Wetland Waterbird Habitat Island Design With Heron And Common Moorhens As Case Species

With the recognition of the value of wetlands and the popularization of ecological awareness,China has actively carried out restoration and protection of wetlands.The construction of wetland parks is a good way to protect and rationally use wetlands,the constructed wetland park should have the ecological function of natural wetlands,and the water bird habitat function is one of the important items.Waterbirds are typical wetland organisms that rely heavily on the wetland environment.Therefore,problems such as the reduction of wetland area,water pollution,and disturbance of human activities are likely to interfere with the population stability and number of species of waterbirds.Through a summary of relevant studies on improving the habitat function of wetland waterbirds,we found that: The construction of waterbird habitat island has the advantages of flexible form and strong plasticity,and can effectively isolate human interference and natural enemies of waterbirds,and can provide a suitable habitat for targeted,it is a suitable way to protect waterbirds in urban wetland parks.The research first traced the origin of the waterbird habitat island and summarized the theories related to waterbird habitat restoration and habitat island construction based on relevant research and practice at home and abroad.After analyzing the natural environmental conditions and wetland resources in Beijing,and focusing on the summary and analysis of the water bird resources and habitat status of the research site Beijing Cuihu National Urban Wetland Park,the heron and common moorhen were finally selected as the objectives of this study species.Based on the ecological habits and habitat adaptation characteristics of waterfowl,this paper analyzes the relationship between waterfowl habitat and vegetation,terrain,water level,interference and other factors from the waterbird food source and foraging site,nesting and breeding behavior,and escape behavior.Based on this,the design principles and methods of Habitat Island’s location selection,area determination,terrain design,plant configuration,and revetment design are summarized.Combining the obtained design method with the foraging behavior,interference sensitivity and breeding habits of the heron and common moorhen,a habitat island design for these two waterbirds was carried out in the open area of Cuihu National Urban Wetland Park.The purpose is to provide a safe and specific habitat for the target species through the design of habitat islands under the premise of low-intensity human interference and without affecting the recreational and popular science functions of wetland parks.The main conclusions of this study are as follows:(1)Especially in wetland parks,habitat island can provide low-interference,safe and stable habitats for waterbirds without affecting the park’s amusement and popular science functions.(2)Cuihu National Urban Wetland Park has a superior wetland ecological environment and abundant waterbird resources.86 species of waterbirds have been observed and recorded.It is an excellent waterbird habitat in the suburbs of Beijing,but there are problems such as excessive vegetation density and insufficient tidal flat habitat area.(3)When constructing waterbird habitat islands,the design parameters should be flexibly changed for different waterbirds’ different feeding,breeding,and evasion behaviors.For example,there are significant differences in the area,shape,topography and plant configuration of the Heron Habitat Island and the Common Moorhen Habitat Island designed this time.(4)Habitat islands designed for breeding herons should choose waters rich in fish resources and configure tall trees or reeds as their nesting sites according to the local environment.;in the Beijing area,arbor should choose upright,branched tree species such as elm,willow,locust,etc.,and can be supplemented by artificial nest facilities for heron recruitment;design sparse shoals and shallow water areas with fallen trees on the edge of habitat island,or set up perch racks in deep water areas to meet the feeding needs of herons during the breeding period.;the slope of the Heron Habitat Island needs to be slow,and seasonal flooded areas are designed to cope with changes in water level.(5)The plant configuration of the Common Moorhen habitat island is mainly reeds,cattails and other aquatic plants,and needs to be assisted by harvesting and other management measures to provide it with a good nesting material and feeding place;The black water fowl has obvious behavior in the area occupied during the breeding period,so designing the water area or dense plants in the middle of the island can play a good role in segmentation;Submerged plants such as black algae and myriophyllum and small aquatic animals attached to them can provide a good food source for common moorhens,so pay attention to the distribution of submerged plants around the habitat island.