The Effects of Winter Temperature and Land Use on Mangrove Avian Species Richness and Abundance on Leizhou Peninsula, China

Mangrove wetlands are indispensable habitats for birds but are being altered by global warming and changes in land use. The effects of climate and land use on migratory birds at their stopover or wintering grounds have not been previously studied over a long and continuous time period. Leizhou Peninsula, China, is an internationally important habitat for birds, particularly migrants. From 2005 to 2014, we surveyed the birds at seven major mangrove wetlands on Leizhou Peninsula. We recorded 51,200 individuals belonging to 8 orders, 10 families, 34 genera, and 58 species. Seven of the species are listed as “near threatened” or “vulnerable” in the IUCN Red List (World Conservation Union). During the 10-year survey, avian species richness and abundance tended to increase, whereas the relative proportions of all avian functional feeding groups were relatively constant. Avian species richness and abundance on the whole Leizhou Peninsula were positively related to the average temperature and average low temperature but were independent of extreme temperatures. Across the seven sites, avian species richness and abundance were positively related to the proportion of the area represented by mudflats, and avian species richness was negatively related to the proportion represented by open water. Our long-term assessment increases the understanding of the dynamics of global migratory birds at their wintering or stopover sites. The results highlight that bird conservation in mangrove wetlands may depend on maintaining the proportion of mudflats.