Abstract

Wetland hydrology plays a critical role in the formation and sustainability of wetland ecosystems, as fluctuations in water levels directly affect habitats and ecosystems. This study focuses on the Shuanglian Reservoir Wetland to explore the primary drivers of water level fluctuations and the influence on the surface water area and hydrological regime due to the extreme flood events in the wetland through rainfall-runoff process simulation and statistical analysis. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.9) was observed between daily precipitation and water levels, showing the direct impact of precipitation on water level fluctuations in the wetland. However, the changes in the surface water area and hydrological regime of the Shuanglian Reservoir Wetland during extreme flood events remain minimal due to the steep shorelines and flat topography across the wetland. There are 94.5% of the wetland's surface remains permanently flooded, with water level fluctuations restricted to approximately 0.3 meters. The findings enhance the understanding of the characteristics of water level fluctuations and water regime features in the wetland and thus provide insights to inform future wetland management strategies of water level fluctuation patterns for the Shuanglian Reservoir Wetland. The insights gained from this study enhance the understanding of the hydrological characteristics at Shuanglian Reservoir Wetland and contribute valuable knowledge to the broader wetland conservation and management issues, particularly for similar reservoir-type wetland systems.

Keyword: Shuanglian Reservoir Wetland, water level fluctuation, water regime, wetland conservation and management