Qingming Outing Season | Want to go outing and learn knowledge during the Qingming holiday? Why not go see the "Kidney of the Earth"?

Audit expert: Yang Yanhui

Senior Landscape Engineer, Beijing Haidian Water Ecological Construction Development Co., Ltd.

The temperature is gradually warming up, all things are reviving, the mountains and rivers are rid of the dreariness of winter, and the emerging green buds and blooming flowers herald the arrival of spring.

Source: Beijing Daily

The Qingming Festival holiday has arrived. If you want to experience the beauty of spring and also hope to learn scientific knowledge while having fun, you might as well visit these wetlands in Beijing to experience a richer and more beautiful nature.

Wetlands are also known as the "kidneys of the earth" . They not only play a very important role in regulating the ecology, but also contain biodiversity. Spring is the season when wetlands are full of vitality, making it a great place to learn about animals and plants.

Why are wetlands called the "Kidneys of the Earth"?

Wetlands cover only 6% of the Earth's surface, but they provide a living environment for 20% of the known species on Earth. Wetlands are not only home to a rich variety of animals and plants, but are also natural water reservoirs on land. In addition to exploiting groundwater, our main source of fresh water depends on wetlands.

At the same time, wetlands also have functions such as regulating climate, conserving water resources, diverting flood water and reducing flood peaks, promoting siltation and land reclamation, and degrading pollutants .

Source: China Railway 18th Bureau Group Co., Ltd.

What is a wetland? In a broad sense, all large bodies of water on Earth, except the ocean (with a depth of more than 6 meters), can be called wetlands. Therefore, anything from a rice field pond to a lake or swamp can be called a "wetland."

What scientific knowledge can you learn in wetlands?

Since it has the titles of "Cradle of Life", "Paradise of Birds" and "Gene Bank of Species", wetlands have become one of the best "outdoor classrooms" for us to learn science in spring due to their biodiversity.

During Bird-loving Week in April every year, you can often see various types of birds that were rarely seen in the past in the wetlands. In addition to animals, there are also a variety of plants in the wetlands: marsh-dwelling calamus and calla lilies; emergent water-dwelling cattails and reeds; floating-leaf water lilies and duckweed; floating duckweed and Azolla; and important submerged plants such as Vallisneria, Ceratophyllum, Myriophyllum, and Hydrilla.

Source: China Weather

So, what are the scientific highlights of wetlands in spring? Let's take a look~

01

A great gathering of birds

The total area of ​​wetlands accounts for about 6% of the earth's land area, but more than 40% of the world's species rely on wetlands for reproduction and survival. It is precisely because of such a rich variety of biological species that we have the opportunity to see animals that are rarely seen in wetlands.

Source: Hanshiqiao Wetland

Herons, gadwalls, mallards ... When you walk in the wetlands, these animals may be basking in the same sunshine as you. Isn't it more direct to see these rare animals with your own eyes and observe their habits than to see them in books?

02

The real version of "SpongeBob SquarePants"

In the wetland, there is a very interesting plant. Just like SpongeBob in the cartoon, it can absorb a large amount of water, even up to 18 times its own weight. This interesting plant is peat moss .

Source: Baidu

How strong is the water absorption capacity of peat moss? Only about 80 pieces of peat moss with a length of 10-20 cm and a dry weight of about 4 grams can easily absorb a whole bottle of 500 ml of mineral water. If you go to visit the wetland, you might as well look for traces of this "super sponge".

03

Reeds, a frequent visitor to wetlands

Reeds occupy an important ecological position in wetlands and provide an important habitat for biodiversity. They are highly adaptable plants that can grow in different soil and water environments, which not only enriches the living space of birds, but also increases food source plants (those that can provide food resources for animals), and through ecological water replenishment, it ensures water sources and improves water quality, further improving the living environment of wild animals and plants.

Source: The Paper

Reed plants are tall, with stalks that can reach 2 to 6 meters in height and stand upright. The stalks are hollow and tough, and the reed leaves are long and thin, about 30 centimeters long. Reeds can be used to make woven products, papermaking, roof covering materials, etc., and have strong economic value.

If you have the opportunity, you can also weave your own handicraft with reeds to leave unforgettable memories of this holiday.

What wetlands can you see without leaving Beijing?

01

Olympic Forest Park Dieshuihuatai Wetland

There is such a wetland in the Olympic Forest Park. This wetland has reeds, cattails, sedges and cannas, as well as waterfalls, wooden boardwalks and other landscape settings. It not only allows close observation of aquatic plants, but is also a good place to take photos.

Source: Beijing News

02

National Botanical Garden

The National Botanical Garden brings together various types of plants from home and abroad, and is a treasure trove of popular science about flowers and plants. Here you can appreciate various exotic flowers and plants, and learn about their growth habits, distribution areas, and ecological values.

Source: National Botanical Garden

03

Daxing Nanhaizi Wetland Park

One of the four major suburban parks in Beijing, the largest wetland park in Beijing... After completion, the total area of ​​Nanhai Zi, which exceeds 11 square kilometers, has many titles. Not only does it have a variety of plant species, but it also has some wild animals living in it.

Source: Sohu

04

Shunyi Hanshiqiao Wetland

Located in Shunyi District, Beijing, it is the largest reed marsh wetland in Beijing . Here, visitors can observe a variety of birds including herons, egrets, wild ducks, kingfishers, as well as insects such as dragonflies and butterflies. Hanshiqiao Wetland Park is also an important transit station for migratory birds.

Source | Shunyi District Culture and Tourism Bureau

Wetlands are so beautiful, so will our visits to see them cause damage to the wetland environment? The above-mentioned "outdoor classrooms" are all wetland function display areas, which are planned and built to allow the public to better understand wetlands and improve their scientific literacy. At the same time, in order to protect the "kidneys of the earth", various places have also set up wetland core protection areas, which are also "big communities" where animals and plants live.
By dividing wetlands into different functional areas, Beijing has successfully protected and restored wetland areas. Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, more than 2,300 hectares of wetlands have been restored, which is a vivid practice of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Therefore, even if we come to visit the exhibition area, we should pay attention to the "distance creates beauty" between us and wild animals and plants, observe wild animals from a distance, and contribute our own efforts to protecting the wetland ecological environment.