Nansi Lake Nature Reserve

Nansi Lake Nature Reserve

Nansi Lake Nature Reserve is a national nature reserve.

1. Reserve Name: Shandong Nansi Lake Provincial Nature Reserve.

2. Year Listed in the "China Important Wetlands Directory": 1994.

3. Geographic Coordinates: 34°27′–35°20′N, 116°34′–117°E

4. Geographic Location: Located within Weishan County, Rencheng District, and Yutai County under the jurisdiction of Jining City, Shandong Province.

5. Total Area: 127,547 hectares, including a core zone of 45,107 hectares, a buffer zone of 40,359 hectares, and an experimental zone of 42,081 hectares.

6. Type of Nature Reserve: Natural ecosystem type – wetland type.

7. Elevation: 30m–325m.

8. Reserve Description: The Nansi Lakes refer collectively to four interconnected lakes—Weishan Lake, Zhaoyang Lake, Dushan Lake, and Nanyang Lake—belonging to the Si River system of the Huai River basin. The reserve is a natural complex and ecosystem composed of lake wetlands, islands, adjacent paddy fields, and surrounding forested catchments.

9. Geographic Environment Description: The area features a warm temperate monsoon continental climate with distinct seasons. The average annual rainfall is 773.6mm, the average annual sunshine duration is 2,515.5 hours, the average annual land temperature is 13.8°C, and the average annual lake temperature is 14.3°C. The average water depth is 1.46m, the historical highest water level is 36.48m, the maximum water storage area is 126,600 hectares, and the maximum water storage capacity is 5.3 billion cubic meters. The watershed spans 32 counties (cities) across four provinces—Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan, and Anhui—with a total area of 3.17 million hectares. There are 53 inflowing rivers and three main outflow channels. Nansi Lake is the largest, most structurally intact, and well-preserved large inland freshwater grass-type lake north of the Huai River in China, accounting for 47% of Shandong Province’s freshwater area, and is one of China’s top ten freshwater lakes.

10. Ecological Description: A total of 116 genera from 46 families of planktonic algae and 538 species from 108 families of aquatic vascular plants have been recorded. Dominant aquatic plants include reeds, Hydrilla verticillata, Polygonum spp., Monochoria vaginalis, and Ceratophyllum demersum. Most areas around the lakes consist of farmland, grasslands, and artificial shelterbelts.

11. Notable Animal Populations: The reserve serves as an important habitat for migratory waterfowl and a crucial wintering ground. It is home to 205 bird species, including 26 nationally protected species (Class I and II) such as the great bustard, whooper swan, white-naped crane, common crane, and mandarin duck, as well as 35 species under special protection in Shandong Province. Of the 227 species listed in the "China-Japan Agreement on the Protection of Migratory Birds and Their Habitats," 109 (48%) are found here; of the 81 species in the "China-Australia Agreement on the Protection of Migratory Birds and Their Habitats," 25 (31%) are present. Major wintering waterfowl populations include geese, ducks, herons, rails, snipes, and grebes.

12. Notable Plant Communities: Wetland vegetation mainly consists of plants from the Poaceae, Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Fabaceae, Polygonaceae, and Potamogetonaceae families. Key plant communities include emergent vegetation zones such as reed stands, Phragmites stands, and lotus stands; floating-leaved and deep-rooted vegetation zones such as Nymphoides peltata stands and Trapa bicornis + Euryale ferox stands; and submerged vegetation zones such as Ceratophyllum demersum, Potamogeton maackianus, and Vallisneria spiralis stands. Aquatic vegetation coverage reaches 89.9%, earning it the reputation of an “underwater forest.” Nine plant species are under national protection (Classes I, II, and III), including Ceratopteris thalictroides, Ceratopteris pteridoides, China needlegrass, and wild soybean.

13. Social and Cultural Value: Local communities around the lake primarily rely on aquaculture, rice production, and crop farming for their livelihoods. The reserve hosts revolutionary tradition education bases and eco-tourism scenic areas, rich in “Ancient Canal Culture.”

14. Hydrological and Natural Value: Functions include flood control, runoff reduction, flood storage and drought prevention, water regulation, climate moderation, and maintaining wetland ecosystem balance. The reserve also supports research and conservation of wintering waterfowl, as well as the rational development and utilization of natural and cultural resources.

15. Implemented Conservation Measures: ① Established as a county-level nature reserve in 1982, upgraded to a city-level reserve in 1996, and further to a provincial reserve in 2003; ② The “Jining Nansi Lake Nature Reserve Administration” was established in 2004; ③ In 2005, the Jining Municipal Government issued the "Jining Nansi Lake Nature Reserve Management Measures" and formed the “Jining Nansi Lake Nature Reserve Management Committee” chaired by the mayor; ④ Between 2005 and 2006, over 570 boundary markers, signs, and buoys were installed at the boundary between the experimental and core zones; ⑤ In 2010, the municipal staffing committee approved 15 positions for the administration and added the title “Jining Wetland Conservation Management Center”; ⑥ Actively pursued promotion to a national nature reserve, completing a comprehensive scientific survey report and master plan for the Shandong Nansi Lake Nature Reserve; ⑦ Applied for wetland restoration projects. Thanks to these efforts, the “Feasibility Study Report on the Shandong Nansi Lake Wetland Conservation and Restoration Demonstration Project” was approved by the National Forestry Administration, with a total investment of 14.33 million yuan, and the first phase of funding has been allocated. Large-scale efforts have been made to convert farmland and fishponds back to forests, wetlands, and lakes; ⑧ Weishan County established a lakeside law enforcement team responsible for patrol and inspection within the reserve; ⑨ Public awareness campaigns have been carried out, including installation of informational signs and frequent use of local radio, newspapers, and television to promote the importance of protecting waterfowl and wetlands.

16. Recommended Conservation Measures: “Resolve management ownership issues in protected areas to enable better exercise of protective authority by reserve management bodies; prohibit all fishing and production activities in the core zone; systematically relocate and resettle fishermen in the core zone; ensure legally approved mining and construction projects along the lake to prevent pollution, and promptly restore or provide ecological compensation for any damage to the natural environment and resources of the reserve; establish public security and grassroots management institutions for the reserve as soon as possible.”

17. Land Use Situation:

① Within the Reserve: Activities include nature conservation, scientific research, agriculture, fishing, grazing, and tourism.

② Surrounding or Regional Areas: Urban residential development, tourism facility construction, agricultural production, fishing, and animal husbandry.

18. Disturbances, Threats, Including Land Use Changes and Major Development Projects:

① Within the Reserve: Local fishermen practicing exhaustive winter fishing reduce food availability for wintering waterfowl.

② Surrounding or Regional Areas: Industrial pollution in some areas, domestic water pollution, agricultural irrigation runoff, the expansion of aquaculture, and the construction of tourist sites all impact the reserve's ecosystem.

19. Current Scientific Research Activities: Wetland restoration and management studies in the reserve; bird banding initiatives; surveys and conservation research on waterfowl species composition.

20. Current Conservation Awareness Efforts: Utilizing radio, television, images, and large billboards. Leveraging annual “Legal Awareness Month” and “Love Birds Week” campaigns to promote the importance of protecting waterfowl and wetlands.

21. Current Recreational and Tourism Activities: Every year, many visitors come for leisure sightseeing and to explore historical sites.