), the width is 3-5m, and 2-3 are set every 100m; (4) Vegetation regulation, namely, by gradually cutting Spartina alterniflora and replanting Suaeda salsa in a timely manner, the native coastal vegetation can be restored as soon as possible and the wetland food chain can be repaired.

2. The method for improving the habitat of coastal wetlands and ecological restoration of bird habitats according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slope protection basket (7) is made of concrete and has a single unit shape that is close to "Z". The finished unit consists of a basket body (72) and a connecting body (71). The basket body (72) has a basket hole (73) in the center and the connecting body (71) has a connecting hole (74) in the center. The upper and lower slope protection baskets (7) are connected to each other to form a whole through the connecting body (71). The basket body (72) is a hollow cube with an outer side length of 25-30cm, an inner side length of 18-20cm, and a thickness of 3-5cm. The connecting body (71) is perpendicular to the basket body (72) and is a hollow cuboid. The lengths of the outer and inner long sides are the same as the outer and inner side lengths of the basket body (72). The outer short side is 8-10cm, the inner short side is 5-8cm, and the thickness is the same as the basket body (72).

3. The method for improving coastal wetland habitats and restoring bird habitats according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conservation bird nest (6) is a tripod pot-shaped structure. The finished conservation bird nest (6) consists of 3 tripods (61), 1 upper ring (62), 1 lower ring (63) and several connecting columns (64), all of which are cut and welded from 3mm thick metal iron rods. The upper ring (62) has a diameter of 20-25cm, the lower ring (63) has a diameter of 12-15cm, the tripods (61) are 10-15cm long, and the connecting columns (64) are 15cm long. Geraniums or goosegrass hay bales (65) are evenly placed inside the rings to attract birds to perch, rest, and incubate their eggs.

4. The method for improving coastal wetland habitats and restoring bird habitats according to claim 1, characterized in that, The amphibians (32) are combinations of two or more of the following: reed, water pepper, cattail, water grass, sorrel, and miscanthus. The planting method is dense mixed planting with a planting density of 8-10 plants / m². The halophytes (31) are combinations of three or more of the following: tamarisk, sea strawberry, seaside hibiscus, saltwort, reed, and salthorn grass. The planting method is random mixed planting with a planting density of 3-6 plants / m². The wetland plants (41) are combinations of three or more of the following: wild rice, cattail, water plantain, umbrella grass, and sea sedge. The planting method is dense mixed planting with a planting density of 15-20 plants / m². The aquatic plants (21) are combinations of three or more of the following: reed, pickled mustard, hydrangea, tapegrass, snapdragon, and foxtail. The planting method is dense mixed planting with a planting density of 20-30 plants / m².

5. The method for improving coastal wetland habitats and restoring bird habitats according to claim 1, characterized in that, The progressive Spartina alterniflora mowing method involves dividing the Spartina alterniflora into mowing zones (8) and retention zones (8′) every 10-20 meters perpendicular to the coastline from the seaside, with appropriate lengths. In the first year, the Spartina alterniflora in the mowing zone (8) is removed at the root, and Suaeda salsa is replanted as appropriate, while the retention zone (8′) is left untreated. In the second year, the Spartina alterniflora in the retention zone (8′) is removed at the root, and Suaeda salsa is replanted as appropriate, while the Spartina alterniflora in the mowing zone (8) is mowed a second time. In the third year, the remaining Spartina alterniflora in the wetland is mowed again to completely remove the Spartina alterniflora and gradually restore the Suaeda salsa community.

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