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Sustainable Management and Conservation of Wetland Ecology

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability, Biodiversity and Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 12159

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Mingxiang Zhang

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Guest Editor

School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: wetland management; environmental policy; sustainable development; environmental effects; coastal wetland ecosystem; wetland restoration; wetland ecology; invertebrate; wetland legislation; heavy metal pollution; gross ecosystem production

Prof. Dr. Zhenming Zhang

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Guest Editor

School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: ecohydrological processes; wetland restoration; wetland soil; wetland ecology; hydrological connectivity; ecological dynamic; macrobenthos community; water contamination; wetland legislation; environmental policy; wetland management; environmental economics; sustainable development

Dr. Jiakai Liu

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Guest Editor

School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Interests: wetland ecology; hydrological dynamic; hydrological connectivity; wetland plant community; ecohydrology; invasive species; wetland soil; wetland restoration; wetland management; environmental policy; sustainable development; ecological services

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wetlands are one of the most productive habitats on Earth, and they support many kinds of life. Wetlands produce many environmental and socio-economic benefits for humans locally and globally, such as fertilizing soils for agriculture, and providing food such as fishes, shrimps, and crabs. Additionally, wetlands play vital roles in the entire biosphere: producing oxygen, storing carbon, and processing nitrogen. With the significant loss of wetland areas and the degradation of its ecological functions due to rapid economic and social development worldwide in the last century, the efficient conservation and sustainable management of wetland ecosystems have become key to decrease the risk of losing valuable wetland-related benefits, and to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Thus, this Special Issue will provide an overview of the most recent advances in the field of the sustainable management and conservation of wetlands and their applications in diverse areas. This Special Issue shall contain selected contributions on advances in the synthesis, characterization, and application of multiple topics, including, but not limited to, wetland restoration, wetland biogeochemistry, wetland ecohydrology, sustainable development, gross ecosystem production, and nature-based policy.

Prof. Dr. Mingxiang Zhang
Dr. Zhenming Zhang
Dr. Jiakai Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

wetland ecosystems
sustainable management
ecological process
ecohydrology
nature-based policy
gross ecosystem production
wetland biogeochemistry

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1677 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Ecological Status of Wetlands of International Importance in China

by Xinsheng Zhu, Yongfeng Yang, Jun Yuan and Ziru Niu

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3701; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043701 - 17 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1598

Abstract

An international assessment of wetlands is important for quantifying the current state of development of international wetland structure and function. At present, the management department and public lack a comprehensive understanding of the ecological status of internationally important wetlands in China. Here, using annual ecological monitoring data and hierarchical analysis, an evaluation index system was constructed with water environment, biological environment, biodiversity, and disturbance pressure as influencing factors, and an evaluation of the ecological status of 63 wetlands of international importance (WOII) in China was carried out, it is helpful to formulate technical plans for the ecological management of wetlands of international importance (WOII). The results showed that the average ecological status score of these wetlands was 0.714 ± 0.075, and there were differences in this score between different regions. The ecological status of wetlands in northeastern and northern coastal areas were mostly evaluated as ‘excellent’ and ‘good’, while some wetlands in other areas of China were evaluated as ‘poor’. The type and protection level of wetlands have an important impact on their ecological status. The ecological status of wetlands according to type were ranked swamp wetlands > coastal wetlands > river wetlands > lake wetlands, while those with national level protection were ranked higher than those with provincial level protection. The ecological status of WOII in China is generally good, but is adversely affected by human activities, alien species invasion, and other factors. Hence, there needs to be a focus on improving the protection and management mechanisms for WOII, promoting improvements in the ecological status of these wetlands, and transforming ecological product value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management and Conservation of Wetland Ecology)

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20 pages, 13354 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Level Comprehensive Assessment of Constructed Wetland Ecosystem Health: A Case Study of Cuihu Wetland in Beijing, China

by Wenlong Wang, Mingzhu Sun, Yi Li, Siqi Zhao, Zhenming Zhang and Xiaofeng Luan

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13439; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013439 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1677

