A review of wetland ecological status evaluation in China

In this paper, we evaluate the progress of research on wetland ecological status evaluation in China in terms of the definition of wetland ecological status evaluation, the ecological status of internationally and nationally important wetlands, and the main evaluation methods. The study on the ecological status of 1413 wetlands in China shows that the ecological status of internationally important wetlands is generally good. But the ecological status of 341 nationally important wetlands is poor, accounting for 24.85%. The methods, contents, and results of ecological status evaluation of various wetlands were systematically analyzed. It is believed that the evaluation of wetland ecological status is a basic technical research work to meet the needs of wetland protection and management. The evaluation of wetland ecological status can reflect the ecological change of wetlands at different space and time scales. It is an important technical means to improve the protection, management, and rational development of wetlands, to meet the management requirements of wetland ecosystem protection and restoration, and to reveal the internal relationship of various ecological factors. Finally, the difficulties faced in the evaluation of wetland ecological status are analyzed and relevant countermeasures and suggestions have been stated.