Different effects of reclamation methods on macrobenthos community structure in the Yangtze Estuary, China

The effects of enclosed, semi-closed, and opened reclamation methods on the macrobenthos community structure were investigated. Compared with their paired controls, water salinity decreased sharply in the enclosed reclamation region with no apparent change in the opened reclamation region. Declining species and biodiversity was observed in the reclamation regions, but the extent of this declining trend was weaker in the semi-closed and opened reclamations than in the enclosed reclamation region. The ABC curve indicated that the enclosed reclamation was disturbed, whereas the semi-closed and opened reclamations were undisturbed. Taken together, these results suggest that reclamation may have a negative effect on the community and health status of macrobenthos in the intertidal wetlands of the Yangtze Estuary. Semi-closed and opened reclamation methods may mitigate the problem of a salinity decrease caused by enclosed reclamation, while also having a relatively weaker negative effect on community structure and wetland habitat.