Wetlands are vital ecosystems that provide important ecosystem services. Human activity has contributed to the global loss of wetlands losses and reduction of diversity. In the past decade, there has been increasing attention on wetland conservation and its strategies around the world. Water and water cycling are important for wetlands; at least periodic inundation is a key factor for ecological resilience. Period, timing, and regular inundation of a wetland are important factors to determine suitable conditions for specific wetland species. Qigu salt pan was abandoned in 2002 and recognized as a wetland in 2007. This study focuses on the issue of water management in Southern Taiqu Salt Pan, located in Qigu Salt Pan wetland. Southern Taiqu Salt Pan is completely surrounded by dikes, lacks a water management plan, experiences insufficient rainfall in the dry season, and has no natural hydrological connectivity. During the dry season, the wetland frequently dries out and habitat is degraded. The aims of the present study were (1) to understand how a gate operation can help enhance wetland management; (2) to evaluate how was low intervention and high intervention scenario simulation will affect hydro pattern in Taiqu saltpan; (3) to suggest a wetland management plan incorporating gate with high and low intervention, We use field observation, gate operation, and drone remote sensing to analyze short-term water gate operations on the inundation regime with the response of habitat environments for birds species. Gate operation was carried out by operating water gate No 18 in Taiqu Salt Pan. Our research team conducted two water gate experiments for short-term water intake in Taiqu Salt Pan Wetland during dry season and high tide. The first experiment was designed to understand how the current infrastructure will allow water flows into the whole study area, which was abandoned in 2002. The second experiment was designed to see how water connectivity and flow changed after low-impact restoration of channel infrastructure occurred. Each gate operation experiment for water intake was based on the initial hydrological condition within the wetland and the tides. The experiments show a positive impact on habitat due to an increase of water, and bird species in salt pan. Our study shows that sustainable water management techniques through gate operation and engineering approach have the potential to improve wetland habitat during the dry season.

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