ADDING SPARKLE TO RURAL AREAS
Print Edition
FIREFLIES, the fairies of Mother Nature, have decreased in numbers near Dianshan
Lake because of pollution, farming and tourism in the wetland areas. The Qingpu District government said it wants to reverse that trend.
Authorities said they are working with experts from East China Normal University on monitoring fauna in wetland areas, including populations of fireflies. Tracking their numbers will provide data necessary to develop ecological plans.
Qingpu was once a thriving area for fireflies, often called lightning bugs because of the bioluminescence they give off to attract mates or prey. The insects are members of the beetle family.
There are mainly two types of fireflies indigenous to Qingpu: Luciola substriata and the yellow Neuroptera firefly.
“The fireflies living here are fewer in number than last year,” said Jiang Long, a member of a local firefly protection volunteer team.
According to Jiang, the number of fireflies recorded at an observation point in Cenbu, a village in Qingpu, peaked at 500 four years ago. This year, however, the numbers are in the tens.
Vegetable planting and use of pesticides by local villagers have damaged the ecology of the wetlands, the volunteer group explained.Then, too, hordes of people visiting Dianshan Lake have also hurt the delicate environment.
Jiang took Shanghai Daily on a tour of the area, which is a popular tourist destination in Qingpu.
“This used to be an ideal place to enjoy the sight of fireflies in the woods,” said Jiang, “But now this joy has been ruined by too many visitors trampling all over the place.”
Every weekend, he said, people have barbecues in the area, leaving rubbish behind on the ground.
“Though in recent years the rubbish is being removed, in the past it was buried underground, disrupting the breeding of yellow Neuroptera fireflies that live on the surface,” Jiang said. “The habitat of other creatures, such as cicadas and the tiny land snails that serve as food for fireflies, has also been damaged.”
It hasn’t helped that many visitors to the wetlands like to capture fireflies to take home.
As urban crawl pushes moves inexorably into rural areas, the green environment of villages
like Xicai is slowly being paved over.
Jiang lives in the village of Cenbu, where rural construction has created a nominee for the “10 most beautiful villages in Shanghai.” That progress has come at a cost. Ditches along the roadsides, where fireflies used to thrive, are now filled with soil and planted with vegetables, Jiang said.
“The village is part of a rural construction project, and we worry that the area will no longer be a viable habitat for fireflies,” he said. “Since the insect’s ability to fly is poor, it can only move a few hundred meters to try to find another habitat if the original one is destroyed.”
Last January, six political advisors filed a proposal with the district to create firefly reserve areas in Qingpu. In their proposal, they cited an 85 percent drop in numbers of fireflies in just three years.
Walking across a bridge, Jiang told Shanghai Daily that he always remembers the beauty of this setting years ago.
“On a rainy day, when I passed this bridge, I used to see many fireflies hiding under the leaves of the willow opposite to us, which made the tree twinkle in the dark,” he said.
Fireflies living along the bank of the village creek were killed when sanitation workers sprayed weed killer to eradicate unwanted water plants.
Kang Hongli, another volunteer in the protection team, who has a master’s degree in ecology from Wuhan University, said light pollution can also be fatal to fireflies because the tiny bugs seek their partners by identifying their light. The artificial light of new buildings will confuse them and thwart mating, he said.
“We need less human disturbance in the environment,” Kang said. “We shouldn’t use herbicides or pesticides near firefly habitats. We shouldn’t be planting vegetables along the riverbanks. In short, we should be giving the wetlands back to the native wildlife.”
Bo Shunqi, an official with the Shanghai Wildlife Conservation Management Station, supports Kang’s view.
“Visitors should not try to trap fireflies when enjoying a summer’s night in the woods,” he said. “And local farmers should use less pesticide.”
The Qingpu District government recently promised the six political advisors some action
on restoring, preserving and protecting firefly habitats. It is planning to earmark areas in the towns of Zhujiajiao and Jinze as firefly reserves and to construct wildlife habitats.
The government said it clean up aquatic areas, adopt pollution-control measures and organize public education activities to promote firefly protection.
Bo said the best action the government could take is a hands-off policy — banning human interference and just “letting these areas revert to their natural states.”
He said insects aren’t prone to extinction.
“Even if their numbers are decreasing sharply, they will survive and recover as long as there is a proper environment,” he said.
Jiang said everyone should be made aware of the value of protecting wildlife as part of turning Shanghai into a livable city.
“Everyone should retain deep feelings toward the land and toward the creatures who inhabit it,” he said. “If you knew which lake provided the water you drink every day, you would never do anything to pollute it.”
Behind Jiang’s house, there is a creek, where Shanghai Daily spotted saw several fireflies flitting among the weeds and water.
Next year, perhaps, their numbers will be greater.
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