Bionic sea grass transplanting device

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of ecological restoration and reconstruction of sea grass beds, and particularly relates to a bionic sea grass transplanting device. Comprising a base and a sea grass rhizome fixing unit arranged on the base, and the sea grass rhizome fixing unit is used for fixing rhizomes of a sea grass transplanting unit; the bionic sea grass transplanting device is communicated with rhizomes of the sea grass transplanting unit and buried in surface sediments of the sea area to be repaired; the sea grass rhizome fixing unit comprises at least one hollow cylinder, and the hollow cylinder is arranged on the rhizome of the sea grass transplanting unit in a sleeving mode. The subterraneous stem cloning structure of the sea grass is simulated, the anchoring effect of the sea grass transplanting unit is enhanced, the sea grass transplanting unit can better resist washing of water flow, the transplanting survival rate of the sea grass is increased, stem and branch propagation is promoted, and the sea grass transplanting device is particularly suitable for a restoration area with high hydrodynamic force.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of seagrass bed ecological restoration and reconstruction technology, specifically a biomimetic seagrass transplantation device. Background Technology

[0002] Seagrass is a type of angiosperm adapted to submerged marine life, distributed in the shallow coastal waters of all continents except Antarctica. Seagrass possesses organs such as roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds, and can reproduce both asexually and sexually. Its well-developed underground rhizome system functions to absorb and store nutrients, anchor the plant, and also protect seawalls, reduce wave action, and decrease sediment suspension. In recent years, due to human activities, global seagrass degradation has been severe, with a net loss of 5602 km² since 1880. 2 They account for 19.1% of the total known seagrass bed area, and the average annual degradation rate has increased from 0.9% to 7%. Furthermore, 14% of seagrass species are already on the verge of extinction. Compared with before the 1980s, more than 80% of seagrass beds in my country's nearshore waters have disappeared. Therefore, it is urgent to carry out seagrass bed protection and restoration work.

[0003] To restore and rebuild degraded and lost seagrass bed ecosystems, researchers have proposed various seagrass bed ecological restoration techniques, including habitat improvement, transplantation, and seed restoration. Transplantation restoration requires collecting seagrass plants from natural seagrass beds and then directly embedding the seagrass rhizomes, or with attachments, into the seabed of the area to be restored. However, due to the damage to some of the seagrass rhizomes during collection and the impact of water erosion in the restoration area, transplantation restoration techniques such as direct embedding have consistently suffered from poor anchoring of transplanted units and low survival rates. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, the purpose of this invention is to provide a biomimetic seaweed transplantation device to solve the issues of poor anchoring effect and low transplantation survival rate of existing transplantation units.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] This utility model provides a biomimetic seaweed transplantation device, including a base and a seaweed root fixing unit disposed on the base. The seaweed root fixing unit is used to fix the root of the seaweed transplantation unit. The biomimetic seaweed transplantation device is buried together with the root of the seaweed transplantation unit in the surface sediment of the sea area to be restored.

[0007] The seaweed rootstock fixing unit includes at least one hollow cylinder, which is fitted onto the rootstock of the seaweed transplanting unit.

[0008] The hollow cylinders are multiple and arranged in an array, with each column containing at least two coaxial and spaced-apart hollow cylinders, and each column of hollow cylinders is fitted onto the rhizome of a seaweed transplanting unit.

[0009] The spacing between two adjacent rows of hollow cylinders is 20cm-30cm.

[0010] The base has an I-shaped structure and four hollow cylinders are provided on the base.

[0011] The base and the hollow cylinder are a one-piece structure made by 3D printing.

[0012] The base and the hollow cylinder are made of biodegradable materials.

[0013] During transplantation, the biomimetic seaweed transplantation device and the rhizome of the seaweed transplantation unit are buried together 5-10 cm below the sediment, and the base is perpendicular to the extension direction of the underground rhizome of the seaweed transplantation unit.

[0014] The advantages and beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0015] 1. The present invention provides a biomimetic seaweed transplanting device that simulates the underground stem clonal structure of seaweed, enhances the anchoring effect of the seaweed transplanting unit, enables the seaweed transplanting unit to better resist the erosion of water flow, improves the survival rate of seaweed transplantation, and promotes the propagation of stems and branches. It is especially suitable for restoration areas with strong hydrodynamics.

[0016] 2. This utility model is simple to operate, convenient to transport and carry, and has low production cost. It is suitable for large-scale seagrass bed restoration. Moreover, the material used is polylactic acid, which is biodegradable and will not pollute the marine environment. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a biomimetic seaweed transplantation device according to the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the non-working state of the biomimetic seaweed transplantation device of this utility model.

[0020] In the picture: 1. Hollow cylinder, 2. Base, 3. Seaweed transplant unit. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0022] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this utility model provides a biomimetic seaweed transplantation device, including a base 2 and a seaweed root fixing unit disposed on the base 2. The seaweed root fixing unit is used to fix the root of the seaweed transplantation unit 3. During transplantation, the biomimetic seaweed transplantation device is buried together with the root of the seaweed transplantation unit 3 into the surface sediment of the sea area to be restored.

