Recovery method for orientated breeding habitat of water pheasants based on habitat simulation and risk isolation

Abstract

The invention discloses a habitat simulation and risk isolation-based water pheasant directional breeding habitat recovery method, which comprises the following steps of carrying out terrain transformation on a back-fed fish pond, and constructing a beach island in a water area to divide the water area into a plurality of mutually communicated sub-areas to form relatively independent brooding habitat units; a composite wave dissipation system is constructed on the windward side of the beach island, and the composite wave dissipation system comprises a revetment structure constructed on a beach island slope and a submerged dike located on the outer side of the revetment structure; aquatic plant communities mainly comprising floating-leaf plant areas are arranged around the beach island and in sub-areas formed by separation of the beach island; performing dynamic water level management on the water area. Through the systematic design of terrain transformation, a composite wave dissipation system, aquatic plant community configuration and dynamic water level management, the water pheasant breeding habitat integrating the three functions of'nest site safety, sufficient food and timely risk avoiding 'is directionally constructed, and the brooding success rate is greatly increased.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of habitat restoration, in particular to a watercock directional breeding habitat restoration method based on habitat simulation and risk isolation. BACKGROUND

[0002] Watercock (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is a small water bird in the Charadriiformes order, inhabiting freshwater lakes, ponds and marshes rich in emergent and floating plants, and feeding on small invertebrates and aquatic plants. It mainly breeds in areas south of 32° north latitude. Unlike other birds in the Charadriiformes order, watercock is the only bird in the Charadriiformes order that relies on floating leaf plants as a nest site for breeding. The breeding system of watercock is a one-female-multiple-male system, and the incubation work is done by the male bird, with an incubation period of 22-26 days. This biological characteristic means that a successful breeding habitat must be able to provide safe and non-interfering breeding areas for multiple male birds at the same time.

[0003] At present, the number of watercock in China is very small (estimated to be less than 2000), and the distribution range is gradually shrinking, with a breeding success rate of less than 50%. The main reasons are as follows: (1) With the increase of human activities, the area of wild floating leaf plant community in the wild is decreasing, and the suitable breeding habitat of watercock is decreasing; (2) At present, watercock breeding is highly dependent on specific habitats such as Euryale ferox ponds and Trapa fields, which are greatly affected by changes in agricultural planting patterns and are unstable; (3) The breeding period of watercock (May-September) coincides with the typhoon and plum rain seasons, and the nest eggs are easily overturned or submerged by wind and waves, and agricultural activities (such as spraying pesticides) also easily lead to breeding failure and death of nestlings.

[0004] Existing wetland restoration methods are mostly aimed at birds such as Charadriiformes and Ardeidae, and lack of specific design for the breeding habitat of watercock, which has unique living habits such as floating leaf plant nest site selection and water walking foraging. The core technical challenge currently faced is: how to use engineering means to directionally construct a natural ecological system that can simultaneously meet the three core needs of watercock breeding period "nest site safety, food sufficiency, timely refuge" and effectively isolate typhoon and agricultural disturbance in the wetland restoration area.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an innovative method that integrates watercock protection with wetland restoration engineering, which directionally constructs a stable, safe and efficient watercock breeding habitat through habitat simulation and risk isolation technology, and fundamentally improves the breeding success rate. SUMMARY

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention aims to provide a method for restoring the pheasant-tailed jacana's directional breeding habitat based on habitat simulation and risk isolation. Through a systematic design involving terrain modification, a composite wave-damping system, aquatic plant community configuration, and dynamic water level management, the present invention directionally constructs a pheasant-tailed jacana breeding habitat that integrates three major functions: "safe nesting site, abundant food, and timely risk avoidance," significantly improving the success rate of chick rearing.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives and effects, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution: A method for habitat restoration of Pheasant-tailed Jacana for directional breeding based on habitat simulation and risk isolation includes the following steps: The terrain of the retired fishponds is modified by constructing beach islands in the water to divide the water into multiple interconnected sub-areas, forming relatively independent brooding and habitat units. A composite wave-dissipating system is constructed on the windward side of the beach island. The composite wave-dissipating system includes a revetment structure constructed on the slope of the beach island and a submerged breakwater located outside the revetment structure. Aquatic plant communities, mainly composed of floating-leaved plants, are arranged around the beach islands and in the sub-areas formed by the beach islands. Dynamic water level management of the water area includes at least a high water level period that corresponds to the breeding season of the pheasant-jay and a low water level period that corresponds to the non-breeding season.

