Mangrove wetland restoration in China

The large-scale conversion of natural mangroves to aquaculture reduces species richness and diversity. Large areas of abandoned aquaculture ponds in areas where mangroves formerly predominated in China and Southeast Asia represent important potential effective targets for mangrove restoration. Here, we empirically assessed the α-diversity (species richness) and β-diversity (variation in community composition) of mangrove, macrobenthos, fish, and waterbird in a tropical mangrove bay on Hainan Island, China. We compared sites subjected to different pond-to-mangrove restoration programs more than 20 years ago (passive restoration without planting, and active restoration with planting) to nearby reference site with natural mangrove forests and mudflats. To better understand how β-diversity responds to restoration, we also distinguished between β-diversity turnover and nestedness (richness difference). In general, α-diversity values for both fish and waterbird communities, and β-diversity va...