Coastal Wetland Vulnerability Under the Influence of Human Activities: A Case Study of the Liaohe Estuary
Yuanbin Fu, Yue Qi, Jing Kang, Ji Yu, Gongbo Ma, Chuanjun Wang and Yongguang Sunn
The Liaohe Estuary is a typical suaeda-reed coastal wetland area that plays an important role in international biodiversity conservation. In recent decades, coastal development and utilization intensity have continued to increase, leading to a series of problems such as coastal wetland shrinkage, beach erosion, habitat fragmentation, and environmental pollution. Based on field studies, monitoring, and historical data analysis, this paper examined the impacts of development and utilization on coastal wetlands in the Liaohe Estuary, as well as changes in wetland development and utilization due to human activities. Evaluation indicators were selected for the comprehensive evaluation of coastal wetland vulnerability. The results revealed the spatial heterogeneity of vulnerability, reflecting the impact of human activities. As wetland ecological services function was reduced, wetland vulnerability was reduced and reached a new balance at a lower ecological level.
Keywords: Liaohe Estuary, coastal wetland, vulnerability, human activities