COASTAL WETLAND PROTECTION IN CHINA: GEOLOGICAL ISSUES AND RESEARCH TASKS

Coastal wetland is the joint product of tidal process and freshwater input at a continental margin. It is also under the control of various factors, such as biological process through biofilms, bioturbation of sediments, fluctuation of currents and waves, organic enrichment in sediments, and closing of nutrient cycles. The knowledge concerning coastal wetland ecosystems and their functions has grown rapidly over the past decade, and progress has been gained in the studies of geomorphic processes, hydrologic dynamics, biotic feedbacks, and disturbance agents in creating and molding a variety of ecosystems in coastal wetlands. However, there are still many geology-related issues needed be solved. Aiming at the needs in protection and management of coastal wetlands in China, the authors addressed the geological tasks in the coastal wetland research based on a review of the current status in this field.