Population trends, threats, and conservation recommendations for waterbirds in China  

作　　者：Xiaodan Wang Fenliang Kuang Kun Tan Zhijun Ma 

机构地区：[1]Ministry 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 University

出　　处：《Avian Research》2018年第2期89-101,共13页鸟类学研究（英文版）

基　　金：financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.31572280 and 31071939)

摘　　要：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 crackinBackground： 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） NearThreatened 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 aw

关 键 词：CONSERVATION HABITATS Population trend Threatened species WATERBIRDS WETLANDS China 

分 类 号：Q959.7[生物学—动物学]