Challenges and opportunities for transboundary conservation of migratory birds in the East Asian‐Australasian flyway

Yong, Ding; Jain, Anuj; Liu, Yang; Iqbal, Muhammad; Choi, Chang‐Yong; Crockford, Nicola J.; Millington, Spike; Provencher, Jennifer F.

doi:10.1111/cobi.13041

Cited by 46 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…With telecoupling on the rise, so too are the benefits of enhanced collaboration among ASEAN nations on conservation issues (Runting et al 2015). Such collaboration is especially critical for species whose ranges cross borders, i.e., migratory birds (Yong et al 2017) and bats (Epstein et al 2009), marine wildlife and large mammals (Woodruff 2010). It is also key to tackling the wildlife trade (e.g., Sodhi et al 2011) and recurrent failures in managing the global commons, as exemplified by the challenges of handling fire and haze (Lee et al 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Top 100 research questions for biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia

Coleman

Ascher

Bickford

et al. 2019

Biological Conservation

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Southeast (SE) Asia holds high regional biodiversity and endemism levels but is also one of the world's most threatened regions. Local, regional and global threats could have severe consequences for the future survival of many species and the provision of ecosystem services. In the face of myriad pressing environmental problems, we carried out a research prioritisation exercise involving 64 experts whose research relates to conservation biology and sustainability in SE Asia. Experts proposed the most pressing research questions which, if answered, would advance the goals of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in SE Asia. We received a total of 333 questions through three rounds of elicitation, ranked them (by votes) following a workshop and grouped them into themes. The top 100 questions depict SE Asia as a region where strong pressures on biodiversity interact in complex and poorly understood ways. They point to a lack of information about multiple facets of the environment, while exposing the many threats to biodiversity and human wellbeing. The themes that emerged indicate the need to evaluate specific drivers of biodiversity loss (wildlife harvesting, agricultural expansion, climate change, infrastructure development, pollution) and even to identify which species and habitats are most at risk. They also suggest the need to study the effectiveness of practice-based solutions (protected areas, ecological restoration), the human dimension (social interventions, organisational systems and processes and, the impacts of biodiversity loss and conservation interventions on people). Finally, they highlight gaps in fundamental knowledge of ecosystem function. These 100 questions should help prioritise and coordinate research, conservation, education and outreach activities and the distribution of scarce conservation resources in SE Asia.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remote Observation in Habitat Suitability Changes for Waterbirds in the West Songnen Plain, China

et al. 2019

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Being one of the most important habitats for waterbirds, China’s West Songnen Plain has experienced substantial damage to its ecosystem, especially the loss and degradation of wetlands and grasslands due to anthropogenic disturbances and climate change. These occurrences have led to an obvious decrease in waterbird species and overall population size. Periodic and timely monitoring of changes in habitat suitability and understanding the potential driving factors for waterbirds are essential for maintaining regional ecological security. In this study, land cover changes from 2000 to 2015 in this eco-sensitive plain were examined using Landsat images and an object-based classification method. Four groups of environmental factors, including human disturbance, water situation, food availability, and shelter safety, characterized by remote sensing data were selected to develop a habitat suitability index (HSI) for assessing habitat suitability for waterbirds. HSI was further classified into four grades (optimum, good, general, and poor), and their spatiotemporal patterns were documented from 2000 to 2015. Our results revealed that cropland expansion and wetland shrinkage were the dominant land cover changes. Waterbird habitat areas in the optimum grade experienced a sharp decline by 7195 km2. The habitat area in good suitability experienced reduction at a change rate of −8.64%, from 38,672 km2 to 35,331 km2. In addition, waterbird habitats in the general and poor grades increased overall by 10.31%. More specifically, the total habitat areas with optimum suitable grade, in five national nature reserves over the study region, decreased by 12.21%, while habitat areas with poor suitable grade increased by 3.89%. Changes in habitat suitability could be largely attributed to the increase in human disturbance, including agricultural cultivation from wetlands and grasslands and the expansion of built-up lands. Our findings indicate that additional attention should be directed towards reducing human impact on habitat suitability for sustainable ecosystems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Populations of some migratory songbirds wintering in southeast Asia are known to have declined, and the loss of their habitats is suspected to be the main driver of this decrease [7,8]. However, many migratory bird populations in temperate Asia have also declined without a clear loss of habitat in their breeding grounds [7,9]. For example, the number of Yellowbreasted Buntings (Emberiza aureola) and other migratory grassland birds that breed in Hokkaido, Japan has declined, although their breeding habitats have been nearly unchanged [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Emberiza bunting communities and populations spanning 100 years in Korea

et al. 2020

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The rapid decline of a few Emberiza bunting species is increasing conservation concerns, especially in Asia. However, temporal changes in communities and populations of buntings, ones of the most common migratory songbirds in Korea, have not been quantitatively assessed. To understand how the status of buntings has changed over the past 100 years, we collated abundance data from museum collections and bird-banding records between 1910 and 2019. We also used presence-absence data for buntings collected by a nationwide census scheme between 1997 to 2012. Our analysis showed that bunting communities reconstructed from museum-specimen and bird-banding data were not significantly different; however, community composition differed over time. The Meadow (E. cioides), Yellowthroated (E. elegans), Black-faced (E. spodocephala), Rustic (E. rustica) and Chestnut Buntings (E. rutila), which are still common or were once common species, significantly affected the temporal changes in bunting community composition. There were no recent changes in the presence of Rustic and Chestnut Buntings since 1997, but they caused medium-term changes in the bunting community composition, suggesting that there was a sharp to moderate decline in their numbers in the past. The probability of the presence of six bunting species decreased annually, with the most prominent decline in two common breeders, the Meadow (-2.99%/year) and Yellow-throated Buntings (-1.82%/year). This finding suggests that breeding buntings in Korea are under high pressure, as are the migratory buntings. Moreover, despite its recent population decline, the Yellow-throated Bunting was still a major contributor to the community, suggesting that bunting diversity has also been deteriorating while bunting populations are shrinking. Long-term monitoring schemes across their distribution ranges, international cooperation for identifying major threats and key areas of conservation, and law enforcement against illegal hunting and habitat loss are strongly required to mitigate the ongoing decline of buntings in Korea and Asia.

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Challenges and opportunities for transboundary conservation of migratory birds in the East Asian‐Australasian flyway

Abstract: Article impact statement: Migratory waterbird and landbird conservation in the East Asian‐Australasian Flyway is a challenge, but the Bonn Convention can help.

Cited by 46 publications

References 22 publications

Top 100 research questions for biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia

Top 100 research questions for biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia

Remote Observation in Habitat Suitability Changes for Waterbirds in the West Songnen Plain, China

Changes in Emberiza bunting communities and populations spanning 100 years in Korea

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