Abstract

Wetlands are one of the world’s three major ecosystems. They not only maintain regional ecological balance but also provide an important guarantee for human survival. Wetland ecosystem health assessment serves as the foundation for wetland protection, management, and restoration. In this study, the method for wetland ecosystem health assessment proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) was selected and improved to systematically evaluate the health status of the Cuihu wetlands’ ecosystem at three levels. The results revealed that the Cuihu wetlands’ landscape development intensity index was 1.55, the total landscape pattern value was 10 points, and the total score for rapid evaluation was 0.79. Levels I and II indicated that the Cuihu wetlands’ ecosystem was in a good near-natural state. Additionally, level III revealed that ecosystem health is higher in area B than in area A. The Cuihu wetlands were characterized by low species diversity and low distribution of benthic animals and aquatic plants. The comprehensive evaluation results revealed that the Cuihu wetlands’ ecosystem is in a good health. In the future, the health status of the wetland ecosystem should be monitored regularly, the cultivation and propagation of aquatic plants should be strengthened, and effective methods to improve water quality and reduce soil salinity should be used to achieve the best health status of the Cuihu wetlands. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management and Conservation of Wetland Ecology)

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11 pages, 3271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hydrothermal Changes and Physicochemical Characteristics of Subtropical Subalpine Soils under Freezing and Thawing

by Yueyan Pan, Shijun Zhou, Zhen Li, Mingxiang Zhang and Zhenming Zhang

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13115; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013115 - 13 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1264

Abstract

The soil column samples were collected for indoor simulated freeze-thaw experiments to monitor the soil hydrothermal dynamics and measure the basic physicochemical properties to research the effects of freeze-thaw on the hydrothermal process of peat bog soil and its relationship with physicochemical properties. The results indicate that in the initial phase of freezing-thawing, soil water content decreases and soil temperature changes, respectively. Unfrozen water content in soil in the stable freezing period decreases sharply. Compared with the freezing period, the fluctuation of soil moisture rate during thawing is more moderate with the temperature change. Soil ammonium nitrogen content decreases with decreasing soil temperature and is significantly positively correlated with soil water content after freeze-thaw, while total phosphorus, fast-acting phosphorus, total nitrogen and nitrate have no significant correlation with soil temperature and soil moisture content after freeze-thaw. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management and Conservation of Wetland Ecology)

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16 pages, 3239 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Pyrolysis Temperature on Removal Efficiency and Mechanisms of Hg(II), Cd(II), and Pb (II) by Maize Straw Biochar

by Xuebo Hu, Ruigang Zhang, Bing Xia, Rongrong Ying, Zhewei Hu, Xu Tao, Hao Yu, Fabao Xiao, Qiaoying Chu, Hongfeng Chen and Jiazhong Qian

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9022; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159022 - 22 Jul 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1684

Abstract

Pyrolysis temperature significantly affects the properties of biochar, which in turn can affect the removal of heavy metal ions and the underlying mechanism. In this work, biochars from the pyrolysis of maize straw at 300, 400, and 500 °C (BC300, BC400, and BC500, respectively) and wheat straw at 400 °C (WBC400) were investigated. The influence of production temperature on the adsorption of Hg²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Pb²⁺ by maize straw biochar was investigated by the characterization of the biochars and by adsorption tests. The adsorption capacities of maize and wheat straw biochar were compared in an adsorption experiment. Biochar BC400 showed the best physical and chemical properties and had the largest number of surface functional groups. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model was more suitable for describing the adsorption behavior of metal ions to biochar. The Langmuir model better fit the experimental data. Biochar BC400 had a higher adsorption speed and a stronger adsorption capacity than WBC400. The sorption of Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺ to maize straw biochar followed the mechanisms of surface precipitation of carbonates and phosphates and complexation with oxygenated functional groups and delocalized π electrons. The adsorption mechanism for Cd²⁺ was similar to those of Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺, but precipitation mainly occurred through the formation of phosphate. In the multi-heavy-metal system, the adsorption of Cd²⁺ by BC400 was inhibited by Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺. In summary, BC400 biochar was most suitable for the adsorption effect of heavy metals in aqueous solution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management and Conservation of Wetland Ecology)

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10 pages, 1357 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of the Effects of Heavy Metals in Soils after Removal by Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron with Three Methods

by Tianen Zhang, Bing Xia, Yuanyuan Lu, Xiaoyu Zhang, Hongfeng Chen, Rongrong Ying and Shu Jin

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2273; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042273 - 17 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1433

