Disturbance-driven changes to landscape patterns and responses of waterbirds at West Dongting Lake, China

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1003.2013.11090

Abstract

Abstract:

To understand human impact on a wetland ecosystem, we analyzed the land-use and land-cover change (LUCC) and also changes to landscape pattern between 1996 and 2013, at West Dongting Lake (WDL), China. For this purpose, we examined remote sensing data and conducted field studies to compare community structure and diversity of waterbirds in three typical habitats: restored wetland, fragmented natural wetland and poplar plantation. Our results showed that the area used for poplar plantation increased 9 times from 1996 to 2013, while the area occupied by reed marsh increased by 30.6%. In contrast, areas of natural wetland, open water, and wet meadow/mudflat, were reduced by 46.4%, 49.8%, and 39.8%, respectively. The WDL wetland ecosystem was significantly fragmented and degraded over the same period as shown by an increase in landscape fragmentation index from 1.239 in 1996 to 2.897 in 2013. Comparisons of populations, species and distribution of waterbirds among three habitats showed. (1) Restored wetland provided habitat for several wintering waterbirds allowing a broader population distribution, but at the same time a simpler community structure with lower biodiversity (H'=1.866). (2) Fragmented natural wetland provided habitat for diverse wintering birds, including rare and endangered black stork (Ciconia nigra) and Siberian crane (Grus leucogeranus), thus rising the Shannon-Wiener index (H'=2.118) for the bird community in this type of habitat, although waterbird population numbers remained low. (3) Poplar plantation was, in general, not suitable for waterbirds with only two individuals of one species observed in this habitat during the field survey period. In conclusion, landscape pattern change and habitat fragmentation reduced biodiversity at WDL with the planting of poplar trees being the key driver of wetland ecosystem degradation. For future management, forestation should be restricted while restoration of natural wetland should be a high priority.

Key words: West Dongting Lake, wetland, human disturbance, landscape pattern, habitat fragmentation, waterbird community

Yunzhu Liu,Linlu Shi,Hairui Duo,Boyong Peng,Cai Lü,Yi Zhu,Guangchun Lei. Disturbance-driven changes to landscape patterns and responses of waterbirds at West Dongting Lake, China[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2013, 21(6): 666-676.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1003.2013.11090

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2013/V21/I6/666

Figures/Tables 7

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年份 Year	1996	2013
水域 Water	11,039(31.9%)	5,922(17.1%)
泥滩地 Mudflat	4,291(12.4%)	2,582(7.5%)
芦苇 Reed marsh	8,741(25.2%)	11,434(33.0%)
林地 Poplar plantation	902(2.6%)	8,918(25.8%)
草滩 Wet grassland	9,009(26.0%)	4,523(13.1%)
其他 Others	638(1.8%)	1,241(3.6%)
合计 Total	34,620	34,620

年份 Year	1996	2013
水域 Water	11,039(31.9%)	5,922(17.1%)
泥滩地 Mudflat	4,291(12.4%)	2,582(7.5%)
芦苇 Reed marsh	8,741(25.2%)	11,434(33.0%)
林地 Poplar plantation	902(2.6%)	8,918(25.8%)
草滩 Wet grassland	9,009(26.0%)	4,523(13.1%)
其他 Others	638(1.8%)	1,241(3.6%)
合计 Total	34,620	34,620

	水域 Water	泥滩地 Mudflat	芦苇 Reed marsh	林地 Poplar plantation	草滩 Wet meadow	其他 Others
水域 Water	5,145	2,131	758	747	2,112	146
A	46.6%	19.3%	6.9%	6.8%	19.1%	1.3%
B	86.9%	82.5%	6.6%	8.4%	46.7%	11.8%
泥滩地 Mudflat	33	257	1,382	1,204	1,346	69
A	0.8%	6.0%	32.2%	28.1%	31.4%	1.6%
B	0.6%	10.0%	12.1%	13.5%	29.8%	5.6%
芦苇 Reed marsh	149	65	5,271	1,864	440	952
A	1.7%	0.7%	60.3%	21.3%	5.0%	10.9%
B	2.5%	2.5%	46.1%	20.9%	9.7%	76.7%
林地 Poplar plantation	42	41	317	331	150	21
A	4.7%	4.5%	35.1%	36.7%	16.6%	2.3%
B	0.7%	1.6%	2.8%	3.7%	3.3%	1.7%
草滩 Wet meadow	39	47	3,693	4,754	441	35
A	0.4%	0.5%	41.0%	52.8%	4.9%	0.4%
B	0.7%	1.8%	32.3%	53.3%	9.8%	2.8%
其他 Others	514	41	13	18	34	18
A	80.6%	6.4%	2.0%	2.8%	5.3%	2.8%
B	8.7%	1.6%	0.1%	0.2%	0.8%	1.5%
变化率 Change rate	-46.4%	-39.8%	30.8%	888.7%	-49.8%	94.5%
年均变化率 Annual change rate	-2.7%	-2.3%	1.8%	52.3%	-2.9%	5.6%

	水域 Water	泥滩地 Mudflat	芦苇 Reed marsh	林地 Poplar plantation	草滩 Wet meadow	其他 Others
水域 Water	5,145	2,131	758	747	2,112	146
A	46.6%	19.3%	6.9%	6.8%	19.1%	1.3%
B	86.9%	82.5%	6.6%	8.4%	46.7%	11.8%
泥滩地 Mudflat	33	257	1,382	1,204	1,346	69
A	0.8%	6.0%	32.2%	28.1%	31.4%	1.6%
B	0.6%	10.0%	12.1%	13.5%	29.8%	5.6%
芦苇 Reed marsh	149	65	5,271	1,864	440	952
A	1.7%	0.7%	60.3%	21.3%	5.0%	10.9%
B	2.5%	2.5%	46.1%	20.9%	9.7%	76.7%
林地 Poplar plantation	42	41	317	331	150	21
A	4.7%	4.5%	35.1%	36.7%	16.6%	2.3%
B	0.7%	1.6%	2.8%	3.7%	3.3%	1.7%
草滩 Wet meadow	39	47	3,693	4,754	441	35
A	0.4%	0.5%	41.0%	52.8%	4.9%	0.4%
B	0.7%	1.8%	32.3%	53.3%	9.8%	2.8%
其他 Others	514	41	13	18	34	18
A	80.6%	6.4%	2.0%	2.8%	5.3%	2.8%
B	8.7%	1.6%	0.1%	0.2%	0.8%	1.5%
变化率 Change rate	-46.4%	-39.8%	30.8%	888.7%	-49.8%	94.5%
年均变化率 Annual change rate	-2.7%	-2.3%	1.8%	52.3%	-2.9%	5.6%

类型 Type	斑块个数 Number of patches		平均斑块面积 Mean patch size (ha)		最大斑块指数 Largest patch index		边缘密度 Edge density		平均斑块形状指数 Mean shape index
类型 Type	1996	2013	1996	2013	1996	2013	1996	2013	1996	2013
林地 Poplar plantation	54	294	16.71	30.33	0.22	10.62	5.44	24.22	2.28	1.69
水域 Water	44	52	250.89	113.89	23.35	4.56	18.63	14.35	2.41	2.39
芦苇 Reed marsh	174	244	50.23	46.86	8.39	6.39	19.68	33.64	1.94	1.99
草滩 Wet grassland	51	192	176.65	23.56	7.45	3.68	21.45	21.33	2.71	2.13
泥滩地 Mudflat	63	152	68.1	16.98	2.92	0.83	17.75	16.15	2.95	2.21
其他 Others	43	69	14.85	17.99	1.76	0.71	1.5	5.4	1.4	1.84