Chongming Dongtan Habitats For Birds

About this book

Shanghai, one of the world’s largest cities, is located at the Yangtze River mouth, which contains estuarine wetlands, inland rivers and lakes. The wetlands support 70%-80% of biodiversity in Shanghai and provide habitats for 400 bird species, over 250 fish species, more than 260 species of zooplanktons, more than 150 species of benthic fauna and over 300 species of aquatic plants. These wetlands are therefore the most concentrated area of biodiversity.

Chongming Dongtan is located in the eastern part of Chongming Island. It is the third largest island in China and the largest estuarine alluvial island din the world. Located at the junction of the Yangtze River, the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, Chongming Dongtan stands in a unique geographic position. Its formation, development and evolution are greatly affected by the sea, islands, the mainland and the rivers. It is a globally important estuarine wetland that is still continuously growing, extending up to 80-100m towards the east annually.