[0008] Furthermore, the topographical modifications to the abandoned fishponds include: removing the dividing embankments to connect scattered water surfaces and form a continuous water body; and partially breaking, lowering, and widening the hard embankments to soften the shoreline and increase shallow water areas.

[0009] Furthermore, the slope of the beach island is a gentle slope, with the slope ratio controlled between 1:10 and 1:15.

[0010] Furthermore, the revetment structure is a pine pile revetment, the small end diameter of the pine pile is 8-10cm, the length is more than 3.0m, and it is tightly driven into the slope of the beach island; the submerged dike is constructed of geotextile bags, and its top elevation is 0.2-0.3m lower than the normal water level.

[0011] Furthermore, when constructing the beach island, the wind distance of the beach island in the waters with the prevailing summer wind direction is controlled to be within 100m.

[0012] Furthermore, the aquatic plant community also includes emergent plant zones and submerged plant zones; the area of ​​the floating-leaved plant zone accounts for 65% to 70% of the total habitat area, the area of ​​the emergent plant zone accounts for 5% to 10% of the total habitat area, and the area of ​​the submerged plant zone accounts for 15% to 20% of the total habitat area.

[0013] Furthermore, the floating-leaved plant area is dominated by water chestnut and water caltrop; and when configuring the floating-leaved plant area, a time-series nested planting pattern is adopted: water chestnut, which has a growing season from May to September, and water caltrop, which has a growing season from April to October, are interplanted at a row spacing of 9:1, and Vallisneria natans, which has a growing season from March to June, and Ceratophyllum demersum, which has a growing season from May to October, are sown in advance at the bottom of the pond.

[0014] Furthermore, the water depth during the high water period is maintained at a depth that ensures the stable floating of floating-leaved plant leaves; the water depth during the low water period is reduced to a depth that exposes shallows and promotes the recovery of submerged plants and benthic organisms.

[0015] Furthermore, the dynamic water level management also includes establishing a rainstorm early warning and emergency mechanism: when forecasting torrential rain or typhoons, the water level is lowered by an additional 10-15 cm based on the breeding season benchmark water level 12 hours in advance.

[0016] Furthermore, the method also includes setting up multiple ecological floating islands at the outer edge of the floating-leaved plant area as mobile refuges; the ecological floating islands are made of reeds and planted with emergent plants.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: (1) By constructing beach islands and separating waterways, risk isolation and domain delineation were achieved. The relatively independent brooding and roosting units formed in this invention effectively reduce territorial conflicts and disturbances between different male brooding families, providing a stable growth environment for the chicks. At the same time, dividing the large water surface into small units significantly shortens the wind and wave range, physically reducing the wind and wave intensity of the entire water area, and providing a basic safety barrier for the eggs and chicks.

[0018] (2) By constructing a composite wave-dissipating system, the safety of the nest site was ensured. This invention addresses the core risk of the pheasant-tailed jacana's breeding season overlapping with the typhoon season by employing a composite wave-dissipating system (revetment + submerged breakwater) to form two lines of defense. The revetment structure (such as pine piles) directly resists and breaks up waves impacting the beach, protecting the slopes and near-shore nests. The submerged breakwater on the outer side further dissipates and weakens the waves traveling towards the beach underwater. This combined approach significantly reduces the probability of nests being overturned or submerged by wind and waves, solving the problem of "nests and eggs being extremely vulnerable to being overturned by wind and waves" in existing technologies.

[0019] (3) By configuring an aquatic plant community dominated by floating-leaved plants, the supply of nest sites and food sources were ensured. This invention employs a configuration primarily composed of floating-leaved plants to directionally simulate and enhance the reproductive needs of the pheasant-tailed jacana. This not only provides ample and stable nesting platforms, but the plants themselves (such as the fruits of water chestnuts and gorgon fruit) and the aquatic animals they support also constitute a direct and indirect natural food bank for the pheasant-tailed jacana, satisfying the requirement of "abundant food" and reducing dependence on unstable agricultural habitats.

