Wetland

Author: Jiang Wenlai, Yuan Jun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: This book was completed against the aforementioned background. Its main content includes: clarifying the concept of wetlands, discussing their ecological characteristics, elaborating on the diverse values and functions of wetlands, introducing the regional distribution of global wetlands, exploring sustainable utilization approaches for wetland resources, and finally providing a comprehensive analysis of the situation for wetland conservation workers in China. The authors strive to introduce this unique ecosystem of wetlands to a broad audience in a vivid, concise, and lucid manner, aiming to enhance public awareness of the protection and rational utilization of wetlands. Wetlands are a special ecosystem situated between water and land, possessing high economic value and multiple ecological functions. They exhibit high primary productivity and can continuously provide humans with aquatic products such as fish, shrimp, shellfish, algae, and lotus roots, as well as livelihood and production materials like reeds, peat, timber, and freshwater resources. Wetlands play irreplaceable roles in regulating flood flows, maintaining biodiversity, moderating climate, controlling soil erosion, preserving coastlines, and degrading environmental pollutants compared to other ecosystems. If forests are the "lungs of the Earth," then wetlands are the "kidneys of the Earth." Additionally, the value of wetlands in tourism, recreation, education, and scientific research is becoming increasingly evident.