Distribution and abundance of African waterfowl: examples from the African Waterfowl Census

Dodman, T. & Rose, P. 2000. Distribution and abundance of African waterfowl: examples from the African Waterfowl Census. Ostrich 71 (1 & 2): 235–243.

Wetlands International coordinates waterfowl counts in Africa. Counts from 1958–1990 were analysed in 1991, when the African Waterfowl Census (AfWC) was also launched. By 1996, 25 countries were participating. This preliminary appraisal of the AfWC shows that resulting data can be used to identify distribution and abundance patterns, although there are still significant gaps in AfWC coverage and focus. The degree to which AfwC data may be used to assess the conservation status of African waterfowl populations depends on a function of data quality, quantity and reliability. To enable this practical use of data, several priorities for future work are identified, based on the strengths and weaknesses of the current information: (1) simultaneous co-ordinated counts, (2) regular annual or biannual monitoring of the same sites, (3) development of priority list of sites for regular survey, (4) frequent monitoring of particularly important sites (e.g. every three months), (5) building waterbird surveys into broader programmes of ecological monitoring, (6) planning of special internationally coordinated surveys, (7) planning regular complete surveys in major wetlands, e.g. every five years, and (8) extending the AfWC to other taxa and broader surveys of wetland use by man. In Africa, 522 discrete waterbird populations have been identified. Over half the populations for which trends have been established are in decline. Results from a recent atlas of Anatidae are illustrated by the Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygnu bicolor, for which three discrete populations and 21 key sites are identified. Wetlands are the most important habitats for waterbirds. Many species (e.g. Grey Heron Ardea cinema) exploit a variety of wetland types and are geographically widespread; those with special habitat requirements (e.g. Blue-winged Goose Cyanochen cyanopterus) oh have restricted ranges. Hartlaub's Duck Pteronetta hartlaubi is one of the few waterbirds specific to the tropical forest biome. The movements of Abdim's Stork Ciconia abdimii in southern Africa show a clear response to rainfall.     

Wetland mitigation and compensation: Canadian experience

Since Canada’s accession to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1981, the nation’s commitment to wetland conservation and management has increased significantly. This includes the adoption of one of the World’s first national wetland conservation policies by the Government of Canada, and the adoption of complementary policy and legislative initiatives by most of the 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions. Numerous habitat ‘no net loss’ and environmental assessment policies, regulations and guidelines for incorporating mitigation processes into development decisions affecting wetland resources are used throughout Canada. The governments of Canada and six provinces have so far adopted wetland mitigation measures. These are in addition to comprehensive wetland fish and wildlife habitat initiatives, such as the species and habitat joint ventures delivered in Canada through the North American Waterfowl Management Plan by all jurisdictions and numerous non-government partners. This paper examines the current policies, regulations and programs, as well as past implementation experience with wetland mitigation and compensation in Canada.     

Conservation significantly improves wetland conditions: evaluation of playa wetlands in different conservation status

This study assessed the conditions of wetland hydrology, hydrophyte and soil under different state and federal conservation programs, and then identified the restorable potential of conserved playas. The distribution of hydrology and hydrophyte were geospatially examined through annual tracking the quantity and quality of wetlands on historical hydric soil footprints under different conservation programs in the Rainwater Basin in Nebraska, USA during 2004–2015. The results show that the historical hydric soil footprints with the conservation programs had significantly better performance in ponded water and hydrophyte than non-conserved wetlands. The yearly average of ponded water areas within footprints varies at 12.59% for the Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs), 14.78% for Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), 27.37% for Wetlands Reserve Program’s conservation easements (WRPs), and 1.86% for non-conserved wetlands, respectively. The yearly average of hydrophyte plant community coverage within footprints reaches at 77.51% for WPAs, 79.28% for WMAs, and 66.53% for WRPs, and 8.82% for non-conserved hydric footprints. Within conserved lands, Massie/Water soil series demonstrated the prominent ability to hold ponding water, especially in the ponded footprints with higher ponding frequency. Nevertheless, the proportion of Fillmore, Rusco or Butler soil series roughly decreased when the ponding water frequency increased. The areas, with high likelihood to be restored, are the places between annual ponding/hydrophyte covered areas and 11 years’ maximized ponding/hydrophyte areas.

