A review on the ecological and environmental impacts of agricultural ditch systems in wetlands
湿地农田渠系的生态环境影响研究综述

In the process of wetlands exploitation, agricultural ditch systems are widespread and cause ecological and environmental impacts on landscape in two ways. On the one hand, as corridors, ditch systems have the function to separate a landscape, lead to landscape fragmentation, and even alter wetlands into farmlands dominated landscape. On the other hand, as pathways, ditch systems change the hydrologic processes of the region and provide a shortcut for the spatial movement of agricultural pollutants from farmlands to rivers. According to the two functions of ditch systems, an investigation on its ecological and environmental impacts at local and regional scales will provide feasible measures for wetland protection and rehabilitation. Based on a review on previous studies, a systematic approach is put forward to deal with the ecological and environmental impacts of agricultural ditch systems: 1) its mechanisms should be detected with landscape ecology and ecological modeling; 2) its impacts should be traced by environmental impact assessment and ecosystem health evaluation; and 3) its ecological control should be realized through the means of restoration ecology. This integrated solution will provide a new way for studying the ecological and environmental impacts of agricultural ditch systems in wetlands.