Aiming at wetlands diminishing problems caused by soil and water resources utilization, and based on the law of wetlands water movement and supply, a relationship between wetlands and runoff advancing and retreating, and the extending connection between wetland habitats and lives are analyzed. The concepts of wetland runoff field and bio-diversity field are established according to the wetland water cycle principle and the spatial distribution law of wetland habitat. Consequently the theory of wetlands′ eco-hydrological configuration is proposed. In order to maintain the existing of wetlands and protect the biodiversity, the wetlands are divided into the center area and the appropriate activity area based on the coupling relationship of wetland runoff field and bio-diversity field. Ecological water demand of the wetlands is defined as the moisture condition to keep the eco-hydrological configuration. The key point is to ascertain the eco-hydrological configuration, after which the ecological water demand can be calculated by the water balance model of surface water and groundwater transforming, with the boundary stresses of the center and the appropriate activity areas. The moisture conditions to maintain the center area and the appropriate activity area are respectively recognized as minimum and appropriate ecological water demands.
Wetlands′ eco-hydrological configuration proposes the threshold value to ecological security in wetlands management. Crisis management system of wetland ecological security can be built and forewarning management in different levels can be carried out according to the stable degree of wetland ecology.