Shifting paradigms in coastal restoration: Six decades' lessons from China

Abstract

With accelerating degradation of coastal environment worldwide, restoration has been elevated as a global strategy to enhance the functioning and social services of coastal ecosystems. While many developing countries suffer from intense coastal degradation, current understanding of the science and practice of their coastal restorations is extremely limited. Based on analysis of >1000 restoration projects, we provide the first synthesis of China's coastal restorations. We show that China's coastal restoration has recently entered a rapidly developing stage, with an increasing number of restoration projects carried out in multiple types of coastal ecosystems. While long-term, national-level restorations enforced by the government appear promising for some coastal ecosystems, especially mangroves, restorations of many other coastal ecosystems, such as salt marshes, seagrasses and coral reefs, have been much less implemented, likely due to under-appreciation of their ecosystem services values. Furthermore, the planning, techniques, research/assessment, and participation models underlying current restorations remain largely inadequate for restoration to effectively halt rapid coastal degradation. To promote success, we propose a framework where paradigms in current restorations from planning to implementation and assessment are transformed in multiple ways. Our study has broad implications for coastal environmental management policies and practices, and should inform sustainable development of coupled human-ocean systems in many countries.

Methodologies and Management Framework for Restoration of Wetland Hydrologic Connectivity: A Synthesis

“…To alleviate wetland degradation, various measures have been taken to reconstruct and strengthen the HC between various types of wetland patches (Gumiero et al 2013). However, the restoration of wetland HC is limited by multiple factors, and different wetland types in different regions have their own unique limiting factors, so the probability of success by simply adopting water conservancy engineering measures is very low (Wolters et al 2005; Rupp‐Armstrong and Nichols 2007; Liu et al 2016). When native species have adapted to the fragmented habitat environment under conditions of low HC, if the HC is reconstructed or enhanced, it may lead to species invasion (Jackson and Pringle 2010; Pailex et al 2013).…”

“…Additionally, a feasibility analysis of the affected wetland connectivity restoration should be conducted. In recent years, research on the mechanism of HC repair for damaged wetlands has attracted the attention of many scholars (Pringle 2003; Liu et al 2016; Chen et al 2018).…”

Marine Ranching Construction and Management in East China Sea: Programs for Sustainable Fishery and Aquaculture

“…To fulfil the aims of marine ranching, new marine ranching developments are ongoing or are being proposed. This section reviews the various techniques and issues to be considered in relation to habitat restoration and construction, inclusive of natural habitat (seaweed beds, mangroves, seagrass) conservation or restoration and artificial habitats construction (e.g., artificial reefs, cages, buoyant rafts, artificial seaweed, mangroves, and seagrass habitats) [50][51][52][53].…”

Ecological Offsetting in China’s Coastal Wetlands: Existing Challenges and Strategies for Future Improvement

“…In-kind offsets provides gains that are very similar to the losses (e.g., creation of an equivalent habitat or target the same species), while out-of-kind offsets can be economic compensation or education. The main in-kind offset methods for coastal wetlands in China are the release of larvae and juveniles into coastal waters to increase their natural supply; the construction of artificial reefs to enhance habitats; planting vegetation, which usually involves reintroducing native, habitat-forming plant species into degraded marshes, such as mangrove restoration and Suaeda salsa restoration; and other restoration measures (Liu et al, 2016). The main out-of-kind offsetting methods for coastal wetlands in China include economic compensation and fishermen converting to another vocation.…”