title: Developing and sustainably utilize the coastal mudflat areas in China.
abstract: Coastal mudflat areas are regarded as the important reserve land resource in China. Rational exploitation and development of the mudflat areas can relieve the stress of inadequate land resources. Probing into the developing models of resource exploitation of coastal tidal mudflats is one of the important components of achieving the sustainable development in the coastal areas. Therefore, the development history of coastal mudflats after 1950s in China is briefly introduced in this paper. Then, the status in quo of the modes of development and utilization of coastal mudflat in China the paper is reviewed with a special attention payed to the agricultural use of coastal resource, especially halophytes and improved salt-tolerant varieties planting, agricultural dyke pond and coastal saline-alkali soil remediation. Based on related research frontier, sustainable developmental prospects of these coastal areas are presented as well.
authors.affiliation: College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China. Electronic address: longxiaohua@njau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiao-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Geological Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China.
authors.forename: Li-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
authors.forename: Tian-Yun
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agro-biotechnology, Jiangsu, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014,China; Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Yantai264003,China. Electronic address: shaohongbochu@126.com.
authors.forename: Hong-Bo
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Pu
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: Coastal mudflat areas; Crop-aquaculture ecological system; Planting-aquaculture ecological coupling system; Salt-soil utilization with efficiency