[0020] (4) By implementing dynamic water level management, habitat adaptation and risk early warning have been achieved. This invention precisely matches water level management with the breeding rhythm of the pheasant-tailed jacana. During high water levels, floating-leaved plant leaves are ensured to float stably on the water surface, maintaining an effective nesting area and brooding space. During low water levels, shallow water is exposed, promoting the recovery of benthic communities and plant germination, accumulating resources for the subsequent breeding season. This dynamic management simulates the hydrological rhythms of natural wetlands, creating a continuously suitable and vibrant habitat system. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to specific embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] This invention provides a method for restoring the habitat of Pheasant-Jacques japonica for targeted breeding based on habitat simulation and risk isolation. According to the habitat conditions of fishponds and the needs of Pheasant-Jacques japonica for habitat, breeding, foraging, and risk avoidance, the method combines artificial intervention and natural restoration to carry out habitat structure modification, vegetation restoration, and hydrological regulation. This restores and reconstructs a complete habitat for Pheasant-Jacques japonica, consisting of floating-leaved plant areas, emergent plant zones, submerged plant areas, and beaches, thereby improving the success rate of chick rearing.

[0023] Specifically, the method for restoring the pheasant-tailed jacana's directional breeding habitat includes the following steps: Habitat Selection: Pheasant-tailed jacana are highly territorial and typically hunt alone or in pairs during the breeding season. Site selection should prioritize areas with minimal human disturbance and a healthy, abandoned fishpond ecosystem. During the brooding period, their foraging range is a 100-meter radius around the nest site. The water area of ​​a single habitat should ideally be greater than 4 hectares (ha) to ensure sufficient foraging space for both parents and chicks, guaranteeing the smooth completion of the brooding process. The surrounding area should have abundant, unpolluted, shallow wetlands for foraging and dispersal.

[0024] Terrain modification of fishponds after fish farming has ceased: Unnecessary dikes are removed to connect scattered water surfaces and form a continuous water body, enhancing the connectivity and stability of the water body. Hard dikes are partially broken, lowered, and widened to soften the shoreline, increase shallow water areas, and increase the complexity of the water-land transition zone.

[0025] Beach island construction: In the middle of the water area, the original partition dikes are used to transform and construct beach islands, including muddy beach islands and gravel beach islands. The slope ratio of the beach islands is controlled between 1:10 and 1:15, forming long gentle slopes. This is convenient for pheasant-tailed jacanas to walk up and down to forage, and is also conducive to the reproduction of benthic animals, providing a food source for them. The muddy beach islands and gravel beach islands divide the water area into 3 - 5 connected sub-regions (open water surfaces), forming relatively independent brooding and栖息 units; the relatively independent栖息 units can provide brooding places for multiple male birds, and can also effectively reduce the impact of wind and waves on the nest area, preventing eggs and chicks from being washed into the water.

[0026] Construction of a composite wave-dissipating system: A composite wave-dissipating system is constructed on the windward side of the beach island. This composite wave-dissipating system includes a revetment structure built on the slope of the beach island and a submerged dike located outside the revetment structure. Among them, the revetment structure is a pine pile revetment. The small head diameter of the pine piles is 8 - १० cm, and the length is more than 3.0 m. They are tightly driven into the slope of the beach island to effectively reduce the erosion of the beach island by wind and waves; the submerged dike is constructed by geotextile bags, and its top elevation is 0.2 - 0.3 m lower than the normal water level to reinforce the windward slope of the beach island. In addition, when constructing the beach island, it is also necessary to control the fetch of the beach island in the water area in the prevailing wind direction in summer within 100 m to avoid excessive wave height caused by too long wind fetch.

[0027] Construction of an aquatic plant community: An aquatic plant community mainly composed of floating-leaved plant areas is configured around the beach island and in the sub-regions separated by the beach island. The floating-leaved plant area is the core breeding and foraging area for pheasant-tailed jacanas, and its area should account for 65% - 70% of the total habitat area. The floating-leaved plant area is mainly planted with Euryale ferox and water chestnut. Among them, Euryale ferox accounts for 70% - 80% of the area of the floating-leaved plant area. Its leaf surface is thorny and the single leaf area is large, which can provide a stable nest site platform for pheasant-tailed jacanas; water chestnut accounts for 20% - 30%, which can provide a breeding place and rich food for pheasant-tailed jacanas. The sequential nested planting mode is used: Euryale ferox (growth period from May to September) and water chestnut (growth period from April to October) are interplanted at a row spacing interval of 9:1, and Vallisneria natans (growth period from March to June) and Ceratophyllum demersum (growth period from May to October) are sown in the pond bottom in advance

