Ecosystems' backbone: eco corridors

Ecosystems rely on ecological corridors as their backbone. Water corridors play a particularly important role.

生态系统以生态长廊为支柱。水生长廊发挥着尤为重要的作用。

Water corridors – whether perennial or ephemeral, freshwater or saltwater – shape landscapes through natural processes such as sedimentation and erosion. They provide essential resources and support all species from microorganisms to mammals, including humans. The regulation of ecological cycles revolves around water, making it a vital component of any ecosystem.

水生长廊，无论是持久的还是短暂的，淡水的还是咸水的，通过沉积和侵蚀等自然过程来塑造地貌。它们提供必要的资源，支持从微生物到哺乳动物，包括人类在内的所有物种。生态循环的调控核心在于水，使其成为任何生态系统中不可或缺的一部分。

A general view of Shenzhen Bay. Photos by Matteo Convertino

深圳湾一景。

Shenzheners enjoy walking along the Dasha River, a reconstructed ecological corridor. Although the river is far from its natural condition of 30 years ago due to development, restorations that aim to improve the river’s ecosystem can still be achieved.

深圳市民喜欢沿着大沙河散步，这是一个经过重建的生态长廊。尽管由于开发，大沙河与 30 年前的自然状态相去甚远，但致力于改善大沙河生态系统的修复工作仍然在进行中。

Urban development in Shenzhen and other cities has often led to the rectification and flattening of rivers, coastlines, and marine corridors, resulting in the loss of biodiversity. Such alterations disrupt biogeochemical cycles and increase the risk of hazards such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves. 

深圳和其他城市的城市发展通常导致河流、海岸线和海洋走廊的整治和平坦化，从而带来生物多样性的丧失。这些变化扰乱了生物地球化学循环，同时也增加了洪水、干旱和热浪等灾害的风险。

Drainage networks in wetlands and coastal/marine systems, like the Dasha River, are significant for both natural and human environments. Riparian areas along rivers, freshwater wetland shores, and coastlines are particularly valuable for ecological functioning because they are the interfaces between land and flowing water.

像大沙河这样的湿地和沿海/海洋系统的排水网络，对自然和人类环境都至关重要。河流、淡水湿地沿岸和海岸线的沿岸地区是陆地和流水的交汇处，因此在发挥生态功能方面显得尤为关键。

The Dasha River serves as a template for socio-ecological restoration and construction in China. The flow of water connects species, people, and nutrients from upstream forests, along the riverbanks, to coastal and marine habitats.

大沙河是中国社会生态修复和建设的一个范本。水流将上游森林中的物种、人以及营养物质连接至沿岸和海洋栖息地。

It is essential to protect and restore ecological corridors, which play a vital role in the exploitation of natural resources. Quantitative restoration design, which considers socio-ecological benefits and costs, can contribute to preserving the integrity and health of these corridors. 

保护和恢复生态长廊是至关重要的，因为它们在自然资源开发方面扮演着不可或缺的角色。通过考虑社会生态效益和成本的定量修复设计，有助于保持这些长廊的完整性和健康。

Preserving the Dasha River and other drainage networks, along with interfacial areas like riparian zones and coasts, is crucial for our own survival. The functional and aesthetic aspects of their beautiful tree-like structure are intimately tied to necessary ecological processes. 

保护大沙河和其他排水网络，以及河岸带和海岸等界面区域，对我们自身的生存至关重要。其美丽的树状结构的功能和美学与必要的生态过程紧密相连。

Many animal species act as ecological indicators that flag fluctuations in water quantity and quality before those changes can impact humans.

许多动物物种作为生态指标，会在水量和水质发生变化对人类造成影响之前，就对这些变化进行标记。

Therefore, investing in the enhancement and creation of these ecological corridors is not only critical for our present but also for sustainable future human habitats and climate neutrality goals.

因此，全力投资和建设这些生态长廊，对我们当前至关重要，也对实现可持续未来的人类栖息地和气候中和目标至关紧要。

Cities like Shenzhen have experienced the loss of ecological gradients and hydrological security as a result of urban development. Coastal habitats, in particular, have suffered due to imperfect reclamation, leading to significant water stress. The Dasha River outlet, once a delta, has been turned into an estuary over the past 15 years, which led to the loss of coastal wetlands in Shenzhen Bay. 

像深圳一样的城市在城市发展的过程中，严重损害了生态梯度和水文安全。特别是沿海地区，由于填海造地不善，导致水资源紧缺问题愈发严重。大沙河的出海口曾是一个三角洲，在过去15年中变成了一个河口，导致深圳湾沿岸湿地的消失。 

The preservation of the structurally unique and functional tree-like ecological corridors is of the utmost importance.

保护这些结构独特且功能齐全的树状生态长廊极为重要。

Mapping techniques that consider historical imagery and on-the-ground information can help visualize the evolution of ecological networks and the impact of alterations.

结合历史图像和实地信息的制图技术有助于清晰呈现生态网络的演变和变化的影响。

The Dasha River serves as a template for ecological restoration in China, although it is crucial to acknowledge that it is a man-made river. While we live in a transformed world, seeking the best ecosystem design entails considering nature’s optimal patterns.

尽管必须承认大沙河是一条人工河流，但它仍然可以作为中国生态恢复的一个范本。在我们置身于一个不断变革的世界的同时，寻求最佳的生态系统设计意味着必须考虑自然的最佳模式。

Microtidal networks within saltwater coastal wetlands near the Dasha River outlet provide homes for species such as crabs, mudskippers, and birds.

大沙河出口附近的咸水沿岸湿地内的微潮网络为螃蟹、弹涂鱼和鸟类等物种提供了家园。

Microtidal networks within saltwater coastal wetlands near the Dasha River outlet provide homes for species such as crabs, mudskippers, and birds. Eco-engineering aims to protect and restore these habitats by reshaping the ecological corridors for the better, including water flows and species, thereby maximizing ecosystem functions.

大沙河出口附近的咸水沿岸湿地内的微潮网络为螃蟹、弹涂鱼和鸟类等物种提供了家园。生态工程的目标是通过重新塑造生态长廊，包括水流和物种，来保护和恢复这些栖息地，从而最大限度地发挥生态系统的功能。