Coastal wetlands situated between connected terrestrial and marine ecosystems are among the world’s most productive ecosystems. Functioning as a critical zone occupying <0.3 % of the global ocean area, coastal wetlands contribute to a considerable proportion of the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and serve as crucial biodiversity hotspots. However, coastal wetlands have been severely destroyed, losing critical functions and ecosystem services. Multiple impacts like global warming, exotic species invasion, sea level rise, eutrophication, and wetland reclamation have changed ecosystem processes, with 16% of tidal flats lost during 1984-2016. Considering the critical buffering functions between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, many countries have launched coastal wetland restoration projects. Restoring coastal wetland ecosystems presents complex challenges due to inadequate understanding of the methods and mechanisms of coastal wetland conservation and restoration.
Several urgent issues need to be addressed to improve current measures of coastal wetland protection and restoration. Global climate changes and coastal developments led to direct losses of saltmarsh area, and invasive plants (such as Spartina alterniflora) have replaced native vegetation in many saltmarshes. Consequently, this has altered the structure of benthic communities, reducing the value of wetlands as habitats for migratory birds and protected animals. In projects designed to eradicate invasive plants, physical engineering and chemical herbicide measures have been adopted, however they can have a significant negative impact on the biodiversity of wetland ecosystems. Reclamation activities have also led to an increase in soil salinization, and there is a lack of suitable halophytes for wetland restoration in reclamation areas. In addition, coastal wetland loss and ecosystem degeneration have exacerbated the loss of buffer functions of flood protection, erosion control, water quality improvement and carbon sequestration, etc.
This Research Topic aims to provide Nature-based Solutions to the challenges of coastal wetland restoration and improvement. Innovative theories and technologies are invited to rebuild native coastal wetland ecosystems, including measures such as geomorphic modification, culturing halophytes, the selection of specific halophyte resources, controlling exotic species, growing coastal vegetation, enhancing the stability of blue carbon pool, restoring the benthic community structure improving the quality of habitat for key species in wetlands and evaluating the ecosystem services.
Some of the key research needs in this field include:
• Exploring Nature-based Solutions to ensure the reclamation of wetlands, such as geomorphic modification, restoration of hydrological conditions, revegetation, and landscape reshaping.
• Revealing the mechanism and outcomes of competition between invasive plants and native plants.
• Developing ecological pathways and technologies to control invasive species.
• Culturing and selecting halophytes which are suitable for highly salinized land.
• Protecting and restoring the biodiversity of coastal wetlands (benthos, birds, protected animals, coastal wetlands plants).
• Exploring technological solutions to increase blue carbon potential (in biomass, sediment, water).
• Seeking innovative technologies for saline land improvement.
• Monitoring and evaluating the ecosystem service values of coastal wetlands, i.e., flood protection, erosion control, water quality, seawater intrusion, etc.
In this Research Topic, we invite authors to publish the latest research addressing these challenges and issues, so that we can share our knowledge, achievements and lessons learned of coastal wetland protection and restoration, and develop innovative Nature-based Solutions to address problems facing these critical ecosystems.
Keywords:
Coastal Wetland Restoration, Carbon Stocks, Halophyte Species, Nature-based Solutions, Climate Adaptation, Climate Mitigation, Exotic Species, Biodiversity Conservation, Ecosystem Services
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Coastal wetlands situated between connected terrestrial and marine ecosystems are among the world’s most productive ecosystems. Functioning as a critical zone occupying <0.3 % of the global ocean area, coastal wetlands contribute to a considerable proportion of the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and serve as crucial biodiversity hotspots. However, coastal wetlands have been severely destroyed, losing critical functions and ecosystem services. Multiple impacts like global warming, exotic species invasion, sea level rise, eutrophication, and wetland reclamation have changed ecosystem processes, with 16% of tidal flats lost during 1984-2016. Considering the critical buffering functions between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, many countries have launched coastal wetland restoration projects. Restoring coastal wetland ecosystems presents complex challenges due to inadequate understanding of the methods and mechanisms of coastal wetland conservation and restoration.
Several urgent issues need to be addressed to improve current measures of coastal wetland protection and restoration. Global climate changes and coastal developments led to direct losses of saltmarsh area, and invasive plants (such as Spartina alterniflora) have replaced native vegetation in many saltmarshes. Consequently, this has altered the structure of benthic communities, reducing the value of wetlands as habitats for migratory birds and protected animals. In projects designed to eradicate invasive plants, physical engineering and chemical herbicide measures have been adopted, however they can have a significant negative impact on the biodiversity of wetland ecosystems. Reclamation activities have also led to an increase in soil salinization, and there is a lack of suitable halophytes for wetland restoration in reclamation areas. In addition, coastal wetland loss and ecosystem degeneration have exacerbated the loss of buffer functions of flood protection, erosion control, water quality improvement and carbon sequestration, etc.
This Research Topic aims to provide Nature-based Solutions to the challenges of coastal wetland restoration and improvement. Innovative theories and technologies are invited to rebuild native coastal wetland ecosystems, including measures such as geomorphic modification, culturing halophytes, the selection of specific halophyte resources, controlling exotic species, growing coastal vegetation, enhancing the stability of blue carbon pool, restoring the benthic community structure improving the quality of habitat for key species in wetlands and evaluating the ecosystem services.
Some of the key research needs in this field include:
• Exploring Nature-based Solutions to ensure the reclamation of wetlands, such as geomorphic modification, restoration of hydrological conditions, revegetation, and landscape reshaping.
• Revealing the mechanism and outcomes of competition between invasive plants and native plants.
• Developing ecological pathways and technologies to control invasive species.
• Culturing and selecting halophytes which are suitable for highly salinized land.
• Protecting and restoring the biodiversity of coastal wetlands (benthos, birds, protected animals, coastal wetlands plants).
• Exploring technological solutions to increase blue carbon potential (in biomass, sediment, water).
• Seeking innovative technologies for saline land improvement.
• Monitoring and evaluating the ecosystem service values of coastal wetlands, i.e., flood protection, erosion control, water quality, seawater intrusion, etc.
In this Research Topic, we invite authors to publish the latest research addressing these challenges and issues, so that we can share our knowledge, achievements and lessons learned of coastal wetland protection and restoration, and develop innovative Nature-based Solutions to address problems facing these critical ecosystems.
Keywords:
Coastal Wetland Restoration, Carbon Stocks, Halophyte Species, Nature-based Solutions, Climate Adaptation, Climate Mitigation, Exotic Species, Biodiversity Conservation, Ecosystem Services
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.