[0028] The aquatic plant community also includes an emergent plant belt and a submerged plant area. The emergent plant belt is planted on the muddy beach island, with an area accounting for 5% - 10%. It is mainly planted with Typha orientalis, Scirpus validus, Cyperus rotundus, etc., which are used to purify water quality, reduce wind and waves and provide a refuge for pheasant-tailed jacanas. The submerged plant area is configured outside the floating-leaved plant area, with an area accounting for 15% to 20% of the total habitat area. Vallisneria natans, Ceratophyllum demersum, Myriophyllum verticillatum, Hydrilla verticillata and Potamogeton crispus are planted (each accounting for 20%). It can not only set a relatively open water surface outside the floating-leaved plants, becoming a natural barrier for the habitat of pheasant-tailed jacanas, far from human interference and isolating small mammals, but also provide a habitat for aquatic insects, fish and shrimps, indirectly providing food for pheasant-tailed jacanas, while purifying water quality and inhibiting the outbreak of algae.

[0029] Dynamic water level management: Dynamic water level management at least includes a high water level period matching the breeding period of the watercock and a low water level period matching the non-breeding period. The main measures include: Precisely manage the water level according to the breeding pattern of the watercock (from May to September) and the growth pattern of floating-leaved plants. Breeding period (from May to September, high water level period): Maintain the water depth of the water area at 0.6 - 1.0 m; this water depth can not only ensure that the leaves of floating-leaved plants such as Euryale ferox and water chestnut float stably on the water surface, providing sufficient nest sites and foraging places for the watercock, but also provide enough water volume to maintain water quality stability and promote the growth of aquatic animals. Non-breeding period (from October to April of the following year, low water level period): Lower the water level to 0.2 - 0.4 m; this water depth can expose some mudflats, facilitating the watercock to forage in shallow water, and at the same time is conducive to the restoration of submerged plants and benthic biological communities, accumulating resources for the subsequent breeding period.

[0030] Set up a rainstorm warning emergency water level regulation mechanism and link it with the meteorological system. When a severe rainstorm or typhoon is forecast, lower the water level by an additional 10 - 15 cm 12 hours in advance based on the reference water level during the breeding period to reserve storage capacity for precipitation and prevent the water level from rising sharply and flooding the nests.

[0031] This method for restoring the directional breeding habitat of the watercock may also include: Design an ecological floating island mobile refuge: Set up ecological floating islands made of Arundo donax on the outer edge of the floating-leaved plant area, on which dense emergent plants (such as Typha orientalis) are planted. Usually, it provides a place for fish to lay eggs. When natural enemies (such as raptors) are found, these scattered ecological floating islands can provide an emergency refuge on water for adult and juvenile watercocks.

[0032] Design a refuge and isolation area: Retain the original emergent plants (such as Phragmites australis, Typha orientalis, etc.) around the habitat as a refuge for the watercock. Set up an ecological isolation belt outside the core habitat area to reduce the direct interference of human activities (such as fishing, farming).

[0033] The following further illustrates the present invention through specific embodiments.

[0034] Embodiment 1. Habitat site selection Select a decommissioned fishpond area with an area of about 5 hectares and less human activity interference. The basis for site selection is to meet the territorial needs of the watercock and ensure the foraging range (centered on the nest site, with a radius of 100 m) during its chick-rearing period. There is an unpolluted shallow wetland around the selected fishpond as a foraging diffusion area. Conduct a background survey on the terrain, water depth and water quality of the selected fishpond to provide a basis for subsequent design.

[0035] 2. Reconstruction of the fishpond habitat structure (terrain reconstruction) First, remove the unnecessary dividing dikes inside the fishpond to connect and string together the originally separated small water surfaces, forming a continuous water body with an area of about 4.5 hectares to enhance the connectivity, stability, and self-purification ability of the water body.

[0036] Secondly, conduct ecological transformation on the hard dikes around the fishpond. Adopt a combination of mechanical and manual methods to partially break, cut down, and widen about 60% of the hard dikes, soften the shoreline, and form a meandering interlaced zone between water and land, thus significantly increasing the area of shallow water areas and habitat complexity, and creating more diverse habitat conditions for pheasant-tailed jacanas and other aquatic organisms.

[0037] 3. Creation of deep pools and shallow beaches (beach islands) In this embodiment, use the earthwork materials from the removed dikes and combine with local deepening to form deep pools, and construct 3 muddy beach islands and 2 gravel beach islands in the center and key positions of the water area. The slope of each beach island is controlled at a gentle slope between 1:10 and 1:15. This slope design simulates the transition zone of natural marshes, which not only facilitates the pheasant-tailed jacanas to walk up and down the beach islands to forage, but also is conducive to the attachment and reproduction of benthic animals (such as snails and worms), providing a natural and continuous food source for pheasant-tailed jacanas.

