The researchers studied how the wetland landscape of Shengjin Lake changed from 1993 to 2016 and why. They used satellite data and analyzed different landscape patterns to see how the wetland area and shape changed over time. They found that the wetland area increased from 1993 to 2000, but then decreased in the following years. The shape of the wetland patches became more complex, showing increased human disturbance. The main reason for the changes in the wetland landscape was human interference.