Local assessment of Shanghai: Effects of urbanization on the diversity of macrobenthic invertebrates

Shanghai is the largest industrial and commercial city in China. It is a coastal metropolitan city located on- and surrounded by several types of natural and constructed wetlands. The rapid growth of the city over the past three decades and rapid economic development have caused a number of ecological problems. Macrobenthic invertebrates play an vital role for the wetland ecosystem structure and function in Shanghai. As macrobenthic invertebrates quickly respond to water and habitat quality, they can be key indicators of the state of the wetland ecosystems. However, tidal fl at reclamation, alien plant spread, and sewage discharge pollution caused by the growth of the city and the urban population, have changed their habitats and affected their capacities to produce ecosystem services. This assessment discusses the effects of urbanization on macrobenthic invertebrates in Shanghai and measures that may contribute to their conservation. The results show that the growing city has changed the species composition and abundance. They also show that ecological restoration can yield positive results for the macrobenthic invertebrate populations, but is a long process that needs the support of well-designed policies.