Wetland area, Li-cun River, QingDao, China

Inhabitants

Environment

Environment

Human settlements

Human settlements

Dispersed

Surrounding area

The Licun River is a river in the city of Qingdao. Due to urban development, it was partially dried up in the past. However, following restoration and management efforts, it has become a scenic urban river that provides suitable habitat for aquatic plants and animals. Since the restoration, the abundance and diversity of fish, waterbirds, and other wildlife have increased year by year.

Underwater landscape

The riverbanks are covered with emergent vegetation and aquatic plants. The slow-flowing sections of the river have little or no current, providing ideal habitat for Macropodus chinensis. The complex vegetation structure offers excellent shelter and breeding sites for this species.

Fish:

Macropodus chinensis (Osphronemidae)
Carassius auratus (Cyprinidae)
Oryzias latipes (Adrianichthyidae)

Amphibian:

Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Ranidae)

Mollusc:

Radix auricularia (Lymnaeidae)

Aquatic plants:

Nymphoides peltata (Menyanthaceae)
Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrocharitaceae)
Ceratophyllum demersum (Ceratophyllaceae)

Wetland plants:

Schoenoplectus trisetosus (Cyperaceae)
Phragmites australis (Poaceae)
Alisma plantago-aquatica (Alismataceae)
Oenanthe javanica (Apiaceae)

Threats to ecology

Due to the beautiful scenery along the riverbank, many local residents visit the area for walking and leisure activities. Human activities inevitably have some impact on the aquatic and surrounding wildlife; however, environmental awareness among residents has been improving year by year, and no major negative effects have been observed so far.

A potential concern is the release of exotic species by some fishing enthusiasts as targets for recreational fishing. Fortunately, these introduced species have not yet established large populations or caused significant threats to native species.

Riparian zone

Trees near the aquatic habitat: Many -

Bibliography

Fresh water fishes of China by Li Fan
Catalog of Fish Species in Shandong Province by Cheng Qingtai/Zhou Caiwu

Comment by the expert

Wei-Cheng Jhuang: This is a well-documented wetland habitat, with detailed information on the locality, environmental conditions, flora, and fauna. However, the underwater documentation is limited. No underwater photos are provided, and the aquatic organisms in the video are too unclear for reliable identification. Clearer underwater photos or footage would help verify the species present and better show the submerged habitat. Some scientific names should also be updated: Macropodus chinensis to M. ocellatus, and Oryzias latipes to O. sinensis for the Shandong population. I also noticed a considerable difference in conductivity between the natural habitat (980) and the aquarium (180). It would be helpful to clarify the reason for this difference and specify the units of measurement.
Some ecological statements would also benefit from stronger supporting evidence. For example, the description mentions that biodiversity has increased following habitat restoration and that introduced species have not yet established large populations or caused significant impacts on native species. Providing specific references, survey data, or further field observations would make these statements more convincing.
Overall, this is an informative habitat presentation, but clearer underwater documentation, updated taxonomy, and stronger supporting evidence would improve its scientific value.