Spatiotemporal Variation of Small and Micro Wetlands and Their Multiple Responses to Driving Factors in the high-latitude region

Abstract Understanding the long-term dynamics and driving factors of small and micro wetlands is crucial for their management and sustainable development. In this study, we utilized Landsat satellite imagery data from 1980 to 2018 and Geodetector Model to explore the spatiotemporal changes of small and micro wetlands in western Jilin Province, China, considering factors such as land use and climate change. The research findings are as follows. (1) The small and micro wetlands in the western Jilin Province have shown a downward trend in the past 40 years. The area of small and micro wetlands has decreased from 2802km2 in 1980 to 818 km2 in 2018, and the number has decreased from 2604 in 1980 to 337 in 2018. (2) From a spatial distribution perspective, the micro-wetlands initially exhibited a concentrated pattern but gradually dispersed around, demonstrating significant spatial heterogeneity., respectively. From a spatial distribution perspective, they are mainly distributed in Da'an City, accounting for 42% of the western Jilin province. (3) As time has unfolded, the dynamic evolution of small and micro wetlands has been distinctly influenced by an amalgam of natural environmental factors and human interventions. In particular, human-induced activities, notably agricultural expansion and urbanization processes, emerged as the predominant driving forces during the period from 1980 to 2000. However, while human activities continued to impart their influence, the roles of natural determinants such as precipitation have become progressively more apparent during the period from 2001 to 2018. Importantly, the influences exerted by human activities and natural environmental factors on these wetlands are not standalone; there is a marked interplay between them. This interaction, typically presents a nonlinear amplification among the varied influencing factors. The results of this study provide supportive data and scientific evidence for the ecological restoration and conservation of wetlands.