{"paper_id":"01652110-64d4-48a0-b797-cd37fc63015a","body_text":"Multidimensional diversity of birds in different\nhabitats of the wetland complex in Huaibei Plain,\neastern China\nYongmin Li , Huidong Xu , Xiaoyu Wang , Xu Yong , Dongwei Li , Yatao Wu , Wenfeng Hu\n‡ Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, China\nCorresponding author: Yongmin Li (lyminron@163.com)\nAcademic editor: Therese Catanach\nAbstract\nWetlands are amongst the most productive ecosystems around the globe, with lots of\necological and social-economic services provided. Better understanding of the spatial\ndistribution of biotic communities in wetlands is not only an important question in ecology,\nbut also critical for biodiversity conservation. From March 2022 to February 2023, 12\nmonthly surveys were conducted on 10 provincially significant wetlands in the Huaibei\nPlain using transect and point-count methods. In this study, a two-way ANOVA was used\nto compare the differences in species, taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of\nbirds across the four seasons and the six habitats. A total of 129,916 individuals, 218 bird\nspecies belonging to 54 families and 18 orders were identified during the survey. During\nspring, species richness was significantly higher in  rivers (55.67  ±  4.93), shelterbelts\n(47.67 ± 6.51) and gardens (44.67 ± 5.29) compared to farmlands, lakes and ponds. In\ncontrast,  farmland  in  summer  exhibited  greater  species  richness  (SR)  (46.67  ±\n7.00), Shannon-Wiener  (3.13  ±  0.10),  Pielou  index (0.82  ±  0.02)  and  phylogenetic\ndiversity (PD) (1431.31 ± 129.92) than shelterbelts, gardens and lakes. River, lake and\npond  habitats  showed  notably  higher  taxonomic  diversity  (TD),  functional  diversity\n(FD) and phylogenetic diversity (PD) during autumn, while the highest functional diversity\n(FD) and phylogenetic diversity (PD) levels were observed in rivers, lakes and ponds in\nwinter. There  were  no  significant differences  in  bird  diversity  within  habitats  across\ndifferent seasons, but the  species  richness  (SR)  and  abundance  of ecotypes  were\nsignificantly different amongst the four seasons, indicating notable seasonal fluctuations\nin the species composition of the community in this area. Aquatic habitats such as the\nlakes, rivers and  ponds are  the  most abundant areas of bird  diversity in  the  wetland\ncomplex in the Huaibei Plain, providing stop-overs and wintering places for migrants on\nthe  East Asian-Australasian  Flyway. Meanwhile, the  autumn  and  winter  are  the  key\nperiods for waterbird protection in this area. Our study provides important baseline data\non the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of bird communities in the Huaibei Plain\nand may help in developing scientifically effective management and conservation plans.\n‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡\n© Li Y et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0),\nwhich permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are\ncredited.\nAuthor-formatted, not peer-reviewed document posted on 01/04/2025. DOI:  \nhttps://doi.org/10.3897/arphapreprints.e154390\n\nKeywords\nwetland, habitat, bird, multidimensional, diversity\nIntroduction\nWetlands are one of the world's most productive ecosystems, with rich biodiversity and\nhabitats  for  many  endangered  species ( Getzner  2002, Ntongani  and  Andrew  2013 ).\nWetland biodiversity not only contributes to the stability of ecosystems, but also plays an\nimportant role in sustainable human development ( Garcia et al. 2021 ). Wetlands with\nsignificant habitat heterogeneity have abundant bird communities, often including rare\nand endemic species ( Rajpar and Zakaria 2011 , Mereta et al. 2021 ). Many studies have\nshown  that there  are  significant differences  in  bird  communities in  different types  of\nwetlands such as rivers, lakes, ponds, paddy fields and swamp forests ( Derebe et al.\n2023, He  et al. 2023 , Prajapati  et al. 2023 ). There  are  other  studies  that show  the\ncomposition  and  diversity  of wetland  bird  communities  vary  significantly  in  different\nseasons due to the influence of bird migration and water level fluctuation ( Ferrarini et al.\n2023).