Jiuqu Yellow River, thousands of miles of flow, east into the sea.
Recently, the reporter came to the estuary of the Yellow River in Dongying, Shandong Province with the 2024 publicity activity of the China Environmental Protection Century Tour led by the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and visited the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve (hereinafter referred to as the "reserve"). The theme of this year's campaign is "Implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and Promoting the Full Implementation of the Yellow River Protection Law".
In the reserve, the Oriental White Stork, a national first-class protected wild animal, can be seen standing in the water, or stationed on its nest, or soaring at low altitude, contrasting with the green reeds on the wetland.
Locals say it's the "international airport for birds."
On June 25, the 2024 publicity activity of the China Environmental Protection Century Tour visited the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve. Driving through the reserve, you can see the wetland covered with reeds, and the scenery of abundant water and grass is abundant. Photo by Zeng Yue
But in the memory of Zhao Yajie, deputy director of the Yellow River Delta Ecological Monitoring Center, this land with abundant water and grass was also "trapped by water".
She said that the Yellow River Delta region is congenitally deficient in freshwater resources, with average annual evaporation much higher than precipitation, and that when the Yellow River is cut off, it will face threats such as shrinking wetland area, declining quality and reduced biodiversity.
Since 2002, the reserve has implemented a series of wetland restoration and ecological water replenishment projects, built a scientific ecological water replenishment system, and restored the hydrological connection between the Yellow River and the ocean. In recent years, in view of the characteristics of different birds such as the Oriental White Stork, Black-billed Gull and Red-crowned Crane, the reserve has also built breeding islands, artificial attraction nests and other "dwellings" to create a comfortable and stable ecological environment for biological habitat and breeding.
At present, the number of wild animals and vegetation in the reserve has increased to 1,632 and 685 respectively. The number of bird species has increased from 187 at the time of the establishment of the district to 373 now. Millions of birds rest, winter and breed here, giving the reserve its name as the "International Airport for Birds".
In the past 10 years of working in the reserve, Zhao Yajie also feels that thanks to the power of establishing rules and regulations, wetland restoration and biodiversity conservation have more scientific and legal support.
Last year, the Yellow River Protection Law came into effect, and Shandong Province has also established a system of supporting laws and regulations for the Yellow River Protection Law from point to point.
For example, the Regulations on the Ecological Protection of the Yellow River Delta in Shandong Province and the Regulations on the Conservation of Biodiversity in Shandong Province and other special regulations have clarified the establishment and improvement of biodiversity observation and monitoring systems, the construction of positioning observation stations and observation sample areas, and the use of information technology to improve the monitoring level and early warning capabilities.
"In the past, we used to 'run in the field' in a car, see with a telescope and record with a camera, but now we have new observation sites, monitoring platforms, popular science platforms, research centers and monitoring systems." In the Yellow River Delta Ecological Monitoring Center, Zhao Yajie can complete the collection and analysis of real-time monitoring data of wetland hydrology, soil, meteorology and other real-time monitoring data with a click of a mouse, and the real-time dynamics of various birds scattered in the reserve also leap into the square inch screen.
On June 25, the 2024 publicity activity of the China Environmental Protection Century Tour visited the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve. Standing in front of the tidal flat with a wide field of vision, Zhou Licheng, chief of the planning and construction section of the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve, introduced the management of Spartina alterniflora to reporters. Photo by Zeng Yue
For Zhou Licheng, head of the planning and construction section of the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve, this vibrant river continent has been transformed from a "quiet green desert".
In the past few years, the invasive species Spartina alterniflora has spread rapidly to the intertidal zone of the Yellow River Delta, seriously threatening the wetland ecosystem and coastal ecosystem of the Yellow River estuary.
"It crowds out native vegetation and benthic organisms, resulting in a 'quiet green desert' that looks like a green strip of the entire coastal zone. All the native vegetation and benthic organisms are dead, digging out the root system, and the soil is stinking. Recalling this, Zhou Licheng still remembers it vividly.
In 2016, Dongying City began to explore Spartina alterniflora treatment technology. Two years later, Zhang Jinhai, a deputy to the National People's Congress and an employee of the Dongying Wetland City Construction Promotion Center, walked into the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with the "Suggestions on Accelerating the Management of Spartina alterniflora in the Bohai Rim Region".
"I was born by the Yellow River and grew up drinking the water of the Yellow River." Since being elected to the National People's Congress in 2018, Zhang Jinhai has submitted 58 proposals, more than 30 of which are related to the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin.
With the efforts of all parties, scientific strategies such as the "Work Plan for the Prevention and Control of Spartina alterniflora in Dongying City" and the "Regulations on the Ecological Protection and Restoration of the Yellow River Delta in Dongying City" have been promulgated one after another, and Dongying City has officially launched the global management of Spartina alterniflora. Zhou Licheng and his colleagues immediately plunged into front-line operations such as mowing and flooding.
"Now that piece [Spartina alterniflora] is gone." Standing on the high platform and looking into the distance, Zhou Licheng pointed to the direction he had worked in and recalled.
Up to now, the total area of Spartina alterniflora in the Yellow River Delta is 131,000 mu, and the removal rate has reached more than 99%. In order to prevent the "comeback" of Spartina alterniflora, Dongying City restored 62,000 mu of Suaeda salsa and seagrass beds according to local conditions, and returned 72,500 mu of farmland to wetland and beach within four years.
On June 25, the 2024 publicity activity of the China Environmental Protection Century Tour visited the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve. The picture shows the river beach after Spartina alterniflora has been treated. Photo by Zeng Yue
Today, large swaths of the reserve's tidal flats are covered by Suaeda salsa. Just after the summer solstice, Gu Jinkui, deputy director of the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve Management Committee, has begun to look forward to the golden autumn scenery - when Suaeda salsa turns from green to red, tens of thousands of migratory birds will "step" on the "red carpet" and visit the "international airport for birds".
"When the time comes, if you look in this direction, you can see the vast wetland, the land is firm, the storks and cranes are dancing, and the gulls and herons are auspicious...... "In the evening, Gu Jinkui sighed that an ecological picture of harmonious coexistence between man and nature is slowly unfolding here.
Behind him, the one who flies with Luoxia is no longer a lonely bird.