[0038] These beach islands divide the entire water area into 4 sub-regions of different sizes but interconnected by water channels. This spatial pattern forms multiple relatively independent brooding and栖息 units, which can meet the territorial needs of multiple male pheasant-tailed jacanas for brooding and rearing chicks at the same time, reducing intraspecific interference.

[0039] 4. Design and construction of a composite wave-dissipating system In response to the core risk that the breeding period of pheasant-tailed jacanas (May - September) overlaps with the prevailing southeast wind and the high typhoon season in summer, construct a composite wave-dissipating system on the southeast windward side of each beach island in this embodiment.

[0040] Pine pile revetment: First, drive a row of pine piles closely along the windward slope of the beach island. The selected pine piles have a small end diameter of 8 - 10 cm and a length of not less than 3.0 meters to ensure sufficient stability after being driven into the beach soil. The piles are arranged closely to form the first physical barrier to directly resist and break waves, effectively reducing the erosion of wind and waves on the slope of the beach island and protecting the nests near the shore. A

[0041] Submerged dike: Underwater about 2 meters outside the pine pile revetment, use geotextile bags filled with soil to construct a submerged dike. The top elevation of the submerged dike is designed to be 0.2 - 0.3 meters below the normal water level. This underwater barrier can conduct secondary energy dissipation on the waves propagating to the beach island, further weakening the wave height without affecting the water surface landscape.

[0042] Meanwhile, the layout of the beach islands ensures that the water surface wind distance of each sub-area is controlled within 100 meters in the prevailing wind direction during the summer, thus avoiding the problem of excessively high waves caused by excessively long wind zones.

[0043] 5. Gradient configuration of aquatic plant communities 5.1 Floating-leaved Plant Area (Core Reproduction and Foraging Area) This area is the core of the pheasant-tailed jacana's habitat, accounting for 68% of the total water area. Water chestnut and water caltrop were selected as the dominant species, with water chestnut accounting for 75% of the floating-leaved plant area and water caltrop for 25%. The large, thorny leaves of the water chestnut provide a very stable nesting platform for the pheasant-tailed jacana; water caltrop provides supplementary nesting sites and abundant food (fruit).

[0044] During planting, a nested planting pattern was adopted: water chestnuts (with a growing season from May to September) and water caltrops (with a growing season from April to October) were intercropped at a row spacing of 9:1 to ensure that the water surface was always covered with floating-leaved plants in their vigorous growth period from April to October. At the same time, Vallisneria natans (with a growing season from March to June) and Ceratophyllum demersum (with a growing season from May to October) were sown in advance on the pond bottom to provide early habitats for aquatic insects and fish, indirectly providing food for pheasant-tailed jacana chicks.

[0045] 5.2 Emergent plant zone (purification and safety zone) Emergent vegetation was planted on the muddy beach islands, covering approximately 5% of the total area (about 0.25 hectares). The main species planted were cattails, water onions, and sedges. This vegetation not only effectively purifies the water and helps reduce wind and waves, but its dense growth also provides important terrestrial refuge for pheasants when encountering ground predators.

[0046] 5.3 Submerged Plant Zone (Ecological Barrier and Food Web Foundation) A submerged plant area, covering approximately 20% (about 0.9 hectares), is situated around the periphery of the floating-leaved plant area. The planted species include *Vallisneria natans*, *Ceratophyllum demersum*, *Myriophyllum spicatum*, *Hydrilla verticillata*, and *Potamogeton crispus*, each accounting for about 20%. This area creates a relatively open water surface outside the floating-leaved plant area, serving as a natural barrier against human disturbance and small mammals. Simultaneously, it provides crucial habitats and spawning grounds for aquatic insects, shrimp, and fish, forming the base of the pheasant-tailed jacana's food chain and continuously purifying the water while suppressing algal blooms.