     

The Taolimiao-Alashan Nur:its Wetland Bird Community and the Wetland Habitat Assessment

1IntroductionStudiesonbirdsinOrdoswereinitiatedintheprojectofinvestigationontheavifaunaofInnerMongoliaAutonomousRegion.On29thApril1987,skinsofapairofgullswerecol-lectedatasmalllakenotfarfromthe'Ikolimiao-AlashanNur,towhichitwaslateron,bykindhelpofDr.MartinWilliams,identifiedastheRelictGull(Larusrelictus)(Duffetal.[991).InMayof1990,alargebreedingcolonyoftheRelictGullwasfoundattheT-ANut,thenregularfieldobservationsonthegullandonotherwetlandbirdsaroundthelakewerehencestartedand,during199…     

The African Waterfowl Census: review and development of an international monitoring programme

Dodman, T. 2000. The African Waterfowl Census: review and development of an international monitoring programme. Ostrich 71 (1 &2):95.

The African Waterfowl Census (AFWC) is now in its sixth year of operation as a coordinated wetland monitoring programme for sub-Saharan Africa. A comprehensive review of the AFWC took place in 1995 and 1996, including a widely-circulated questionnaire and a special meeting in Senegal. The results from this review process are being used to develop the programme as a lasting tool for wetland conservation and management in Africa. This paper summarises these results. The AFWC currently involves about 25 countries, which all submit data annually to enable waterbird numbers and distribution to be viewed at regional and international levels. On a national level, results are used variably for the identification and designation of Wetlands of International importance (Ramsar Sites), for standard wetland monitoring programmes, for wetland and species management actions and for setting hunting quotas. In some countries, large networks have already been established, comprising scientists, managers and local volunteers. Priorities for the future operation of the AFWC include: a) the establishment of a Steering Committee with representation from all regions; b) election of National Coordinators in all countries; c) national and regional training initiatives; d) a field guide to African waterbirds and basic monitoring exercises; e) involving local communities in basic monitoring exercises; and f) increasing the use of results, especially in support of the Bonn and Ramsar Conventions. The AFWC is uniquely placed to help countries meet obligations under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) under the Bonn Convention. Increased collaboration and information exchange between National Coordinators and others will lead to a greater knowledge of wetland networks important for migratory waterbirds. This in turn will help in the identification of conservation priorities for particular species, for threatened wetlands that form vital components of migration networks and for threatened wetland habitats.     

鄂尔多斯桃力庙-阿拉善湾海子湿地鸟类群落研究与湿地生境评估

近年来的野外工作结果表明,桃力庙 － 阿拉善湾海子(以下简称桃 － 阿海子)对于遗鸥鄂尔多斯种群的生存具有特别重要的意义,出现于那里的湿地鸟类集中地反映了鄂尔多斯荒漠型湿地鸟类群落的特点;鉴于我国于1992年7月已成为《具国际重要意义特别是作为水禽栖息地的湿地公约》(简称《拉姆萨公约》)的缔约国,本项研究比照《公约》所推荐的评判标准对桃 阿海子作了评估,提出该地点依据《公约》标准应被列入《国际重要湿地名录》。     

Presence or absence of fish as a cue to macroinvertebrate abundance in boreal wetlands

Waterfowl that eat macroinvertebrates must select among potential nesting or brood-rearing habitats that may vary in food abundance over the season. We compared the reliability of predicting the relative abundance of macroinvertebrates in boreal wetlands using either the number of macroinvertebrates collected at one sampling period, or presence or absence of fish. Wetlands with fish had fewer macroinvertebrates than fishless wetlands in all five sampling periods. Predictions of the relative abundance of invertebrates in a wetland at other sampling periods based on the presence or absence of fish, were equal to or better than predictions based on the actual number of macroinvertebrates collected during one sampling period. These results suggest that fish status of a wetland is a reliable cue to invertebrate abundance in boreal wetlands.     

