Shrinkage and fragmentation of marshes in the West Songnen Plain,China, from 1954 to 2008 and its possible causes

Agricultural development under climatic variations has resulted in substantial loss of marshes in the West Songnen Plain in the past decades. In this paper, the shrinkage and fragmentation process of marshes and its possible causes in the West Songnen Plain from 1954 to 2008 were explored using historical topographic maps and remote sensing data. Results indicated that the West Songnen Plain underwent considerable shrinkage and fragmentation of marshes in that same period. Marshes occupied 6404 km² in 1954, but this area has decreased by 74% in the past 54 years. The average annual decrease rate of marshes was 88 km² per year. Meanwhile, the number of marsh patches decreased from 1411 to 514, and the mean patch size decreased from 454 to 320 ha. Cropland and salinized wasteland were the two main land use types into which marshes were converted. During the same period, grassland decreased by 54%, cropland increased by 22%, and salinized wasteland expanded by 612%. A significant increase in air temperature and index of dryness was found in the study region, along with decreased precipitation, thereby affecting the marsh systems through the changing hydrological regimes. On the other hand, population, gross domestic product, and livestock number increased considerably as marshes shrank and became fragmented. Governmental policy changes played a key role in land use transformations in the study region.