[0047] 6. Dynamic and emergency water level management Dynamic Management: Based on the breeding patterns of the pheasant-tailed jacana, the period from May to September is designated as the high water level period, maintaining a water depth of 0.6–1.0 meters (0.8 meters is preferred in this embodiment). This water depth ensures that the leaves and petioles of floating-leaved plants such as water chestnuts and water caltrops can float stably and spread out on the water surface, providing ample nesting sites and foraging grounds, while maintaining sufficient water volume to stabilize water quality. From October to April of the following year is the non-breeding period, and the water level is lowered to 0.2–0.4 meters (0.3 meters is preferred in this embodiment). This water depth exposes part of the mudflats, facilitating foraging for the pheasant-tailed jacana in shallow water, while also promoting sunlight, which is beneficial for the recovery and growth of submerged plants and benthic communities, accumulating biological resources for the next breeding season.

[0048] Emergency Mechanism: Establish an emergency water level control mechanism for rainstorm warnings. In conjunction with the local meteorological system, when a severe rainstorm or typhoon is forecast, the water level will be lowered by an additional 10-15 centimeters 12 hours in advance, based on the breeding season baseline water level (0.8 meters), to reserve sufficient storage capacity for heavy rainfall and effectively prevent the water level from rising rapidly and flooding the eggs or chicks in the nest.

[0049] 7. Assisted risk avoidance and sustainable design Ecological floating island mobile refuge: Three ecological floating islands, each with an area of ​​2 square meters, are set up at the outer edge of the floating-leaved plant area, woven from reeds. The floating islands are planted with dense emergent plants (such as cattails). These floating islands normally provide spawning grounds for fish, and when predators such as birds of prey (such as sparrowhawks) appear, they can immediately provide dispersed emergency aquatic refuges for adult pheasant-tailed jacana and their chicks.

[0050] Refuge and isolation areas: Preserve the original emergent plant belts such as reeds and cattails around the habitat, and establish ecological isolation belts around the core habitat area to reduce direct interference from human activities such as fishing and farming.

[0051] To scientifically quantify the effectiveness of this restoration project and guide long-term management, this invention also establishes and implements a comprehensive benefit evaluation system. This system will operate continuously for no less than three years after the habitat is established, generating an annual "Comprehensive Benefit Assessment Report for the Pheasant-jay Habitat Restoration Project." This comprehensive benefit evaluation system includes: (1) Biodiversity gain indicators and assessment methods Key Indicator 1: Pheasant-jay population breeding success rate Definition: The ratio of the total number of chicks that successfully hatch and leave the nest during a complete breeding season to the total number of nested eggs observed by the system.

[0052] Assessment Methods: During the annual breeding season (May-September), monitoring is conducted using both fixed-point observation and nest site inspection methods. Observations are performed at least three times per week, accurately recording the number of nests found, the number of eggs per nest, the number of successfully hatched chicks, and the number of chicks that eventually leave the nest. Calculations are performed using the following formula: Breeding success rate (%) = (Number of chicks leaving the nest / Total number of eggs observed) × 100%; Objective: Through the implementation of this invention, the indicator will be steadily increased from the background value (less than 50%) to over 80%.

[0053] (2) Core Indicator 2: Aquatic Biodiversity Index Definition: The Shannon-Wiener diversity index is used to comprehensively evaluate the species richness and evenness of individual distribution of benthic animals, aquatic insects and fish communities in habitat waters.

[0054] Assessment method: Every spring (April) and autumn (September), biological samples are collected in each sub-region using standard methods (such as Sober nets and trawls), species are identified and quantities are counted, and index values ​​are calculated.

[0055] (3) Ecosystem service value indicators and assessment methods Key Indicator: Water Purification Efficiency Definition: Net removal of key pollutants (total nitrogen TN, total phosphorus TP) per unit area of ​​wetland in one year.

[0056] Assessment Method: Fixed water quality sampling points were established at the inlet and outlet of the habitat, and samples were taken monthly to monitor the concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in the water. Combined with annual hydrological data, the total amount of pollutants removed and the removal efficiency per unit area were calculated.

[0057] (4) Socioeconomic impact indicators and assessment methods Key indicator: Economic output per unit area Definition: The average annual output value generated within a habitat through the sustainable harvesting of agricultural by-products (such as water chestnuts and gorgon fruit).

[0058] Assessment Method: Record in detail the actual harvested area, yield, and market price of water chestnuts and gorgon fruit each year. Calculate using the following formula: Average output value per mu (yuan / mu) = total sales revenue / harvested area.

