China

A Record of Planting Grass at the Bottom of the Yellow River Estuary

2023-09-28   

At around 10 am on the 26th, the tide receded at the mouth of the Yellow River in Kenli District, Dongying, Shandong, revealing vast sea grass beds. Dozens of staff walked back and forth, collecting seeds of dwarf eel grass to prepare for planting next spring. Sesame sized seeds are not yet fully mature, and workers place them in fine mesh bags and immerse them in water to continue cultivation. "Seagrass seeds are too light and will be washed away by the sea water when they are fully mature, so it is the best time to collect them around the Mid-Autumn Festival," said Zhou Yi, a researcher at the Institute of Oceanography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Zhou Yi, who has been engaged in research on seagrass beds for over 20 years, visits this "grassland" at the mouth of the Yellow River every other month. This seagrass bed is approximately 30 hectares, which has been restored in the past three to four years, "he told reporters. The mouth of the Yellow River is one of the original habitats of dwarf eel grass, and the largest dwarf eel grass sea grass bed in the country once grew here. When the tide recedes, it is as vast and lush as a grassland. In 2019, Typhoon "Lichma" destroyed more than 10000 mu of seagrass beds. He stood here and looked up, full of naked mudflat. Seagrass beds are similar to forests on land, supporting benthic organisms such as small fish and crabs, and indirectly providing nutrients for various birds. Due to the invasion of Spartina alterniflora and frequent typhoons, the seagrass beds in the Yellow River estuary have been destroyed, and the intertidal ecosystem is no longer intact. "Zhou Licheng, director of the Research Center of the Management Committee of the Shandong Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve, introduced the restoration of the original ecology, To create a good ecological environment for benthos, the Reserve has cooperated with the Institute of Oceanography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ocean University of China and other scientific research institutions since last year to promote the restoration of seagrass beds, and has now repaired nearly 1500 mu. Planting grass on the seabed is quite different from planting grass on land. We have tried direct planting, direct sowing, and other methods, but due to factors such as seabed sediment and ocean currents, plants and seeds directly transplanted and sown are easily washed away by seawater or eaten by marine organisms. "Zhou Yi introduced that after multiple experiments, the team has developed a combination of" seedling planting method "and" mud ball method "for sowing. As the name suggests, "seedling insertion method" refers to the transplanting and cultivation of seedlings in a nursery. The "mud ball method" is like wrapping up tangyuan, which uses soil to wrap the seeds inside, add nutrients, and use machinery to sow seeds. "When the mud ball seeder is inserted on the mudflat, one mud ball will be sowed quickly, which is not only efficient, but also the rate of seedlings seen will be greatly improved," Zhou Yi said. Zhou Licheng introduced that ecological restoration is a interconnected process. In recent years, the protected areas have collaborated to promote four major projects: the management of Spartina alterniflora, the restoration of Suaeda salsa, the restoration of seagrass beds, and the proliferation of benthic organisms. Up to now, a total of 72500 mu of land has been converted from farmland to wetland and from cultivation to beach; Accumulated restoration of 52000 mu of salt marsh alkali marsh and seagrass beds; The wetland area increased by 188 square kilometers, an increase of 12.3%. It is reported that among numerous ecosystems, the status of coastal wetlands is extremely special and crucial. It is not only a transitional zone between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, with extremely high ecological value, but also often located in the most densely populated and economically developed eastern coastal areas of China. Balancing development and protection is not easy. Research has shown that human activities

Edit:He Chuanning Responsible editor:Su Suiyue

Source:Xinhua

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