Preliminary study on bird composition and diversity in Poyang Lake watershed during non-breeding period

Abstract

Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China. It receives the water from Ganjiang River, Fuhe River, Xiushui River, Raohe River, Xinjiang River. Poyang Lake provides good resting and foraging habitats for tens of thousands wintering birds every year. Howevr, the researches of birds only focus on monitoring of the distribution and number in Poyang lake. The bird composition and diversity in Poyang Lake watershed are unknown. From November 2010 to March 2011, bird diversity was surveyed using line transects and point counts methods in four rivers of Poyang Lake watershed. Eight sections of five rivers [Xiuhe Rriver (Taiyangsheng and Liaohe sections), Fuhe River (Taopi section), Xinjiang River (Longhushan, Erkou and Yiyang sections), Raohe River (Fuliang and Wuyuan sections)] are included to investigate the bird diversity in Poyang Lake watershed. A total of 106 species belonging to 36 families, 13 orders were recorded. Of the 106 species, one species is listed in the first category of the nationally protected wildlife species in China and ten species are listed in the second category of the nationally protected wildlife species. Residents and winter migrants are the most abundant species, which account for 56. 60% and 35. 85% of total species, respectively. In term of avifauna, Palaearctic elements,accounting for 41. 51%, are the most common species, followed by Oriental elements (32. 08%). The number of species was high in January and March. Diversity and evenness indices are highest in December and March and lowest in November and February. The results from Cluster analysis showed Xiushui, Longhushan and Jìan sections had different bird composition from other river sections. Yihuang, Erkou and Fuliang had the similar bird composition. Our results suggested that bird composition similarity among river sections is related to local microhabitats and not to distance between two river sections. Some endangered species were detected during this study. However human activities such as digging sand, illegal fishing were affecting these endangered species survival. So decreasing intensity of human activities and maintain bird diversity were suggested to protect the endangered species in the Poyang Lake watershed. Our results can provide basic data for bird diversity conservation and management.