Rapid Reclamation and Degradation of Suaeda salsa Saltmarsh along Coastal China’s Northern Yellow Sea

A dramatic decline of 63% (264 km² to 99 km²) in Suaeda salsa saltmarsh habitats along China’s northern Yellow Sea coast has been documented over three decades, with an average annual loss of 5.5 km² per year. The study, using supervised maximum likelihood analysis of Landsat imagery from 1988 to 2018, identified land reclamation as the primary driver of habitat loss, particularly in Liaodong Bay (77% reduction) and the Yellow River Delta wetland (52% reduction). While invasive Spartina alterniflora and natural succession showed limited impact, the findings underscore the urgent need for conservation measures to protect this ecologically and economically valuable ecosystem. The research highlights the critical role of saltmarshes in carbon sequestration, shoreline protection, and biodiversity while emphasizing the necessity of halting reclamation to mitigate rapid degradation.

Zhang, J., Zhang, Y., Lloyd, H., Zhang, Z., & Li, D. (2021). Rapid Reclamation and Degradation of Suaeda salsa Saltmarsh along Coastal China’s Northern Yellow Sea. Land, 10(8), 835. https://doi.org/10.3390/land10080835