The influence of hydrological variables, climatic variables and food availability on Anatidae in interconnected river-lake systems, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River floodplain

Liang, Jie; Meng, Qianfang; Li, Xin; Yuan, Yujie; Peng, Yuhui; Li, Xiaodong; Li, Shuai; Zhu, Zhen; Yan, Ming

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144534

Cited by 19 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Moreover, after dyke demolition, the day of year (DOY) when the NDVI of vegetation reached the maximum value was significantly earlier (before DOY 300) in dyke‐demolished areas (Appendix S3 ) than in dyke‐preserved areas (also before DOY 300, Appendix S3 ), but the difference was not significant. This suggests that when geese arrive at Dongting Lake (DOY 305), vegetation is already in the phenological withering period (Liang et al, 2021 ; Zhang, Zou, et al, 2021 ), which ultimately influences the distribution of herbivores (Figures 5 and 6 ). In summary, the quality of vegetation was both affected by dyke demolition and inter‐annual variation of hydrological regimes in Dongting Lake.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dyke demolition led to a sharp decline in waterbird diversity due to habitat quality reduction: A case study of Dongting Lake, China

Zhu

Zou

Zhang

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Dongting Lake, an important wintering habitat for migratory waterbirds in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, has suffered serious degradation in recent decades. To restore habitats for biodiversity conservation and flood control, 459 dykes were demolished and 14 were preserved in 2017. However, the direct impact of dyke demolition on wintering waterbirds was not comprehensively assessed. In this study, based on annual waterbird census and habitat data (2013/14–2020/21), we compared the differences in habitat areas and species composition of waterbirds in the dyke‐demolished and preserved areas, and explored whether habitat changes caused by the dyke demolition were responsible for the changes in the number of species and percentages of waterbird individuals. The results indicate that the areas of water (including shallow water) and mudflat habitats significantly decreased, but the vegetation area significantly increased in the dyke‐demolished areas. The species numbers and percentages of waterbird individuals at the community and foraging guilds levels, and the percentages of nine species, were higher in the dyke‐preserved areas than those in the dyke‐demolished areas. Changes in the numbers of species and percentages of individuals of fish eaters, insectivores, and omnivores positively correlated with drastic changes in the percentages of water habitats (including shallow water) after dyke demolition. Effective measures should be carried out to restore hydrological regimes, providing waterbirds sufficient suitable habitats with different water depths. These findings improve our understanding of the influence of dyke demolition on waterbirds and provide insights for wetland management and waterbird conservation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dyke demolition led to a sharp decline in waterbird diversity due to habitat quality reduction: A case study of Dongting Lake, China

Zhu

Zou

Zhang

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Liang et al (2020) indicated that hydrology-climate changes and food availability could be the primary drivers that result in a loss of waterbird diversity [ 38 , 39 ]. Therefore, in the present study, replenishing of energy by whooper swans is not only related to the flooding of unharvested farmland, but also affected by the local climate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spring diet and energy intake of whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) at the Yellow River National Wetland in Baotou, China

Liu

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

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The energy supply of food available at stopover sites plays an important role in the life cycle of migratory birds. The Yellow River National Wetland in Baotou, China, is an essential migration station and a source of energy for migratory birds as it is located at an important intersection between East Asian/Australian and Central Asian flyways. From February to may 2020, we measured diet composition and energy content of whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) by fecal micro-tissue analysis to understand their use of the stopover site and inform conservation. The following results were obtained: (1) whooper swans mainly fed on nine species of plants belonging to four families, including corn (Zea mays), reeds (Phragmites australis), and Suaeda (Suaeda glauca), which is related to the availability of local crops and abundance of plants. (2) The energy provided by crops to whooper swans was significantly higher than that of the most abundant plants in wetlands. Zea mays was the most consumed crop, and other abundant wetland plants played complementary roles. (3) The daily energy intake of whooper swans was 1393.11 kJ, which was considerably higher than their daily energy consumption. This suggested that the wetlands and the surrounding farmlands provide energy for the whooper swans to continue their migration. In order to protect migratory whooper swans, protection of important refuelling areas such as our study site should be implemented to provide sufficient energy supplies for continuing migration.

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“…From September to October, the water level of Shengjin Lake begins to drop [9]. The combination of lower water levels and a warm climate promotes the first rapid growth of the sedges [29][30][31] on which the greater white-fronted geese forage at Shengjin Lake. This was of positive significance for geese during the early winter stage (autumn migration) in supplementing their huge energy consumption requirements; this led to a higher pecking rate and foraging time budget for greater white-fronted geese.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Foraging Window for Greater White-Fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) Is Consistent with the Growth Stage of Carex

et al. 2022

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Food resources are key limiting factors for migratory waterbirds, and the foraging strategies adopted by herbivorous waterbirds are affected by food availability in wetland habitats. The greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) is mainly dependent on Carex in the lower and middle Yangtze River floodplain. Exploring the relationship between the growth conditions of Carex and the foraging strategies adopted by wintering greater white-fronted geese has important ecological implications for habitat protection and management. In this study, scan sampling and focal animal sampling were used to record the foraging behaviors of greater white-fronted geese wintering at Shengjin Lake, and the plant height and water content of Carex were surveyed simultaneously. The relationship between plant characteristics and foraging behaviors was tested using a linear regression equation. The results showed that Carex had two growth periods at Shengjin Lake, and the pecking rate and foraging time budget of greater white-fronted geese were higher during these two periods. Plant characteristics were positively correlated with goose foraging behaviors. The strategic adjustment of the foraging behaviors adopted by wintering greater white-fronted geese was consistent with the growth stage of Carex, which is the optimal foraging window for greater white-fronted geese. During the foraging windows, geese changed their foraging strategies to obtain more energy in order to guarantee successful wintering and migration.

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The influence of hydrological variables, climatic variables and food availability on Anatidae in interconnected river-lake systems, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River floodplain

Cited by 19 publications

References 48 publications

Dyke demolition led to a sharp decline in waterbird diversity due to habitat quality reduction: A case study of Dongting Lake, China

Dyke demolition led to a sharp decline in waterbird diversity due to habitat quality reduction: A case study of Dongting Lake, China

Spring diet and energy intake of whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) at the Yellow River National Wetland in Baotou, China

The Foraging Window for Greater White-Fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) Is Consistent with the Growth Stage of Carex

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