This document collates evidence-based guidance for site managers and decision makers
involved in salt marsh and tidal flat restoration with an ecological focus on shorebirds, a highly
threatened group of broad conservation concern. It was initiated by concerns about salt marshes and tidal flats in the Yellow Sea region, particularly as habitats for birds.
The Yellow Sea is a critical bottleneck for migratory shorebirds and other waterbirds that have suffered extensive loss and degradation of tidal flats and salt marsh. Therefore, the collated guidance relates to selected actions most relevant to salt marsh and tidal flat restoration, and bird conservation therein, in the Yellow Sea region. The content of each guidance document is, however, global in scope.
Evidence for the guidance was gathered primarily from the literature. For evidence on the
effects of interventions on biodiversity (focusing on shorebirds, benthic invertebrates and
vegetation), from Conservation Evidence syntheses (Sutherland et al., 2019) where
available, i.e. the Bird Conservation Synopsis (Williams et al., 2013) and the Marsh and Swamp
Conservation Synopsis (Taylor et al., 2021).
Dr. Hyun-Ah Choi, senior researcher at HSF Korea, joined the Advisory Group and commented on the report. You can find the full report here.