Waterbird Communities in Subsidence Wetlands Created by Underground Coal Mining in China: Effects of Multi-Scale Environmental and Anthropogenic Variables

Abstract

SummaryUnderground coal mining in the North China Plain has created large-scale subsidence wetlands that may attract waterbirds that use them as complementary habitats. However, no study has been conducted to understand avian use of these created wetlands, inhibiting the formulation of effective management plans. Here, we carried out 12 semi-monthly surveys in 55 subsidence wetlands during the 2016–2017 migration and wintering period and performed direct multivariate analyses, combined with variance partitioning, to test the effects of multi-scale habitat variables on the waterbird assemblages. A total of 89 349 waterbirds representing 60 species were recorded, with seasonal fluctuations in species richness and bird abundance. Waterbird community structures were shaped by four groups of variables at local, landscape and human levels with different effects among seasons. Anthropogenic disturbance was the most important factor group, negatively affecting most guilds. Waterbirds in this human-dominated environment are under a variety of potential threats that should be further studied. The subsidence wetlands are still expanding, and if managed effectively, may provide important complementary habitats for a wide array of waterbird species, particularly for those migrating along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. Our study provides key baseline data regarding the waterbird communities and may help with the designing of effective management and conservation plans.

Assembly processes of waterbird communities across subsidence wetlands in China: A functional and phylogenetic approach

“…We found that species diversity of waterbird communities in subsidence wetlands was on average highest during the autumn migration period (Figure ). In the context of natural wetland loss along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (Kirby et al, ), the newly created subsidence wetlands provide important complementary staging habitats for the migratory waterbirds, particularly during their southward migrations when there are more birds due to the post‐breeding population increase (Li et al, ). Seasonal patterns of functional and phylogenetic diversity measured by MPD were similar to SR and TD, indicating that overall functional and phylogenetic divergence of the communities increased with species enrichment in autumn.…”

“…Because underground coal mining is still ongoing, many subsidence wetlands are continuously expanding with wetland age (Xie et al, ). The regressive succession of aquatic vegetation and the increasing predominance of open water due to human modification for aquaculture result in relatively homogeneous habitats for waterbirds (Li et al, ), providing limited opportunities for resource partitioning. Similar to heterogeneous habitats, wetlands with better landscape connectivity can attract more waterbird species (Che et al, ), resulting in functional overdispersion, particularly in winter.…”

“…Area of each wetland (AW), area of open water (AO), area of aquatic vegetation (AA), habitat diversity (HD) and total area of wetlands (>1 ha) within a 5‐km buffer area surrounding each wetland (TA) were calculated based on a land cover map interpreted from a Landsat OLI image, acquired on 2 September 2016. Detailed methods for the image interpretation can be found in Li et al (). We used the inverse of Simpson's index as a proxy of HD:…”

“…Because of high groundwater levels and abundant rainfall, subsidence land has been flooded in the North China Plain, one of the most important coal production areas in China. The newly created artificial wetlands are still expanding and have been found to be used by a wide range of waterbird species, especially by long‐distance migrants from the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (Li, Zhao, & Wang, ). These artificial wetlands have clear boundaries and vary in spatial complexity, providing good chances to explore assembly processes of communities dominated by migratory species in a human‐modified landscape.…”

Dynamic multibenefit solutions for global water challenges

“…Rapid and extensive habitat degradation, particularly coastal habitat conversion, throughout this region are creating an urgent need for the management of alternative artificial habitats for shorebirds and other migratory waterbirds to compensate for the loss of wetlands and mudflats (Jackson et al, ; Mehlman, Fitzsimons, Irving, Irving, & Hancock, ). Shorebirds and other waterbirds have been shown to make use of artificial habitats created from agricultural fields, aquaculture, or subsidence ponds within the East Asian‐Australasian flyway (Jackson et al, ; D. Li et al, ; C. Li, Yang, Zha, Zhang, & de Boer, ; Wood et al, ). Managing these agro‐ecosystems for multiple benefits can help complement habitat protection efforts and create a landscape that is both more resilient to climate change and has more options for species adaptation.…”