Abstract
We studied the changes in wetland habitats and waterbird communities between the 1980s and the 2000s at Chongming Dongtan, a Ramsar site in the Yangtze River estuary, an ecologically important region. This region is an important stopover site for shorebirds along the East Asian–Australasian flyway and is extensively used by waterfowl. A net loss of 11% of the wetland area was estimated during study periods at Chongming Dongtan. The change was dependent on wetland types: while the area of artificial habitats such as paddy fields and aquacultural ponds more than doubled, more than 65% of natural habitats including sea bulrush (Scirpus mariqueter) and common reed (Phragmites australis) marshes were lost over the two decades. An exotic plant species introduced from North America, smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), occupied 30% of the vegetated intertidal zone by the 2000s. Although waterbird species richness did not change between the 1980s (110) and the 2000s (111), 13 species found in 1980s were replaced by 14 newly recorded species. Moreover, there were more species with declining trends (58) than with increasing trends (19). The population trends of species were affected by residential status and habitat types. Transients, wintering migrants, and habitat specialists were more likely to show declining trends compared to those breeding at Dongtan (including year-round and summer residents) and habitat generalists. Furthermore, species associated mainly with natural wetlands were more likely to decline than those associated mainly with artificial wetlands. These patterns suggest that the loss and change of wetland habitats at Chongming Dongtan adversely affected local population dynamics and might have contributed to the global decline of some waterbird species. Because Chongming Dongtan provides stopover and wintering habitats for many migratory waterbirds, protection and restoration of natural wetlands at Chongming Dongtan are urgently needed.
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Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2006CB403305), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30670269), and Shanghai Scientific and Technology Foundation (No. 07DZ12038). We are grateful to Zhengyi Huang, Kai Jing, Shimin Tang, Fenghui Yang, and Qing Wang for helping with data collection and field surveys and to Chongming Dongtan Nature Reserve for facilitating our fieldwork. We thank Andrew Watkinson, Mark Barter, Zachary Felix, Dawn Lemke, and Kathy Robert for their comments and suggestions on early versions of the manuscript. The three anonymous reviewers and the editor provided constructive suggestions for improvement of the manuscript. Yong Wang’s research in China was partially supported by funds from the U.S. National Science Foundation (HRD-0420541), Fudan University, Beijing Normal University, and Alabama A&M University.
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Appendix
Appendix
Common and scientific names, residential status (RS), abundance class, major habitat type, and habitat diversity index (HDI) of waterbird species recorded during the 1980s and 2000s surveys at Chongming Dongtan
Speciesa | Scientific namea | RSb | Abundancec | Habitatd | HDIe | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1980s | 2000s | |||||
Little grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | Res | C | C | A | 0 |
Black-necked grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | Win | R | N | – | – |
Great crested grebe | Podiceps cristatus | Win | N | R | N | – |
Great cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | Win | R | C | A | 0.258 |
Grey heron | Ardea cinerea | Res | C | C | B | 1.941 |
Purple heron | Ardea purpurea | Tra | C | R | N | 0 |
Green-backed heron | Butorides striatus | Sum | C | R | N | 0.918 |
Chinese pond heron | Ardeola bacchus | Sum | N | R | B | 1.299 |
