Effects of Habitat Change on the Wintering Waterbird Community in China’s Largest Freshwater Lake

Poyang Lake wetland in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain provides important wintering sites for migratory waterbirds. Extreme climatic events and human activities have resulted in the degradation and redistribution of habitat over the last few decades. However, the effects of habitat changes on the abundance of waterbirds remain unclear. We used long-term waterbird monitoring data and Landsat remote-sensing data to characterize changes in abundance and the relationship between habitat variation and abundance. A total of 113 waterbird species were recorded in the wintering period between 1999 and 2021, including 23 globally threatened species. Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons), Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides), Bean Goose (Anser fabalis), and Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) were the dominant species. A total of 46 species with more than 6 annual surveys and average abundance >100 were recorded between 1999 and 2021. For most species, the mean abundance across all sub-lakes was higher in the first year than in the last year, and no obvious changes were observed over the last 20 years. The mean abundances of the vulnerable species Hooded Crane (Grus monacha) and White-naped Crane (Grus vipio) significantly declined between 1999 and 2021. No significant changes in the mean abundance of all foraging groups were observed. The area of water bodies increased, and the area of mudflats decreased. For most species with significant changes in abundance, habitat change did not greatly contribute to variation in mean abundance. The reduction in the area of mudflats greatly contributed to declines in the mean abundance of the gray heron (Ardea cinerea) and gadwall (Anas strepera).