\nThe above studies mainly focused on the analysis of community species composition,\ndiversity and  evenness, usually using  traditional  diversity indicators such  as species\nrichness and taxonomic diversity. However, species richness is susceptible to sampling\nintensity and density of individuals ( Gotelli and Colwell 2001 ). In light of this, Clarke and\nWarwick proposed a taxonomic diversity method, comprehensively assessing diversity\nlevels  by  calculating  the  average  taxonomic  distinctness  index  and  the  variation  in\ntaxonomic distinctness index ( Warwick and Clarke 2003 ). Despite the advantages of this\nmethod, its limitations are obvious, such as the inability to reflect the historical status of\nspecies, genealogical relationships and the ecological functions of different species in\ncommunity construction. Compared  to  traditional  diversity metrics, functional  diversity\n(FD), based on Niche Theory and the Limiting Similarity Principle, can more effectively\nexplain ecosystem functioning ( Vandermeer 1972 ; Abrams 1983 ; Cadotte et al. 2011 ).\nAccording to these theories, species achieve niche separation through the differentiation\nof  functional  traits,  thereby  reducing  competition  and  promoting  co-existence.   High\ndissimilarity  between  species  leads  to  greater  Functional  Diversity  (FD),  thereby\nproviding an index of niche complementarity and the diversity of ecological interactions\nwithin communities ( Cadotte et al. 2011 , Chapman et al. 2018 ). Research indicates that\nFunctional diversity (FD) is a strong predictor of ecosystem productivity and vulnerability (\nSchleuter et al. 2010 ). The  stability and  efficiency of ecosystems are  expected  to  be\nhigher  when  more  multifunctional  features  are  present  ( Cardinale  et  al.  2012 ).\nPhylogenetic diversity (PD) is based on the theories of phylogenetic signal and Darwin's\nniche  conservatism ( Wiens and  Graham 2005 ), characterises the  patterns of genetic\nvariation of species in a community and evolutionary relationships amongst species in a\ncommunity (Muvengwi et al. 2022 ). Faith defines phylogenetic diversity (PD) as the total\n2\nAuthor-formatted, not peer-reviewed document posted on 01/04/2025. DOI:  \nhttps://doi.org/10.3897/arphapreprints.e154390\n\nphylogenetic distance  between  two  or more  species, explicitly measuring  differences\nbetween  species  rather  than  the  number  of  species  or  their  traits  ( Faith  1992 ).\nPhylogenetic diversity (PD) is inversely related to the evolutionary relatedness of species;\nthe more distantly related the species are, the higher the PD ( Venail et al. 2015 ). Higher\nphylogenetic diversity means that more evolutionary history is preserved ( Frishkoff et al.\n2014, Jetz et al. 2014 ). By conserving  phylogenetic diversity, the  likelihood  of losing\nunique ecological and phenotypic traits within a community can be reduced ( Matos et al.\n2016).\nThe Huaibei Plain is located in the south of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain in eastern China,\nwith flat terrain and mainly used for planting dryland crops. The Huaihe River and its\ntributaries, such as the Ying River and the Hong River, flow through the Huaibei Plain,\nproviding the region with abundant water resources. In addition, the Huaibei Plain has a\nvariety  of  habitat  types,  including  farmland,  ponds,  lakes,  woodlands etc.,  providing\nforaging,  breeding  and  overwintering  sites  for  birds,  particularly  the  long-distance\nmigrants along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. However, there are few studies on\nthe diversity of birds in important wetlands in Huaibei Plain ( Y ongmin et al. 2017). In this\ncontext, we aimed to assess 10 provincially significant wetlands in the Huaibei Plain\ndynamics using multi-dimensional diversity indicators to analyse different aspects of bird\ndiversity in space (habitats) and time (seasons). Our results may reveal the community\nstructure, spatial and temporal distribution patterns and habitat selection preferences of\nbirds  in  the  wetlands  in  the  Huaibei  Plain and  provide  reference  suggestions  for\nbiodiversity conservation and ecological restoration.\nMethods\nStudy Area \nThe Huaibei Plain (114°50′-118°18′E, 32°39′-34°44′N) is located in eastern China. The\nregion  experiences  a  warm  temperate,  semi-humid  monsoon  climate,  characterised\nby distinct seasons. The region has an average annual temperature of approximately\n16.9°C and an average annual precipitation of 884.7 mm.