Cattle egret | Bubulcus ibis | Sum | R | C | B | 1.512 |
Great egret | Egretta alba | Res | C | C | B | 2.118 |
Intermediate egret | Egretta intermedia | Res | C | C | B | 2.385 |
Little egret | Egretta garzetta | Res | C | A | B | 2.235 |
Chinese egret | Egretta eulophotes (V)a | Sum | N | R | N | – |
Black-crowned night heron | Nycticorax nyticorax | Win | C | C | B | 1.005 |
Chinese little bittern | Ixobrychus sinensis | Sum | R | R | B | 0.918 |
Schrenck’s little bittern | Ixobrychus eurhythmus | Sum | R | R | B | 1 |
Eurasian bittern | Botaurus stellaris | Win | R | R | B | 1 |
Cinnamon bittern | Ixobrychus cinnamomcus | Sum | N | R | N | – |
Oriental white stork | Ciconia boyciana (E) | Tra | R | R | N | – |
Black stork | Ciconia nigra | Tra | N | R | N | – |
Black-faced spoonbill | Platalea minor (E) | Tra | R | R | B | 0.885 |
Eurasian spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | Tra | R | R | A | 0 |
Swan goose | Anser cygnoides (E) | Win | C | R | N | 0 |
Bean goose | Anser fabalis | Win | C | R | N | – |
Graylag goose | Anser anser | Win | C | N | – | – |
White-fronted goose | Anser albifrons | Win | C | N | – | – |
Lesser white-fronted goose | Anser erythropus (V) | Win | R | R | N | – |
Tundra swan | Cygnus columbianus | Win | A | R | N | 0 |
Whooper swan | Cygnus cygnus | Win | R | N | – | – |
Ruddy shelduck | Tadorna ferruginea | Win | R | R | N | 0 |
Common shelduck | Tadorna tadorna | Win | R | R | N | 0 |
Northern pintail | Anas acuta | Win | A | C | A | 0 |
Common teal | Anas crecca | Win | A | A | A | 0.189 |
Baikal teal | Anas formosa (V) | Win | C | R | A | 0 |
Falcated duck | Anas falcata | Win | C | R | A | 0 |
Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | Win | A | C | A | 0 |
Spot-billed duck | Anas poecilorhyncha | Win | A | A | A | 0.140 |
Gadwall | Anas strepera | Win | C | R | A | 0 |
Eurasian wigeon | Anas penelope | Win | C | C | A | 0.127 |
Garganey | Anas querquedula | Win | C | C | A | 0.353 |
Northern shoveler | Anas clypeata | Win | C | R | A | 0 |
Common pochard | Aythya ferina | Win | N | R | A | 0.918 |
Ferruginous duck | Aythya nyroca | Win | N | R | A | – |
Baer’s pochard | Aythya baeri (V) | Win | C | R | A | 0 |
Tufted duck | Aythya fuligula | Win | C | R | A | 0 |
Greater scaup | Aythya marila | Win | C | N | – | – |
Mandarin duck | Aix galericulata | Win | C | R | A | 0.971 |
Common goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | Win | R | N | – | – |
Common merganser | Mergus merganser | Win | A | R | A | 0.991 |
Red-breasted merganser | Mergus serrator | Win | R | N | – | – |
Smew | Mergellus albellus | Win | C | R | A | – |
Common crane | Grus grus | Win | R | R | B | 1.485 |
Hooded crane | Grus monacha (V) | Win | C | C | B | 1.417 |
White-naped crane | Grus vipio (V) | Win | R | R | N | – |
Watercock | Gallicrex cinerea | Sum | N | R | N | – |
Water rail | Rallus aquaticus | Win | R | R | A | 0 |
White-breasted waterhen | Amaurornis phoenicurus | Sum | R | R | A | 0.971 |
Baillon’s crake | Porzana pusilla | Tra | C | R | A | 0 |
Swinhoe’s rail | Coturnicops exquistus | Tra | N | R | A | – |
Ruddy-breasted crake | Porzana fusca | Sum | C | R | A | 0.811 |
Common moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | Sum | C | R | A | 0 |
Coot | Fulica atra | Win | A | C | A | 0 |
Painted snipe | Rostratula benghalensis | Tra | R | N | – | – |
Eurasian oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus | Tra | R | R | N | – |
Northern lapwing | Vanellus vanellus | Win | A | R | A | 0.466 |
Grey-headed lapwing | Vanellus cinereus | Tra | C | R | A | 0.811 |
Grey plover | Pluvialis squatarola | Tra | C | C | N | 0.588 |
Pacific golden plover | Pluvialis fulva | Tra | C | R | N | 0 |
Ringed plover | Charadrius hiaticula | Win | C | R | N | – |
Little ringed plover | Charadrius dubius | Tra | C | R | A | 0.918 |
Kentish plover | Charadrius alexandrinus | Tra | A | A | N | 0.772 |
