The Spatial and Temporal Changes of Coastal Wetland in China over the Past 30 Years

Based on Landsat MSS, ETM and CBERS images, the temporal and spatial variation of coastal wetland in China since the 1970s was analyzed in support of GIS technology. Studies have shown that between 1975 and 2007 changes on coastal wetlands in China are significant, that coastal wetlands had a net decrease of 7509.25km², in which 5186.16km² were into artificial wetlands and 2143.07km² were into non-wetlands. The reduced size was centralized on the tidal flats and estuaries delta areas, where were extensively used by humans and then transformed into artificial wetlands (planting, breeding), or degenerated into non-wetlands. The shrinking coastal wetlands and degeneration in China might be closely related to human activities.