Wetland changes and mangrove restoration planning in Shenzhen Bay, Southern China

Abstract

Mangrove forests and associated gei wai (excavated ponds used for shrimp and fish farming) provide important ecosystem services in Shenzhen Bay. Much of the mangrove and gei wai wetlands, however, have been lost because of intensified human activities in the past 30 years. Using five-phase remote-sensing images, we describe the recent history of the spatial–temporal dynamics for the wetlands in the bay. From 1986 to 2007, mangrove area increased from 1.8 to 4.8 km2, while the area of gei wai decreased from 36.6 to 17.2 km2. Reclamation of gei wai mainly occurred in western and northern Shenzhen Bay, and changed the tidal water environment. The bay has five typical mangrove communities: Avicennia marina + Kandelia candel + Aegiceras corniculatum, Kandelia candel + Aegiceras corniculatum + Acanthus ilicifolius, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza + Excoecaria agallocha, Aegiceras corniculatum, and Sonneratia apetala + Sonneratia caseolaris. The distribution of these communities and their dominant species in the bay exhibit a spatial pattern and temporal (successional) sequence. We describe a mangrove restoration program based on the mangrove successional sequence and the interaction of mangrove and gei wai in the bay. We have planned six mangrove protection and restoration projects in closed areas, semiclosed areas, and open areas to reconstruct the ecological integrity of the entire Shenzhen Bay.