Lesser sand plover | Charadrius mongolus | Tra | A | C | N | 0.899 |
Greater sand plover | Charadrius leschenaultii | Tra | A | C | N | 0.990 |
Caspian plover | Charadrius asiaticus | Tra | C | R | N | – |
Little curlew | Numenius minutus | Tra | C | R | N | 0.918 |
Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | Tra | C | C | N | 1.284 |
Eurasian curlew | Numenius arquata | Win | C | C | N | 1.474 |
Eastern curlew | Numenius madagascariensis | Tra | R | C | N | 1.715 |
Black-tailed godwit | Limosa limosa | Tra | A | C | B | 1.218 |
Bar-tailed godwit | Limosa lapponica | Tra | A | C | N | 1.116 |
Spotted redshank | Tringa erythropus | Tra | C | C | B | 1.833 |
Common redshank | Tringa totanus | Tra | C | R | N | 1.512 |
Marsh sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis | Tra | R | R | B | 1.922 |
Common greenshank | Tringa nebularia | Win | A | C | N | 1.768 |
Green sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | Win | A | C | B | 0.928 |
Wood sandpiper | Tringa glareola | Tra | C | R | N | 1.009 |
Spotted greenshank | Tringa guttifer (E) | Tra | R | R | N | 0.650 |
Common sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | Res | C | R | B | 0.890 |
Gray-tailed tattler | Heteroscelus brevipes | Tra | C | R | N | 0.992 |
Terek sandpiper | Xenus cinereus | Tra | C | C | N | 1.007 |
Ruddy turnstone | Arenaria interpres | Tra | C | R | N | 1.097 |
Ruff | Philomachus pugnax | Tra | N | R | N | – |
Asian dowitcher | Limnodromus semipalmatus | Tra | C | N | – | – |
Pintail snipe | Gallinago stenura | Tra | C | R | N | – |
Swinhoe’s snipe | Gallinago megala | Tra | C | N | – | – |
Solitary snipe | Gallinago solitaria | Win | R | N | – | – |
Common snipe | Gallinago gallinago | Win | A | C | B | 1.081 |
Eurasian woodcock | Scolopax rusticola | Tra | C | R | N | – |
Red knot | Calidris canutus | Tra | C | C | N | 0.520 |
Great knot | Calidris tenuirostris | Tra | A | A | N | 0.282 |
Red-necked stint | Calidris ruficollis | Tra | C | A | B | 0.796 |
Long-toed stint | Calidris subminuta | Tra | C | R | N | 0 |
Temminck’s stint | Calidris temminckii | Tra | C | R | N | 0 |
Sharp-tailed sandpiper | Calidris acuminata | Tra | A | C | N | 1.084 |
Dunlin | Calidris alpina | Win | A | A | B | 0.784 |
Curlew sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea | Tra | A | C | N | 0.540 |
Sanderling | Calidris alba | Tra | R | R | N | 0.702 |
Spoon-billed sandpiper | Eurynorhynchus pygmeus (V) | Tra | R | R | N | – |
Broad-billed sandpiper | Limicola falcinellus | Tra | C | C | N | 0.319 |
Black-winged stilt | Himantopus himantopus | Tra | R | R | A | 0.889 |
Red-necked phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus | Tra | C | N | – | – |
Oriental pratincole | Glareola maldivarum | Tra | N | R | N | 0.989 |
Black-tailed gull | Larus crassirostris | Win | C | C | B | 1.668 |
Common gull | Larus canus | Win | N | R | B | 1.414 |
Herring gull | Larus argentatus | Win | A | A | B | 1.362 |
Black-headed gull | Larus ridibundus | Win | A | A | B | 1.048 |
Saunders’s gull | Larus saundersi (V) | Win | C | R | N | 0 |
Black-legged kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | Win | R | N | – | – |
Whiskered tern | Chlidonias hybridus | Sum | N | R | B | 1.639 |
White-winged black tern | Chlidonias leucopterus | Tra | C | C | B | 1.273 |
Gull-billed tern | Gelochelidon nilotica | Tra | R | R | N | – |
Common tern | Sterna hirundo | Tra | N | C | B | 1.157 |
Little tern | Sterna albifrons | Tra | C | C | B | 1.638 |
Slaty-backed gull | Larus schistisagus | Win | R | R | N | 0 |
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Ma, Z., Wang, Y., Gan, X. et al. Waterbird Population Changes in the Wetlands at Chongming Dongtan in the Yangtze River Estuary, China. Environmental Management 43, 1187–1200 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-008-9247-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-008-9247-7