Spatio-Temporal Variation of Habitat Quality for Bird Species in China Caused by Land Use Change during 1995–2015

Abstract

The analysis of land use change (LUC) has become an important criterion for evaluating the impact of human activities on the natural environment. Habitat loss and degradation caused by LUC are the main threats to biodiversity worldwide. Research on the impact of long-term, wide-scope, and fine-scale LUC on bird habitats is currently limited due to a lack of adequate data. In this study, conducted in China, 9 km grid units were sampled randomly between 1995 and 2015. Logistic regression was used to calculate the probability that each unit grid contained suitable habitat (hereinafter, abbreviated as PGSH) for 981 bird species and analyze the spatial-temporal characteristics of PGSH accordingly. The results showed that: (1) The habitat quality of 84 bird species deteriorated, but for 582 bird species, habitat quality improved. (2) There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the intensity of LUC and the PGSH. The LUC intensity threshold is approximately 67.21%. (3) Based on the counterfactual scenario analysis, the construction of the Three North Shelterbelt has increased the PGSH for all bird species from 20.76% before restoration to 21.38% after restoration. Within the LUC grid representing the transformation of farmland back to forests, the average PGSH for all birds increased from 73.97% to 75.04%. These results may provide a reference for measuring the impacts of LUC on bird species, enabling the protection of bird species and habitats that need it most.