Abstract

Wetland characteristics and health evaluation index system construction in the yellow river delta

Author(s): Mei Han, Yi Wang, Cui Zhang, Lihua Shi

Based on on-site field tests, remote sensing image interpretation and literature, this paper gains the basic characteristics information about the Yellow River Delta wetland and selected 26 diagnostic indicators of the wetland health to construct the index system, including 3 sub-category index systems: the ecological function of the wetland, ecological characteristics of the wetland and man-social environment. It showed that the Yellow River Delta wetland ecosystem was vast in area, various in wetland types, rich in plant and animal species, and diverse in ecological functions. Besides, the index system turned out to be efficient and useful in diagnosing the wetland health, which had practical significance for future research.