Hydrological Restoration and Water Resource Management of Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus) Stopover Wetlands

Abstract

Habitat loss is a key factor affecting Siberian crane stopovers. The accurate calculation of water supply and effective water resource management schemes plays an important role in stopover habitat restoration for the Siberian crane. In this paper, the ecological water demand was calculated and corrected by developing a three-dimensional model. The results indicated that the calculated minimum and optimum ecological water demand values for the Siberian crane were 2.47 × 108 m3~3.66 × 108 m3 and 4.96 × 108 m3~10.36 × 108 m3, respectively, in the study area. After correction with the three-dimensional model, the minimum and optimum ecological water demand values were 3.75 × 108 m3 and 5.21 × 108 m3, respectively. A water resource management scheme was established to restore Siberian crane habitat. Continuous, area-specific and simulated flood water supply options based on water diversions were used to supply water. The autumn is the best season for area-specific and simulating flood water supply. These results can serve as a reference for protecting other waterbirds and restoring wetlands in semi-arid areas.