[0059] Through the implementation of the aforementioned systematic engineering and subsequent evaluation system, this embodiment has achieved the following quantifiable and significant results: Breeding success rate has increased significantly: the brooding success rate of pheasant-tailed jacana has steadily increased from less than 50% to 82%, fully meeting the expected target; Significant increase in biodiversity: The Shannon-Wiener diversity index for aquatic organisms increased by 45%, indicating a significant improvement in the health of the ecosystem; Significant water purification effect: Monitoring data from the evaluation system show that the wetland has achieved an average annual removal rate of 65% for total nitrogen (TN) and 78% for total phosphorus (TP), playing an important ecological service role.

[0060] Achieving economic sustainability: Through the sustainable harvesting of products such as water chestnuts, the average output value per mu has exceeded 3,000 yuan, providing a stable funding channel for the long-term maintenance of the habitat and forming a virtuous cycle.

[0061] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

[0062] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method for habitat restoration of Pheasant-tailed Jacana based on habitat simulation and risk isolation for targeted breeding, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The terrain of the retired fishponds is modified by constructing beach islands in the water to divide the water into multiple interconnected sub-areas, forming relatively independent brooding and habitat units. A composite wave-dissipating system is constructed on the windward side of the beach island. The composite wave-dissipating system includes a revetment structure constructed on the slope of the beach island and a submerged breakwater located outside the revetment structure. Aquatic plant communities, mainly composed of floating-leaved plants, are arranged around the beach islands and in the sub-areas formed by the beach islands. Dynamic water level management of the water area includes at least a high water level period that corresponds to the breeding season of the pheasant-jay and a low water level period that corresponds to the non-breeding season.

2. The method for restoring the habitat of Pheasant-jay directional breeding based on habitat simulation and risk isolation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The terrain modification of retired fishponds includes: removing the dikes to connect scattered water surfaces and form a continuous water body; and partially breaking, lowering and widening the hard dikes to soften the shoreline and increase shallow water areas.

3. The method for restoring the habitat of Pheasant-jay directional breeding based on habitat simulation and risk isolation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slopes of the beach islands are gentle slopes, with the slope ratio controlled between 1:10 and 1:

15.

4. The method for restoring the habitat of Pheasant-jay directional breeding based on habitat simulation and risk isolation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The revetment structure is a pine pile revetment, with the small end diameter of the pine piles being 8-10cm and the length being more than 3.0m, and they are tightly driven into the slope of the beach island; the submerged dike is constructed of geotextile bags, and its top elevation is 0.2-0.3m lower than the normal water level.

5. The method for restoring the habitat of Pheasant-jay directional breeding based on habitat simulation and risk isolation according to claim 1, characterized in that, When constructing the beach island, the wind distance of the beach island in the waters with the prevailing summer wind direction should be controlled to be within 100m.

6. The method for restoring the habitat of Pheasant-tailed Jacana based on habitat simulation and risk isolation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aquatic plant community also includes emergent plant zones and submerged plant zones; the area of ​​floating-leaved plant zones accounts for 65% to 70% of the total habitat area, the area of ​​emergent plant zones accounts for 5% to 10% of the total habitat area, and the area of ​​submerged plant zones accounts for 15% to 20% of the total habitat area.

7. The method for restoring the habitat of Pheasant-jay directional breeding based on habitat simulation and risk isolation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The floating-leaved plant area is dominated by water chestnut and water caltrop. When configuring the floating-leaved plant area, a time-series nested planting pattern is adopted: water chestnut, which grows from May to September, and water caltrop, which grows from April to October, are interplanted at a row spacing of 9:

1. In addition, Vallisneria natans, which grows from March to June, and Ceratophyllum demersum, which grows from May to October, are sown in advance at the bottom of the pond.

8. The method for restoring the habitat of Pheasant-jay directional breeding based on habitat simulation and risk isolation according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the high water period, the water depth is maintained at a depth that ensures the stable floating of floating-leaved plant leaves; during the low water period, the water depth is reduced to a depth that exposes shallow waters and promotes the recovery of submerged plants and benthic organisms.

9. The method for restoring the habitat of Pheasant-jay directional breeding based on habitat simulation and risk isolation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dynamic water level management also includes establishing a rainstorm early warning and emergency mechanism: when forecasting torrential rain or typhoons, the water level will be lowered by an additional 10-15 cm based on the benchmark water level during the breeding season 12 hours in advance.

10. The method for restoring the habitat of Pheasant-jay directional breeding based on habitat simulation and risk isolation according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes setting up multiple ecological floating islands at the outer edge of the floating-leaved plant area as mobile refuges; the ecological floating islands are made of reeds and planted with emergent plants.