[0023] See Figure 2 As shown in the embodiment of this utility model, the seaweed rhizome fixing unit includes at least one hollow cylinder 1, which is fitted onto the rhizome of the seaweed transplanting unit 3. The diameter of the hollow cylinder 1 can be adjusted according to the rhizome diameter of different seaweed species to better fit onto the seaweed rhizome.

[0024] To improve transplanting efficiency, there are multiple hollow cylinders 1 on the base 2, arranged in an array. Each column contains at least two coaxial and spaced hollow cylinders 1, and each hollow cylinder 1 in each column is fitted onto the rhizome of a seaweed transplanting unit 3.

[0025] Preferably, the spacing between two adjacent rows of hollow cylinders 1 is 20cm-30cm.

[0026] Furthermore, the base 2 and the hollow cylinder 1 are a single, 3D-printed structure. The base 2 and the hollow cylinder 1 are made of polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable material.

[0027] Furthermore, during transplantation, the biomimetic seagrass transplanting device and the rhizome of seagrass transplanting unit 3 are buried together 5-10 cm below the sediment, with the base 2 perpendicular to the direction of the underground stem extension of seagrass transplanting unit 3. When obtaining seagrass transplanting unit 3, the rhizome of the seagrass plant should be preserved for 5-10 cm.

[0028] In this embodiment, the base 2 has an I-shaped structure, and four hollow cylinders 1 are provided on the base 2. Two hollow cylinders 1 on the same axis are fitted onto the rootstock of a seaweed transplanting unit 3.

[0029] Example 1

[0030] This invention was used in an experiment to repair eelgrass transplantation in Qingdao Bay, Shandong Province. See also... Figure 1 As shown, the parameters of the device are adjusted according to the width of the eelgrass rhizome. The hollow cylinder 1 has an outer diameter of 11mm and an inner diameter of 8mm. The base 2 has a length of 70mm, a width of 40mm, a thickness of 1.5mm, and a corner radius of 4mm. Subsequently, the biomimetic transplant device, manufactured by a 3D printer, weighs 3.5 grams and costs 0.3 yuan per unit.

[0031] In the autumn of 2023, *Erigeron annuus* transplantation was conducted using both the direct insertion method and this invention. In the direct insertion method, the transplanting device was fitted onto the *Erigeron annuus* rhizome to form a transplanting unit, which was then buried 5 cm below the sediment. The spacing between different transplanting units was 25 cm. In the direct insertion method, the *Erigeron annuus* rhizome was directly buried 5 cm below the sediment, with the same 25 cm spacing. The transplanting effects were observed six months after transplantation. Compared to the direct insertion method, the survival rate of transplanted *Erigeron annuus* using this invention increased by 22%, and the number of stems and branches propagated increased by 32%.

[0032] The experimental results of this embodiment show that the biomimetic seaweed transplantation device provided by this utility model enhances the anchoring effect of the seaweed transplantation unit, improves the survival rate of transplanted seaweed, and the method is simple to operate, low in cost, and does not pollute the environment.

[0033] This invention provides a biomimetic seagrass transplantation device. To overcome the low survival rate of seagrass transplantation units during seagrass bed ecological restoration, it is designed and manufactured using 3D printing technology, simulating the underground stem structure of seagrass. In use, the device is fitted onto the seagrass transplantation unit, and then buried in the sediment along with the rootstock of the transplantation unit. Using this invention, the seagrass transplantation survival rate can be increased by more than 20%, and the number of stem propagations can be increased by more than 30%. Furthermore, this invention is simple to operate, has low manufacturing costs, and uses biodegradable materials, thus avoiding pollution to the marine environment.

[0034] The above description is merely an embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, extensions, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model are included within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A biomimetic seaweed transplant device, characterized by, The bionic seagrass transplanting device comprises a base and seagrass rhizome fixing units arranged on the base, and the seagrass rhizome fixing units are used for fixing rhizomes of seagrass transplanting units; the bionic seagrass transplanting device is buried in surface sediments of a sea area to be repaired together with the rhizomes of the seagrass transplanting units; The seagrass rhizome fixing units comprise at least one hollow cylinder, and the hollow cylinder is sleeved on the rhizome of the seagrass transplanting unit; The hollow cylinders are arranged in an array, and each column comprises at least two coaxial and spaced hollow cylinders, and the hollow cylinders in each column are sleeved on the rhizome of one seagrass transplanting unit; The spacing between two adjacent columns of the hollow cylinders is 20-30 cm; The base is in an I-shaped structure, and four hollow cylinders are arranged on the base; The base and the hollow cylinders are integrally formed by 3D printing; Biodegradable materials are used as the materials for manufacturing the base and the hollow cylinders; During transplantation, the bionic seagrass transplanting device and the rhizomes of the seagrass transplanting units are buried below the sediments by 5-10 cm, and the base is kept perpendicular to the extension direction of the underground stems of the seagrass transplanting units.

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