涠洲岛珊瑚礁健康评估

Assessment on the Health of Coral Reefs at Weizhou Island

关键词:  涠洲岛  珊瑚礁  健康  评估

Key words:  Weizhou Island  coral reef  health  assessment

摘要:

[目的]科学地判断涠洲岛珊瑚礁的现状,并找出造成目前现状的主要原因,为及时采取有效措施以维持涠洲岛珊瑚礁的健康提供有力依据。[方法]根据历年来有关涠洲岛珊瑚礁生长、演变、环境变化与社会发展的研究成果和最新的调查研究资料,采用HRHPI的指标体系法,从生态结构、生态功能、压力及社会经济等几个特征属性对珊瑚礁健康进行评估。[结果]涠洲岛的自然环境仍适合石珊瑚的生存,石珊瑚的种类丰度仍正常;珊瑚礁的覆盖率降低、分布范围缩小、生物多样性下降,尤其在浅海和局部人为影响大的区域,珊瑚死亡率大于补充率。[结论]涠洲岛的珊瑚礁处于衰退中的亚健康状态。过度捕捞、污染、物理损伤(踩踏、抛锚、水下工程等)和大尺度环境变化(如气候异常)等是造成涠洲岛珊瑚礁衰退的主要原因。

Abstract:

[Objective] Scientific judgment was made on the current situation of coral reefs in Weizhou Island, and its main cause was found out, in order to provide powerful basis to take effective measures for timely sustaining the health of coral reefs in Weizhou Island.[Methods] According to the data derived from previous research and the survey results of this research,the indicator system based on HRHPI was used for the coral reef health assessment through analyzing ecosystem structure,ecological function,stress,and social ecomony.[Results] Natural condition in Weizhou Island still can support the survival of hermatypic corals and the species richness of hermatypic corals remains normal but with decreaseing coverage,distribution scope,and biodiversity of coral reefs,espcially in shallow sea and some areas suffering severe human activity.The mortality rate of corals is higher than its recruitment rate.[Conclusion] Coral reefs at Weizhou Island are in the trend of degradation,which is believed to be resulted from overfishing,pollution,physical injuries (crumbled by people trampling,anchoring,underwater engineering,etc.) and large-scale environmental changes (e.g. climate change).