建立生物多样性保护相关国际公约的国家履约协同战略

目前国际层面已有多个与生物多样性保护有关的多边公约(包括条约和协定), 如《生物多样性公约》、《濒危动植物种国际贸易公约》、《湿地公约》等。本文基于相关国际公约的既有战略目标, 分析了这些战略目标与保护生物多样性之间的关系。这些公约的实施在国际层面是由联合国的不同机构负责, 在国家层次也是由不同的政府部门来牵头。在中国, 生物多样性相关公约的履行机构主要有环境保护、林业、农业等多个政府主管部门。我国现有履约机制的模式是针对某一公约建立一个多部门的履约协调委员会, 并在牵头部门建立一个行政办事机构。履约工作中常见的问题有: 各履约机构在参与公约国际谈判和开展国内履约工作中因缺少沟通和协调, 造成对外政策不一致、对内工作重复的现象; 部门间缺少信息共享机制, 甚至相互不提供数据。最后, 作者建议在国家层次上建立生物多样性国际履约的协同战略, 包括为协调生物多样性议题的国际谈判立场而建立协同工作组, 为增强国家履约效率而综合各部门履约行动, 以及建立国家生物多样性信息交换机制等。     

Building the Foundation for International Conservation Planning for Breeding Ducks across the U.S. and Canadian Border

We used publically available data on duck breeding distribution and recently compiled geospatial data on upland habitat and environmental conditions to develop a spatially explicit model of breeding duck populations across the entire Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). Our spatial population models were able to identify key areas for duck conservation across the PPR and predict between 62.1 – 79.1% (68.4% avg.) of the variation in duck counts by year from 2002 – 2010. The median difference in observed vs. predicted duck counts at a transect segment level was 4.6 ducks. Our models are the first seamless spatially explicit models of waterfowl abundance across the entire PPR and represent an initial step toward joint conservation planning between Prairie Pothole and Prairie Habitat Joint Ventures. Our work demonstrates that when spatial and temporal variation for highly mobile birds is incorporated into conservation planning it will likely increase the habitat area required to support defined population goals. A major goal of the current North American Waterfowl Management Plan and subsequent action plan is the linking of harvest and habitat management. We contend incorporation of spatial aspects will increase the likelihood of coherent joint harvest and habitat management decisions. Our results show at a minimum, it is possible to produce spatially explicit waterfowl abundance models that when summed across survey strata will produce similar strata level population estimates as the design-based Waterfowl Breeding Pair and Habitat Survey (r² = 0.977). This is important because these design-based population estimates are currently used to set duck harvest regulations and to set duck population and habitat goals for the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. We hope this effort generates discussion on the important linkages between spatial and temporal variation in population size, and distribution relative to habitat quantity and quality when linking habitat and population goals across this important region.     

The evolutionary impacts of conservation actions

Conservation management for environmental sustainability is now ubiquitous. The ecological effects of these actions are well-intentioned and well-known. Although conservation biologists and managers increasingly incorporate evolutionary considerations into management plans, the evolutionary consequences of management strategies have remained relatively unexplored and unconsidered. But what are the evolutionary consequences? Here, we advocate a new research agenda focused on identifying, predicting, and countering the evolutionary consequences of conservation management. We showcase the examples of park creation and invasive species management, and speculate further on five other major methods of management. Park creation may cause selection for altered dispersal and behavior that utilizes human foods and structures. Management of invasive species may favor the evolution of resistance to or tolerance of control methods. In these and other cases, evolution may cause deviations from the predicted consequences of management strategies optimized without considering evolution, particularly when management results in or coincides with major environmental change, if population size change strongly, or if life histories are short enough to allow more rapid evolution. We call for research focused on: (1) experimental predictions and tests of evolution under particular management strategies, (2) widespread monitoring of managed populations and communities, and (3) meta-analysis and theoretical study aimed at simplifying the process of evolutionary prediction, particularly at systematizing a means of identifying traits likely to evolve due to likely existing genetic variance or high mutation rates. Ultimately, conservation biologists should incorporate evolutionary prediction into management planning to prevent the evolutionary domestication of the species that they are trying to protect.     

