Habitat quality assessment of wintering migratory birds in Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve based on InVEST model

Abstract

Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve (PLNNR) is an important resting place for wintering migratory birds on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). In recent years, due to human activities and climate change, the area of wetlands has shown a downward trend, and the number and habitat of wintering migratory birds have been threatened. It is urgent to evaluate the habitat quality of wintering migratory birds in PLNNR. Therefore, the InVEST model and landscape index were used to evaluate the habitat quality of wintering migratory birds, and the grey correlation theory was used to reveal the response of typical wintering migratory bird population to habitat quality. The results showed that the habitat quality of the PLNNR was still at a high level, but showed a downward trend, with the average index of habitat quality decreasing from 0.872 to 0.817. The area of the highest quality habitat decreased by 3394.92 hm², the area of the lowest, low, and medium quality habitats increased by 3112.11 hm², and the area of the high quality habitat remained stable. The lowest, low, and medium quality habitat expanded from the middle to the south of the PLNNR mainly because of the expansion of construction land and cultivated land. The area with deterioration in habitat quality was 10,477.53 hm², mainly concentrated in the center and south of the PLNNR. The area with restoration in habitat quality was 6148.26 hm², mainly concentrated in the Bang Lake and Dacha Lake. The area with no change in habitat quality remained stable. The fragmentation degree and shape complexity of highest and high quality habitats increased, dominance degree and connectivity decreased, and the landscape pattern of habitat quality showed a downward trend. Typical wintering migratory birds have a strong correlation with highest, high, and low habitat quality, and there is a downward trend with the deterioration of habitat quality. Finally, this paper puts forward constructive suggestions on the degradation of habitat quality caused by land-use change.

Keywords: Habitat quality; InVEST model; Landscape pattern; Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve; Typical wintering migratory bird.