Habitat Quality and Social Behavioral Association Network in a Wintering Waterbirds Community

Muhammad Awais Rasool, Muhammad Azher Hassan, Xiaobo Zhang, Qing Zeng, Yifei Jia, Li Wen and Guangchun Lei
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Muhammad Awais Rasool: Center for East Asian Australasian Flyway Studies, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Muhammad Azher Hassan: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Xiaobo Zhang: Center for East Asian Australasian Flyway Studies, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Qing Zeng: Center for East Asian Australasian Flyway Studies, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Yifei Jia: Center for East Asian Australasian Flyway Studies, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Li Wen: Center for East Asian Australasian Flyway Studies, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Guangchun Lei: Center for East Asian Australasian Flyway Studies, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: Migratory waterbirds concentrated in freshwater ecosystems in mosaic environments rely on quality habitats for overwintering. At West Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve (WDLNNR), China, land-use change and hydrology alternation are compounding factors that have affected important wintering areas for migratory waterbirds. Presently, changes in the hydrology and landscape have reshaped natural wintering habitats and their availability, though the impact of hydrological management on habitat selection of wintering waterbirds is largely unknown. In this study, we classified differentially managed habitats and calculated their area using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to evaluate suitable habitat availability over the study period (2016–2017 and 2017–2018 wintering periods). We then used social behavioral association network (SBAN) model to compare habitat quality through species-species social interactions and species-habitat associations in lakes with different hydrological management. The results indicated that social interactions between and within species structured wintering waterbirds communities, which could be dominated by one or more species, while dominant species control the activities of other co-existing species. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests indicated significant differences in SBAN metrics between lakes ( p = 0.0237) and habitat ( p < 0.0001) levels. Specifically, lakes with managed hydrology were preferred by more species. The managed lakes had better habitat quality in terms of significantly higher habitat areas ( p < 0.0001) and lower habitat transitions ( p = 0.0113). Collectively, our findings suggest that proper hydrological management can provide continuous availability of quality habitats, especially mudflats and shallow waters, for a stable SBAN to ensure a wintering waterbirds community with more sympatric species in a dynamic environment.

Keywords: wintering waterbirds; hydrology; social behavioral association network; habitat quality; habitat availability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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