Biotic wetland connectivity—supporting a new approach for wetland policy

Wetlands are key habitats connected physically and socially with processes occurring over a much wider territory. The biotic connection through dispersal mechanisms among wetlands is of primary importance to wetland management and policies. However, traditional wetland conservation approaches are based on the preservation of isolated sites considered to be of special importance (typically owing to their importance for concentrations of migratory waterbirds). Research linking local species richness and bird migration suggests that the effect of wetland loss on regional diversity might be much larger than what would be expected from direct habitat loss. Since the biotic connection among wetlands serviced by waterbirds appears to be more efficient within a limited range, the distribution of wetlands in space is a key aspect determining wetland connectedness even in the absence of direct hydrologic links. Protected areas should thus be defined with regard to waterfowl movements and waterbird migration as functional processes contributing to aquatic species migration and local species richness. This calls for a regional approach to wetland management within a continental context. This paper aims at defining an operational view of the dispersion function of wetlands and its implication for conservation policies. For this purpose, we examined the conservation policies of the Ramsar Convention (the international treaty that protects wetlands) and the European Union (as an example of relevant continental level policy-making) from the viewpoint of bird-mediated dispersal of aquatic organisms. We propose nine specific avenues for the inclusion of bird-mediated dispersal in the policy documents examined. Non-governmental organisations and other organisations working in waterbird conservation should also recognise the importance of their policies for aquatic biodiversity at broader levels and avoid compartmentalising their conservation activities.     

Key sites for the conservation of waterbirds in Uganda

Arinaitwe, J., Byaruhanga, A. & Mafabi, P. 2000. Key sites for the conservation of waterbirds in Uganda. Ostrich 71 (1 &2): 102–105.

Uganda has a rich bird diversity with 1 008 species including 28 listed species (Collar et al. 1994) and 207 species of regional conservation concern (Bennun & Njoroge 1996). Over 240 species are waterfowl, of which nine are globally threatened, 45 are regionally threatened and five are considered to be of national conservation interest. This high waterbird diversity corresponds to a large wetland area covering about 10% of the land area of Uganda. However, only 6% of the wetlands fall under gazetted protected areas and only one site is recognised as of global importance under the terms of the Ramsar Convention. Three recent activities of JA, the National Wetlands Programme and East Africa Natural History Society (Uganda), have produced new information on distribution and abundance of waterbirds in Uganda. Concurrent with these activities, criteria for the identification of globally threatened species (Collar et al. 1994), species of regional conservation concern (Bennun & Njoroge 1996) and nationally important species (National Wetlands Programme, in press) have been developed. Also, criteria for selection of sites at the global (Ramsar and IBA), regional (IBA) and national (National Wetlands Programme) levels have become available. This paper reviews the advances in the knowledge of waterbirds in Uganda and applies the above criteria to highlight sites that are crucial for conservation at global, regional and national levels.     

The role of wetland policies in the conservation of waterbirds: the case of Uganda

Mafabi, P. 2000. The role of wetland policies in the conservation of waterbirds: the case of Uganda. Ostrich 71 (1 & 2): 96–98.

Wetlands in Uganda provide important habitats for birds including several endemic species. With the ever increasing pressure to convert wetlands to agricultural lands, several species have lost their habitats, while others have become pests due to their opportunistic behaviour in modified habitats. The causes of wetland drainage and conversion in Uganda include population growth, economic reforms and a severe lack of information, legislation and inter-sectoral co-ordination. Community uses of wetlands have clear impacts on waterbirds. At Busolwe (case study 1) there is competition for land-use between Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum and man. Priority community uses of wetlands include fish-farming, agro-forestry and bee-keeping. There is a need for integrating bird conservation into overall wetland conservation objectives, especially with the aim of maintaining conditions suitable for waterbird survival during critical stages of the life-cycle. National wetland policies can play an important role in the conservation of waterbirds, as learned from Uganda's experiences. Recommendations for integrating bird conservation into the national wetland policy framework (as well as into national, district and local level planning processes) are made, which point to close co-operation between stakeholders for better management and on improved appreciation of wetlands values.     

Multi-scale response of wetland bird assemblages to landscape patterns on a Neotropical island: when wetland type matters more than size

Wetlands Ecology and Management - Understanding wetland bird responses to landscape patterns is central for wetland management and bird conservation. This is particularly relevant on islands, where...     

