Response of different waterbird guilds to landscape changes along the yellow sea coast: A case study

Abstract

The health of China’s coastal wetlands plays an important role in global bird biodiversity. However, land reclamation, the spread of invasive species, and over-harvesting have altered the landscape of coastal wetland, thus bringing cascade effects on bird diversity. Here, we combined diversity data of different waterbird guilds (ducks, shorebirds, and herons) related to the habitat landscapes to elucidate the influence of long-term habitat changes (2010–2019) on the conservation and management of wintering waterbirds in the Tiaozini wetland. During the study period, the landscape changed in the Tiaozini wetland along the Yellow Sea coast. Natural habitats such as mudflats and coastal wetlands (area: 57.553 km2), and grasslands (area: 57.553 km2) decreased over 10 years, whereas the area of human-modified habitats increased, with a 5.161-km2 and 13.257-km2 increase in ponds and farmlands, respectively. In response to the changes in the landscape, the species number of shorebirds and population size of herons increased with the area of mudflats and coastal wetlands, rivers, farmlands, grasslands, and impervious areas (open water). Moreover, shorebird and heron diversity was positively affected by forest area, whereas duck diversity was negatively affected. Farmland and ponds also affected the diversity of shorebirds, herons, and ducks, implying the importance of artificial wetlands for waterbird diversity. Our results provide novel evidence to explore the importance of long-term habitat changes on the species diversity of different waterbird guilds. As a result of natural wetland loss, three waterbird guilds (ducks, shorebirds, and herons) showed different abilities to adapt to human disturbance. Therefore, future conservation plans for coastal habitat management should consider the requirements of different waterbird guilds to resolve the conflict between human development and waterbird conservation.