Ecosystem service values and restoration in the urban Sanyang wetland of Wenzhou, China

Over the course of a year, we conducted a study on future restoration work in the Sanyang wetland, a degraded permanent river wetland that is close to the center of Wenzhou city, China. Our main objective was to plan the restoration by using both structural indices and a valuation of the wetland's ecosystem services, thereby linking the science to human welfare. Based on field surveys and research into the history of the study area, we calculated both the potential and current values of the main ecosystem services. The results showed that the potential value at the Sanyang wetland was 55,332 yuan ha(-1) yr(-1), while the current value was only 5807 yuan ha(-1) yr(-1). In other words, 89.5% of the service value needs to be restored for the wetland to reach its potential value. We recommend that the service provided by the wetland's ability to purify the environment needs to be the top priority in restoration. In addition, water and sediment quality should also be greatly improved. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.