Basic characteristics,challenges and key scientific questions of the poyang lake basin

The total area of the Poyang Lake Basin accounts for 9% of the area of the Yangtze River Basin and 93.9% of the land area in Jiangxi Province.The ecological health in the Poyang Lake basin holds together the ecological security of the watershed,especially in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.It is an important guarantee for the sustainable development in regional economy,society and ecology.On the basis of comprehensive understanding of the Poyang Lake Basin,five scientific questions facing the Poyang Lake Basin are explored in this article:the relationship among Mountain-River-Lake and the ecological health of the basin;the ecosystem response of basin under the global changes;geographical patterns for watershed biodiversity and reasonable division of socio-economy;the impact of environmental changes in the Yangtze River basin on the Poyang Lake Basin;the theory and practice of scientific watershed management.Scientific advices and countermeasures are proposed for the construction of Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone and the integrated management of the whole basin.