Comparing the Community Composition of European and Eastern Chinese Waterbirds and the Influence of Human Factors on the China Waterbird Community |
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Authors: | Willem F. de Boer Lei Cao Mark Barter Xin Wang Mengmeng Sun Herman van Oeveren Jan de Leeuw Jeb Barzen Herbert H. T. Prins |
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Affiliation: | (1) Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands;(2) School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, No. 96 Jinzhai Road, Anhui, Hefei, 30027, People’s Republic of China;(3) 21 Chivalry Avenue, Glen Waverley, VIC 3150, Australia;(4) International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, Hengelosestraat 9, P.O. Box 6, 7500 AA Enschede, The Netherlands;(5) International Crane Foundation, E-11376 Shady Lane Road, Baraboo, WI 53913, USA |
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Abstract: | We compared the European and eastern Chinese waterbird assemblages and checked whether the effects of human disturbance could be detected in the assemblages’ composition. For the different Chinese provinces, we expected to find a negative effect of economic development on the mean bird species mass and on the proportion of bentivorous, piscivorous and insectivorous bird species. We also expected to find relatively fewer large species in the Chinese assemblage. Species rank–abundance curves were relatively similar, but China had significantly more species with smaller body masses. The China assemblage was characterized by relatively higher abundance of heavy-bodied species, contrary to our expectations. Mean bird body mass decreased in China with increasing disturbance and increasing gross domestic product (GDP). For coastal provinces in China the percentage of bentivorous, piscivorous and insectivorous bird species declined with increasing GDP, maybe through the increased use of pesticides or fertilizer. |
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Keywords: | Anatidae GDP Disturbance Body mass Diet |
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