Understanding Recovery Is as Important as Understanding Decline: The Case of the Crested Ibis in China

Xinhai Li (), Jiayu Fu, Tianqing Zhai, Yazu Zhang, Michael W. Bruford, Yuehua Sun and Xiangjiang Zhan
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Xinhai Li: Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Jiayu Fu: Beijing National Day School, 66 Yuquan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100039, China
Tianqing Zhai: Shaanxi Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve, Yang County, Hanzhong 723300, China
Yazu Zhang: Shaanxi Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve, Yang County, Hanzhong 723300, China
Michael W. Bruford: Cardiff School of Biosciences, Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
Yuehua Sun: Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Xiangjiang Zhan: Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: The wild population of the crested ibis ( Nipponia nippon ) has recovered remarkably from seven individuals in 1981 to over 7000 in 2021. However, it is unclear how key factors, from endogenous density dependence to exogenous environmental pressure, have contributed to the species’ recovery. We used species distribution models to quantify the contributions of climatic variables, human impact, land form and land use in order to understand the recovery process in the context of prevailing environmental conditions. We also calculated the nest density over the past 39 years to estimate the influence of density dependence on population dynamics. We found that the interaction between rice paddy areas and water bodies (rivers, lakes and ponds) had the highest contribution to nest site selection, whereas linear terms for either rice paddies or water bodies alone had little effect. During its recovery, sub-populations in two watersheds have been constrained by high density and have experienced logistic growth, while other sub-populations in over seven watersheds are growing exponentially. Our models indicate that exogenous environmental factors are more important than density restriction at this stage. In China’s transformed landscape, the crested ibis needs both rice paddies and water bodies to fulfil its annual life cycle. Habitat protection should thus cover both habitat types to ensure the long-term survival of this still endangered species.

Keywords: carrying capacity; population dynamics; interaction effects; model selection; nest site selection; species distribution models (SDMs); watershed; wetland (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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