Population trends, threats, and conservation recommendations for waterbirds in China
Abstract Background China is one of the countries with abundant waterbird diversity. Over the past decades, China’s waterbirds have suffered increasing threats from direct and indirect human activities. It is important to clarify the population trends of and threats to waterbirds as well as to put f...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Avian Research |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40657-018-0106-9 |
| _version_ | 1797965869055213568 |
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| author | Xiaodan Wang Fenliang Kuang Kun Tan Zhijun Ma |
| author_facet | Xiaodan Wang Fenliang Kuang Kun Tan Zhijun Ma |
| author_sort | Xiaodan Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background China is one of the countries with abundant waterbird diversity. Over the past decades, China’s waterbirds have suffered increasing threats from direct and indirect human activities. It is important to clarify the population trends of and threats to waterbirds as well as to put forward conservation recommendations. Methods We collected data of population trends of a total of 260 waterbird species in China from Wetlands International database. We calculated the number of species with increasing, declining, stable, and unknown trends. We collected threatened levels of waterbirds from the Red List of China’s Vertebrates (2016), which was compiled according to the IUCN criteria of threatened species. Based on literature review, we refined the major threats to the threatened waterbird species in China. Results Of the total 260 waterbird species in China, 84 species (32.3%) exhibited declining, 35 species (13.5%) kept stable, and 16 species (6.2%) showed increasing trends. Population trends were unknown for 125 species (48.1%). There was no significant difference in population trends between the migratory (32.4% decline) and resident (31.8% decline) species or among waterbirds distributed exclusively along coasts (28.6% decline), inland (36.6% decline), and both coasts and inland (32.5% decline). A total of 38 species (15.1% of the total) were listed as threatened species and 27 species (10.8% of the total) Near Threatened species. Habitat loss was the major threat to waterbirds, with 32 of the total 38 (84.2%) threatened species being affected. In addition, 73.7% (28 species), 71.1% (27 species), and 57.9% (22 species) of the threatened species were affected by human disturbance, environmental pollution, and illegal hunting, respectively. Conclusions We propose recommendations for waterbird conservation, including (1) strengthening conservation of nature wetlands and restoration of degraded wetlands, (2) enhancing public awareness on waterbird conservation, (3) improving the enforcement of Wildlife Protection Law and cracking down on illegal hunting, (4) carrying out long-term waterbird surveys to clarify population dynamics, (5) restoring populations of highly-threatened species through artificial intervention, and (6) promoting international and regional exchanges and cooperation to share information in waterbirds and their conservation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T02:06:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e60ad4d8a846481caa326e8d2629caa0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2053-7166 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T02:06:45Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Avian Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-e60ad4d8a846481caa326e8d2629caa02023-01-03T02:59:56ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Avian Research2053-71662018-04-019111310.1186/s40657-018-0106-9Population trends, threats, and conservation recommendations for waterbirds in ChinaXiaodan Wang0Fenliang Kuang1Kun Tan2Zhijun Ma3Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Shanghai Institute of Eco-Chongming (SIEC), Fudan UniversityMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Shanghai Institute of Eco-Chongming (SIEC), Fudan UniversityMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Shanghai Institute of Eco-Chongming (SIEC), Fudan UniversityMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Shanghai Institute of Eco-Chongming (SIEC), Fudan UniversityAbstract Background China is one of the countries with abundant waterbird diversity. Over the past decades, China’s waterbirds have suffered increasing threats from direct and indirect human activities. It is important to clarify the population trends of and threats to waterbirds as well as to put forward conservation recommendations. Methods We collected data of population trends of a total of 260 waterbird species in China from Wetlands International database. We calculated the number of species with increasing, declining, stable, and unknown trends. We collected threatened levels of waterbirds from the Red List of China’s Vertebrates (2016), which was compiled according to the IUCN criteria of threatened species. Based on literature review, we refined the major threats to the threatened waterbird species in China. Results Of the total 260 waterbird species in China, 84 species (32.3%) exhibited declining, 35 species (13.5%) kept stable, and 16 species (6.2%) showed increasing trends. Population trends were unknown for 125 species (48.1%). There was no significant difference in population trends between the migratory (32.4% decline) and resident (31.8% decline) species or among waterbirds distributed exclusively along coasts (28.6% decline), inland (36.6% decline), and both coasts and inland (32.5% decline). A total of 38 species (15.1% of the total) were listed as threatened species and 27 species (10.8% of the total) Near Threatened species. Habitat loss was the major threat to waterbirds, with 32 of the total 38 (84.2%) threatened species being affected. In addition, 73.7% (28 species), 71.1% (27 species), and 57.9% (22 species) of the threatened species were affected by human disturbance, environmental pollution, and illegal hunting, respectively. Conclusions We propose recommendations for waterbird conservation, including (1) strengthening conservation of nature wetlands and restoration of degraded wetlands, (2) enhancing public awareness on waterbird conservation, (3) improving the enforcement of Wildlife Protection Law and cracking down on illegal hunting, (4) carrying out long-term waterbird surveys to clarify population dynamics, (5) restoring populations of highly-threatened species through artificial intervention, and (6) promoting international and regional exchanges and cooperation to share information in waterbirds and their conservation.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40657-018-0106-9ConservationHabitatsPopulation trendThreatened speciesWaterbirdsWetlands |
| spellingShingle | Xiaodan Wang Fenliang Kuang Kun Tan Zhijun Ma Population trends, threats, and conservation recommendations for waterbirds in China Avian Research Conservation Habitats Population trend Threatened species Waterbirds Wetlands |
| title | Population trends, threats, and conservation recommendations for waterbirds in China |
| title_full | Population trends, threats, and conservation recommendations for waterbirds in China |
| title_fullStr | Population trends, threats, and conservation recommendations for waterbirds in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Population trends, threats, and conservation recommendations for waterbirds in China |
| title_short | Population trends, threats, and conservation recommendations for waterbirds in China |
| title_sort | population trends threats and conservation recommendations for waterbirds in china |
| topic | Conservation Habitats Population trend Threatened species Waterbirds Wetlands |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40657-018-0106-9 |
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