Factors Driving the Abundance of Wintering Waterbirds in Coastal Areas of Guangdong Province, China

Abstract

The diverse habitat of the coastal areas of Guangdong, China, supports important waterbird populations, thereby contributing to the conservation of waterbirds in China and globally. The sensitivity of different waterbirds to environmental driving factors results in differences in habitat selection, which in combination affect waterbird abundance. This study investigated the effects of environmental and human disturbance factors on the abundance of waterbirds based on a survey of waterbirds in coastal areas of Guangdong Province, China. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was mainly used to study the relationships between the abundance of waterbirds and environmental and human factors. The results showed that the areas of mangrove and tidal flats were the main factors driving the abundance of shorebirds and open water waterbirds, whereas the areas of mangrove and water bodies were the main factors driving the abundance of wading birds and waterfowl, respectively. Road length and the areas of construction land were found to have negative effects on the abundance of waterbirds. A waterbird protection and management strategy was proposed based on the results.

Avifaunal assemblage patterns in Bharathapuzha River Basin, Kerala, India

“…This could be because of habitat heterogeneity, seasonal movement patterns, population changes, availability of food and space and climatic conditions in the ecological zones. Similar observations on bird communities were explained earlier by many (Meyer & Turner 1992;Namgail et al 2017;Gonz´alez-Gajardo et al 2009; 24654 Runge et al 2015;Yang et al 2022).…”

Multi-Scale Habitat Selection by the Wintering Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) in Manas National Wetland Park, Northwestern China

“…Additionally, groups of waterbirds, such as the Anatidae family, concentrate in lakes and wetlands in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River during the winter [45]. Habitat quality is the most crucial factor influencing the abundance and distribution of herbivorous waterbirds [15]. Whooper swans mainly concentrate their wintering activities in wetlands, such as Rongcheng in Shandong and Pinglu in Shanxi [46].…”

“…Eurasian woodcocks (Scolopax rusticola) exhibit a tendency to inhabit denser canopy habitats during the day and more open habitats at night [14]. Therefore, a multi-scale approach to habitat selection is needed to reveal the mechanisms of bird habitat selection at different temporal and spatial scales [15]. Currently, research based on mathematical models and species distribution site analysis is common [16].…”

Heavy Metals in Wetland Ecosystem: Investigating Metal Contamination in Waterbirds via Primary Feathers and Its Effect on Population and Diversity

“…The abundance, distribution, and diversity of waterbirds are determined by the quality of their wetland habitat [1,2]. Indeed, wetlands support numerous species of waterbirds as feeding and breeding grounds [3]. However, globally, the diversity of waterbirds is declining due to various factors, and pollution is one of the major factors [4].…”