Using remote sensing to research Beijing wetlands dynamics

摘要

In Beijing, where wetlands are important to municipal freshwater conservation and biodiversity retention, three different types of wetlands were identified: riverside wetlands, wetlands surrounding lakes and reservoirs, and wetlands in municipal parks. Remote sensing technology was applied in combination with field investigations to monitor and analyze the changes in these wetlands, and a combination of fusion technologies, Landsat TM/ETM+ and IKONOS imaging, was used to investigate and map them. This study indicates that not only have wetland areas been reduced by half, but also their ecological environments have been degraded because of rapid economic development and population increase. Suggestions based on this research are made to reconstruct the ecological environment of the wetlands and return them to their previous state.