Deciphering the genetic diversity of Avicennia officinalis L. across the salinity gradient in the Sundarbans mangrove forest of Bangladesh

Wetlands Ecology and Management - Mangroves adaptive plasticity in the changing environmental conditions is of vital importance for conservation management. Genetic diversity of mangrove brings...     

基于选择实验的三江平原湿地生态系统服务功能价值评价及偏好异质性研究

维持与保护生态系统服务功能是实现可持续发展的基础,定量评价湿地生态系统服务功能的经济价值已成为当前生态学领域研究的前沿课题。以三江平原湿地为研究对象,应用选择实验法,选取湿地面积、生物多样性、水源涵养和自然景观等4项湿地属性,运用随机参数Logit模型(RPL)对其进行货币化评价,并结合潜在分类模型(LCM)证实并解释公众对湿地生态系统服务功能的偏好异质性。研究结果显示:湿地生态系统服务功能的价值依次为水源涵养湿地面积生物多样性自然景观。对于维持当前各项湿地生态系统服务功能的总价值为14.61亿元/a,改善价值为98.58亿元/a。此外,研究发现受访者可分为资源偏好型、景观偏好型和价格敏感型等3个潜在类别,不同类型的群体对湿地生态系统服务功能存在不同偏好;女性和更高学历的受访者更偏好于资源保护,高收入和到景区旅游次数多的受访者更偏好于景观保护,而教育和收入水平越低的受访者更倾向于选择价格较低的湿地管理方案。研究有助于湿地可持续管理政策的优化设计,为相关环境政策的制定提供理论依据。     

Toward Understanding Protocell Mechanosensation

Mechanosensitive (MS) channels can prevent bacterial bursting during hypo-osmotic shocks by responding to increases in lateral tension at the membrane level through an integrated and coordinated opening mechanism. Mechanical regulation in protocells could have been one of the first mechanisms to evolve in order to preserve their integrity against changing environmental conditions. How has the rich functional diversity found in present cells been created throughout evolution, and what did the primordial MS channels look like? This review has been written with the aim of identifying which factors may have been important for the appearance of the first osmotic valve in a prebiotic context, and what this valve may have been like. It highlights the mechanical properties of lipid bilayers, the association of peptides as aggregates in membranes, and the conservation of sequence motifs as central aspects to understand the evolution of proteins that gate below the tension required for spontaneous pore formation and membrane rupture. The arguments developed here apply to both MscL and MscS homologs, but could be valid to mechano-susceptible proteins in general.     

Conservation strategies for coastal wetlands in the Gulf of California,Mexico

Wetlands worldwide, the fisheries they support, and the communities that depend on them are threatened by habitat modification. We describe strategies being used for wetland conservation in the Gulf of California, Mexico, their effectiveness, and challenges for implementation. We base our analysis on the authors’ experience working for local environmental non-governmental organizations and available literature. The strategies discussed include public and private policy instruments such as Environmental Impact Evaluations, environmental land easements, concessions and transfer agreements, Natural Protected Areas, and international agreements such as the Ramsar convention and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. We present examples from the Gulf of California that highlight some of the challenges to wetland conservation. These challenges range from governmental failure to enforce existing environmental legislation, lack of verification of requirements for development projects, to low economic penalties for wetland modification or destruction. We found that in the Gulf of California successful conservation of coastal wetlands required a combination of policy instruments and relied on integrating science, management, and public participation through partnerships between non-governmental institutions, academic institutions, community stakeholders, and government agencies.     

Application of airborne hyperspectral data for mapping of invasive alien Spiraea tomentosa L.: a serious threat to peat bog plant communities

Wetlands Ecology and Management - Remote sensing is increasingly widely used in nature conservation management. The research focuses on developing an optimal set of airborne raster data for the...     

鸭绿江河口湿地鸟类生境的破坏与修复

鸭绿江河口湿地国家级自然保护区共发现鸟类210种,目前只是在核心区才保留有少许的自然生境--黑嘴鸥(Larus saundersi)的巢址,生境破碎化、片段化现象严重.文章运用景观生态学、恢复生态学、保护生物学的原理和方法、兼顾保护与发展,遵循可持续发展的基本思想,进行生境修复,加强生态管理,使得鸭绿江河口湿地真正成为众多鸟类迁徙路上理想的歇脚地、加油站.