Surface Elevation Table and Its Application to Wetland Monitoring and Research

Xu Jianing;Lei Ting;College of Nature Reserve,Beijing Forestry University;

surface elevation table,wetland monitoring,measuring platform,marker horizon,sediment

It is very helpful to measure the changes of surface elevation for predicting the influence of the relative sea level rise on mangroves,and it is also useful to research the effects of plants on wetland deposition process and the research of shallow subsidence. The U. S. Geological Survey invented the surface elevation table,which is a measuring equipment used to measure the changes of sediment elevation in the wetland ecosystem. This is an ideal tool to monitor sediment deposition and the characteristics of surface subsidence because of its easiness to grasp,accuracy in measured data and portability. The paper introduced the structure,type and measurement method of surface elevation table,prospected its application in wetland monitoring in China and also compared with other measurement methods. We can obtain the rate of the wetland surface subsidence and shallow subsidence by using the surface elevation table and the marker horizon. And these measurements would help us to understand the current situation of wetland protection and management,predict the trends of wetlands evolution and vegetation succession and also provide the reference data for the protection,restoration and wise use of wetland ecosystem.