These shoals and the submerged land surrounding them to a depth of 6 meters (20 ft) form the Jiuduansha Wetland Nature Reserve.[2] The entire area stretches roughly 46.3 kilometers (28.8 mi) east to west and 25.9 kilometers (16.1 mi) north to south, covering an area of 423.5 square kilometers (163.5 sq mi),[2] although only 114.6 square kilometers (44.2 sq mi) of this is above
sea level.[3] The area is considered one of the
national urban wetland parks of
China and forms part of the
China Biosphere Reserve Network. A 1996 field study found that, for seven bird species investigated, the number present at Jiuduansha exceeded 1% of the world's total for the species, establishing it as a Wetland of International Importance.[4]
Name
Although Jiuduansha literally translates as "Nine-Part Sands", the number nine is here being used in a colloquial way similar to English several.[5] In fact, the group consists of four main
shoals. These are sometimes given their
Mandarin names of Shangsha, Zhongsha, Xiasha, and Jiangyanansha[6] and sometimes translated as Upper, Middle, Lower, and South Jiuduansha.[2] South Jiuduansha is known as Jiangya Nansha in Chinese after the
pinyinromanization of the
SS Kiangya, the passenger steamer which exploded nearby (probably owing to a
mine from the
Second World War or the
Chinese Civil War) in 1948.
History
Jiuduansha originally formed part of the
Waitongsha shoal, but frequent
floods of the
Yangtze in 1949 and 1954 connected a series of
troughs and separated Jiuduansha from the
Tongsha shoal.[2] Shanghai's universities have studied Jiuduansha since the 1990s and, in 1995, introduced
cordgrass in order to speed the shoal's stabilization,[7] particularly in light of roughly 71% reduction in
sedimentation caused by the many
dams erected along the course of the Yangtze during the 20th century.[8] In March 2003,[9] the Shanghai municipal government established the
nature reserve. The cordgrass and environmental protection were intended to accommodate birds then living at the site being developed as
Pudong International Airport.[5] From October 2002 to January 2003,
Fudan University and the reserve's administration conducted four joint surveys[2] and, in 2005, the wetland was finally upgraded to a national nature reserve.[5] In the time since its introduction, the cordgrass has been found to have become
invasive,[5] aggressively crowding out the native
reeds and
bulrushes[7][8] and degrading parts of the wetlands.[5] A wetland museum, as well as a Science Popularization Park on about 5 square kilometers (1.9 sq mi) of the island, are planned to increase public awareness and support.[5]
These shoals and the submerged land surrounding them to a depth of 6 meters (20 ft) form the Jiuduansha Wetland Nature Reserve.[2] The entire area stretches roughly 46.3 kilometers (28.8 mi) east to west and 25.9 kilometers (16.1 mi) north to south, covering an area of 423.5 square kilometers (163.5 sq mi),[2] although only 114.6 square kilometers (44.2 sq mi) of this is above
sea level.[3] The area is considered one of the
national urban wetland parks of
China and forms part of the
China Biosphere Reserve Network. A 1996 field study found that, for seven bird species investigated, the number present at Jiuduansha exceeded 1% of the world's total for the species, establishing it as a Wetland of International Importance.[4]
Name
Although Jiuduansha literally translates as "Nine-Part Sands", the number nine is here being used in a colloquial way similar to English several.[5] In fact, the group consists of four main
shoals. These are sometimes given their
Mandarin names of Shangsha, Zhongsha, Xiasha, and Jiangyanansha[6] and sometimes translated as Upper, Middle, Lower, and South Jiuduansha.[2] South Jiuduansha is known as Jiangya Nansha in Chinese after the
pinyinromanization of the
SS Kiangya, the passenger steamer which exploded nearby (probably owing to a
mine from the
Second World War or the
Chinese Civil War) in 1948.
History
Jiuduansha originally formed part of the
Waitongsha shoal, but frequent
floods of the
Yangtze in 1949 and 1954 connected a series of
troughs and separated Jiuduansha from the
Tongsha shoal.[2] Shanghai's universities have studied Jiuduansha since the 1990s and, in 1995, introduced
cordgrass in order to speed the shoal's stabilization,[7] particularly in light of roughly 71% reduction in
sedimentation caused by the many
dams erected along the course of the Yangtze during the 20th century.[8] In March 2003,[9] the Shanghai municipal government established the
nature reserve. The cordgrass and environmental protection were intended to accommodate birds then living at the site being developed as
Pudong International Airport.[5] From October 2002 to January 2003,
Fudan University and the reserve's administration conducted four joint surveys[2] and, in 2005, the wetland was finally upgraded to a national nature reserve.[5] In the time since its introduction, the cordgrass has been found to have become
invasive,[5] aggressively crowding out the native
reeds and
bulrushes[7][8] and degrading parts of the wetlands.[5] A wetland museum, as well as a Science Popularization Park on about 5 square kilometers (1.9 sq mi) of the island, are planned to increase public awareness and support.[5]