Abstract

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) has been broadly applied in the remediation of heavy metals pollution. In this research, the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), the in vitro gastrointestinal (IVG) method, and the diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) technique were used to evaluate the effects of heavy metals in soil with remediation by nZVI. The results indicate that, compared with the dose of 0.5 g·L⁻¹, the nZVI in the dose of 1.0 g·L⁻¹ can remove the heavy metals in the soil. The leaching toxicities of the heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb) showed apparent decreases after the remediation by nZVI. In the gastric phase, the highest bioaccessibility values of the Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb were decreased by 27.2, 31.7, 11.7, and 20.1%, respectively. Moreover, in the gastric phase, the highest bioaccessibility values of the Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb were decreased by 5.5, 1.29, 8.0, and 7.3%, respectively. The availabilities of the heavy metals were also reduced. The above results show that the nZVI effectively reduced the heavy metal pollution in the soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management and Conservation of Wetland Ecology)

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8 pages, 2190 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adsorption of Cadmium by Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. and Brassica pekinensis (Lour.) Rupr in Pot Experiment

by Rongrong Ying, Bing Xia, Xiaowen Zeng, Rongliang Qiu, Yetao Tang and Zhewei Hu

Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 429; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010429 - 31 Dec 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1959

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution in farmland threatens human life. It is not clear whether crops can adsorb heavy metals. In this study, the cadmium accumulation and tolerance in Chinese cabbage Brassica pekinensis (cv. Xiaoza-56) and the known Cd-accumulator Brassica juncea in hydroponics and pot experiment were investigated. Furthermore, we evaluated their potential on the phytoextraction of Cd-contaminated soil. The hydroponics with 1–50 μM Cd concentrations showed that both B. juncea and B. pekinensis had high Cd accumulation and tolerance with translocation factor closed to 1 at Cd levels < 25 μM. The pot study conducted with 5 to 100 mg Cd kg⁻¹ soil indicated that B. juncea showed less tolerance and accumulation to Cd than B. pekinensis, especially at higher Cd levels. The bioconcentration factor was much higher than 1 in both B. juncea and B. pekinensis grown in <40 mg Cd kg⁻¹ soil without showing biomass reduction. In the model evaluation, the ability of B. juncea and B. pekinensis to reduce the initial soil Cd concentration of 20 and 5 mg kg⁻¹ to specific targets with a lower or higher biomass of 4 or 20 t ha⁻¹, respectively. The above results indicate that B. juncea and B. pekinensis (cv. Xiaoza-56), which the latter is a better candidate for Cd phytoextraction in moderated Cd-contaminated soil. The results provide a reference for Cd pollution control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management and Conservation of Wetland Ecology)

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Review

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16 pages, 3363 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Drying Peace–Athabasca Delta, Canada: Review and Synthesis of Cryo-Hydrologic Controls and Projections to Future Climatic Conditions

by Spyros Beltaos

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2103; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032103 - 22 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1588

Abstract

The Peace–Athabasca Delta (PAD) in northern Alberta, Canada is one of the world’s largest inland freshwater deltas, home to large populations of waterfowl, muskrat, beaver, and free-ranging wood bison. The delta region has been designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance and is largely located within the Wood Buffalo National Park, itself being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Indigenous residents have depended on the delta for centuries to sustain their culture and lifeways. In the past five decades, the PAD has experienced prolonged dry periods in-between rare floods, accompanied by reduction in the area covered by lakes and ponds that provide habitat for aquatic life. Recharge of the higher-elevation, or “perched”, basins depends on overland flooding generated by major spring ice jams that occasionally form in the lower reaches of the Peace and Athabasca Rivers and in their various distributaries. Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and Historical Records for the unregulated Athabasca River are relatively scarce, but conclusively demonstrate the role of ice jams in replenishing perched basins of the Athabasca sector of the PAD. Similar information, coupled with extensive hydrometric and observational data for the regulated Peace River have enabled elucidation of the physical mechanisms that lead to ice-jam flooding of the Peace sector and assessment of regulation impacts on flood frequency. Such understanding can inform design of remedial strategies to moderate or arrest the drying trend of the delta. Climate-related projections to future scenarios suggest reduced frequency of ice-jam floods, albeit with uncertainty. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management and Conservation of Wetland Ecology)

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