Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment ›› 2015, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (5): 658-663.doi: 10.11934/j.issn.1673-4831.2015.05.007

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Distribution Pattern of Forest Birds in Breeding and Wintering Seasons in China and the Influencing Factors.

YONG Fan, XU Hai-gen, CUI Peng, CAO Ming-chang, LEI Jun-cheng, WU Yi,DING Hui, WU Jun, LU Xiao-qiang,LE Zhi-fang   

  1. College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University
  • Received:2015-01-26 Revised:2015-06-07 Online:2015-09-25 Published:2015-09-30

Abstract:

Based on 2 376 county-level forest birds distribution data available in China, analysis was done of distribution patterns of abundance of forest birds in breeding and wintering seasons and relationships between spatial distribution of the birds and environmental factors in the two seasons, using a multivariate statistical model . Results show that the regions of the southeastern section of the Himalaya, Hengduanshan, Qinling, Minshan, Qionglaishan, Xishuangbanna, the mountainous area in Southwest Guangxi, West Guangxi-South Guizhou, Wushan and Nanling in North Guangdong are all quite high in bird abundance. In the regions of the Xiao Hinggan Mountains, Changbai Mountains and Taihang Mountains, bird abundance is obviously higher in the breeding season than in the wintering season, while in the regions like Guangdong and South Yunnan, it goes reversely. Precipitation, temperature range and net primary productivity are the major factors influencing distribution of bird abundance in the two seasons. In addition, the seasonal environmental factors reflecting features of the seasonal environment explain the distribution patterns in the two seasons better than the annual environmental factors reflecting features of the annual environment. The productivity hypothesis, water-balance hypothesis and environmental stability hypothesis may better explain the distribution patterns of the forest bird abundance in the two seasons.

Key words: abundance, forest birds, distribution pattern, environmental factors, breeding seasons, wintering season