\nThis study selected 10 provincially significant wetlands in the Huaibei Plain, namely the\nBalihe  Provincial  Nature  Reserve  (BPNR),  the  Wangjiaba  National  Wetland  Park\n(WNWP),  the  Yingzhou  West  Lake  National  Wetland  Park  (YWWP),  the  Liangwan\nNational  Wetland  Park  (LWWP), the  Yingzhou  West Lake  Provincial  Nature  Reserve\n(YWNR), the  Shayinghe  National  Wetland  Park  (SNWP), the  Quanshuiwan  National\nWetland Park (QNWP), the Shuangqingwan Wetland Park (SWP), the Yuejiahu Wetland\nPark (YWP) and the Qiyuhe Wetland Park (QWP) (Fig. 1) .\nBird Survey \nFrom March 2022 to February 2023, monthly bird surveys were conducted using transect\nand  point-count  methods  across  10  provincially  significant  wetlands  and  their\nsurrounding areas. Based on the wetland area, habitat complexity and accessibility of the\n3\nAuthor-formatted, not peer-reviewed document posted on 01/04/2025. DOI:  \nhttps://doi.org/10.3897/arphapreprints.e154390\n\nConclusion\nThese  lakes, rivers and  ponds are  the  richest areas in  terms  of bird  diversity in  this\narea; furthermore, autumn and winter are the important periods for waterbird protection.\nFarmlands and woodlands surrounding the aquatic habitats provide varied food sources,\nbreeding sites and nocturnal resting sites for wetland birds and are an important part of\nthe wetland complex. The wetland complex in the Huaibei Plain could provide critical\nhabitats for a wide range of bird species, particularly the long-distance migrants along the\nEast  Asian-Australasian  Flyway.  Therefore,  strengthening  the  protection  and\nmanagement  of  these  wetlands  is  crucial  for  maintaining  biodiversity  and  wetland\nfunctions. In  terms of different habitats, river habitats require  conservation  of shrubs/\nmudflats during the breeding season and reed communities during migration periods.\nLake habitats should maintain open water areas, have reduced human disturbances on\nmid-lake  islands and  provide  nesting  and  roosting  sites for waterbirds. Pond  habitats\nshould establish a gradient structure of \"deep water- shallow beach-muddy land\", retain\nfloating-leaved vegetation in summer to support breeding waterbirds and adopt rotational\nharvesting in lotus ponds to ensure winter food supply for migratory birds.\nAcknowledgements\nWe thank Dr. Pancheng Xie from University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center at\nDallas for his help modified in this study.\nAuthor contributions\nFormal analysis, H.X., D.L., Y .W. and W.H.; Investig ation, Y .L., H.X., X.W., X.Y . and Y .W.;\nMethodology, Y .L.; Writing- original draft, H.X.; Writing-review and editing, Y .L.\nConflicts of interest\nThe authors have declared that no competing interests exist.\nReferences\n• Abrams P (1983) The Theory of Limiting Similarity. 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DOI:  \nhttps://doi.org/10.3897/arphapreprints.e154390\n\n Spring Summer Autumn Winter\n Richness Abundance Richness Abundance Richness Abundance Richness Abundance\nSwimming\nbirds\n8.00±2.65 1016.33±1276.27 5.33±0.58 509.33±177.43 14.00±2.65 3048.33±2035.28 22.00±2.00 8615.00\nT errestrial\nbirds\n6.00±0.00 563.00±49.57 5.67±0.58 928.00±89.27 5.33±0.58 1309.33±218.51 5.33±0.58 941.33\nWading\nbirds\n15.33±2.52 1640.00±112.93 21.00±3.61 1684.00±330.61 21.33±6.11 1576.33±200.15 14.33±3.21 1180.33\nClimbing\nbirds\n7.67±1.15 51.67±40.28 9.67±0.58 90.33±34.36 4.00±0.00 34.67±5.69 5.00±1.00 32.33\nSongbirds 56.00±1.73 3297.33±252.94 39.33±2.52 4567.67±346.37 58.67±6.66 6733.33±392.00 43.00±3.61 5454.33\nBirds of\nprey\n4.33±0.58 6.00±1.00 2.00±2.00 2.33±2.08 9.33±0.58 17.67±3.21 4.00±1.00 6.33±\nc bc dc dc bc b b\nc bc dc c c c d\nb b b b b c c\nc c c d c c d\na a a a a a a\nc c d d c c d\nTable 1. \nEffects of four seasons on species richness and abundance of different bird ecotypes.\n20\nAuthor-formatted, not peer-reviewed document posted on 01/04/2025. DOI:  \nhttps://doi.org/10.3897/arphapreprints.e154390\n\nSupplementary material\nSuppl. material 1: Bird data of 10 provincially significant wetlands in the Huaibei\nPlain\nAuthors:  Yongmin Li\nData type:  xlsx\nDownload file (23.66 kb) \n \n21\nAuthor-formatted, not peer-reviewed document posted on 01/04/2025. DOI:  \nhttps://doi.org/10.3897/arphapreprints.e154390","source_license":"CC-BY-4.0","license_restricted":false}