Yingquan Quanshuiwan Wetland Park

Yingquan Quanshuiwan Wetland Park

Yingquan Quanshuiwan Wetland Park is a national wetland park.

I. General Information

Quanshuiwan Wetland Park is located in Yingquan District, Fuyang City, situated in the heart of the vast Huabei Plain, between longitude 115°33′ to 115°55′ and latitude 32°54′ to 33°07′. Quanshuiwan is located on the north bank of the Quanhe River, bordered by the river to the south, stretching from Quanying Sluice in the east to Kanheliu Sluice in the west. It is situated along the old Quanhe River channel, with a total length of 15 kilometers and a planned total area of 452 hectares, of which the wetland area totals 288.47 hectares, accounting for 63.82% of the park’s total land area.

According to the classification system of the "National Wetland Resource Survey Technical Regulations (Trial)" and based on the results of Anhui Province’s second wetland resource survey, the wetlands within the park are mainly natural river wetlands (water surfaces and riverbanks), along with a small portion of reservoir and pond wetlands.

II. Flora and Fauna Resources

(1) Wetland Plants

Preliminary surveys have identified a total of 102 species of vascular plants (including infraspecific taxa, the same below) in 90 genera and 46 families within Quanshuiwan Wetland Park in Yingquan District, including 3 families, 3 genera, and 3 species of ferns; 2 families, 2 genera, and 2 species of gymnosperms; and 41 families, 85 genera, and 97 species of angiosperms. Among the angiosperms, there are 34 families, 69 genera, and 78 species of dicotyledons, and 7 families, 16 genera, and 19 species of monocotyledons.

The aquatic vascular plants in Quanshuiwan Wetland Park in Yingquan District, Fuyang, are relatively abundant in northern Anhui, with a total of 40 species in 34 genera and 19 families. Due to the close relationship between the role of wetland plants in the wetland ecosystem and factors such as water bodies, substrates, atmosphere, light, and their morphological structures, the life forms of wetland plants can be divided into the following five types: A. Emergent plants: roots anchored in the substrate, most of the plant body above the water surface to receive sunlight, capable of surviving in moist terrestrial conditions during droughts; B. Floating-leaved plants: roots suspended in water, leaves floating on the surface to receive sunlight, often with long petioles or leaves arranged along variable stems, not drought-tolerant; C. Wet marsh plants: roots in moist or aquatic substrates, completing life cycles in wet or marsh environments, with inflorescences above water, pollinated by wind or insects; D. Submerged plants: roots in the substrate, the entire plant submerged, with simplified inflorescences or floral parts, often breaching the surface during flowering, pollinated by water or self-pollination; E. Moisture-tolerant plants: mesophytic plants growing near water bodies, able to adapt to periodic wet and dry conditions during their life cycle, often flowering and fruiting in the latter environment, playing an important role in the wetland ecosystem.

Based on these life forms, the wetland park contains 6 species of emergent plants, 3 species of floating-leaved plants, 19 species of wet marsh plants, 3 species of submerged plants, and 9 species of moisture-tolerant plants. While diversity is evident in the wetland ecosystem of northern Anhui, wet marsh and moisture-tolerant plants are more predominant. In terms of habitat conditions, these two life forms are distributed in the transitional zone between aquatic habitats and mesic environments.

According to the "China Red Data Book of Rare and Endangered Plants" published by the State Council Environmental Protection Committee in 1984 and the "List of National Key Protected Wild Plants (First Batch)" approved and issued by the State Council in 1999, the wetland park currently hosts one species under national first-class protection: Ginkgo biloba, a deciduous large tree belonging to the Ginkgoaceae family and Ginkgo genus, a monotypic genus and species. There is also one species under national second-class protection: Nelumbo nucifera (lotus).

(2) Wetland Animals

Quanshuiwan Wetland boasts extremely rich animal resources, with a total of 198 species of wild vertebrates recorded, belonging to 29 orders and 55 families.

As part of the Huai River system, Quanshuiwan Wetland has abundant freshwater fish resources. Preliminary surveys have identified 41 fish species in the wetland, predominantly from the Cypriniformes order. Specifically, there are 34 species from 2 families within Cypriniformes, and 7 species from 7 families outside Cypriniformes. The wetland is also home to 7 species of amphibians from 1 order and 3 families, 6 species of reptiles from 3 orders and 3 families, and 14 species of mammals from 5 orders and 7 families. In terms of species count, rodents (2 families, 8 species) and carnivores (2 families, 2 species) are dominant (see Table 5), reflecting distinct farmland and aquatic mammal characteristics.

The survey found a total of 130 bird species in the wetland, belonging to 15 orders and 33 families. Of these, 58 species are passerines, accounting for 44.6% of the total bird species in the park, including 19 species from the Muscicapidae family alone, making it the most diverse. The remaining 72 species are non-passerines, accounting for 55.4% of the total. Ecologically, the park hosts various bird types, including waterfowl, waders, landfowl, climbers, raptors, and songbirds. Among the 130 bird species, 36 are resident birds (27.7%), 24 are summer migrants (18.5%), 38 are winter migrants (29.2%), and 32 are passage migrants (24.6%).

The wetland is home to multiple nationally protected wildlife species, all of which are birds, including 14 species such as the Eurasian Spoonbill, Greater White-fronted Goose, Tundra Swan, Black Kite, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Hen Harrier, Pied Harrier, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Amur Falcon, Brown Wood Owl, Northern Boobook, and Short-eared Owl, accounting for 7.1% of the total 198 vertebrate species in the wetland.

There are also 38 provincially protected wild vertebrate species in the wetland. Among amphibians, four species—the Golden-line Spotted Frog, Dark-spotted Frog, Chinese Edible Frog, and Flower-spotted Toad—are under Anhui provincial protection. For reptiles, the Chinese Softshell Turtle and Chinese Rat Snake are listed as protected. Among mammals, the Leopard Cat and Siberian Weasel are two provincially protected species. Birds include 30 species under provincial protection, such as the Mallard, Northern Pintail, Bean Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Common Cuckoo, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Red-rumped Swallow, Brown Shrike, Black-naped Oriole, Azure-winged Magpie, and Common Pheasant.

III. Hydrology and Climate

Yingquan Quanshuiwan Wetland Park is located in the transitional zone between subtropical and warm temperate regions, characterized by a warm temperate semi-humid monsoon climate with distinct seasons, ample sunshine, abundant rainfall, and mild temperatures. The annual average temperature is 14.9°C, with a frost-free period of 220 days and an average annual precipitation of about 910 mm. The mean annual temperature ranges from 14.5°C to 15.0°C, with January averaging 1.0°C to 1.2°C and July averaging 28°C. Monthly temperature fluctuations are greatest in February (up to 9°C) and smallest in September (around 3.5°C). The average extreme maximum temperature is close to 37°C, while the average extreme minimum temperature is around –12°C. The annual average frost-free period is 221 days. Average annual precipitation is about 950 mm, with a maximum of 1722 mm and a minimum of 389.6 mm. Annual evaporation ranges from 1600 to 1930 mm, varying seasonally, with the highest in summer and lowest in winter, and spring higher than autumn. Within the year, June sees the highest evaporation, while January sees the lowest. The wetland park is in a semi-humid region with stable relative humidity. Relative humidity is higher from March to June (above 82%) and lower from October to January of the following year (below 78%), with an annual average of 80%.