Discussion on the Reconstruction of the Wenchuan Earthquake-Damaged Ecosystems

Abstract

The Wenchuan Earthquake of 8.0 magnitude at Richter scale hit large region of Sichuan, China on May 12, 2008. It was a terrible disaster that caused great casualties and serious damages, and largely destroyed natural mountainous ecosystems in the earthquake-hit areas. Since the restoration of those damaged mountainous ecosystems plays an important role in ecological security in this region, it is argued that the reconstruction of those earthquake-damaged ecosystems should be given greater attention before and during the ecological recovery process. Yet, to date, little effort has been made to review and summarize the major unresolved questions relating to the ecosystem recovery after the earthquake. Focusing on the priorities for future research in this subject, based on the study and comparison of literatures we identified and examined four important research questions that need to be addressed, even two years after the earthquake. All these questions need to be resolved before significant progress can be made in habilitating the damaged natural ecosystems, and perhaps more importantly, the results provide very useful information for cost-effective restoration decision making and policy planning for the earthquake-hit areas.