%A XU Hai-gen, CUI Peng, ZHU Xiao-jia, YONG Fan, YI Jian-feng, ZHANG Wen-wen, LI Jia-qi, TONG Wen-jun, JIANG Bo, CAI Lei %T Progress in Construction of China Bird Diversity Observation Network (China BON-Birds) %0 Journal Article %D 2018 %J Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment %R 10.11934/j.issn.1673-4831.2018.01.001 %P 1-11 %V 34 %N 1 %U {http://www.ere.ac.cn/CN/abstract/article_11315.shtml} %8 2018-01-25 %X

Widely distributed in various habitats and highly sensitive to changes in environment, birds are critical indicators of biodiversity for observation. To implement the "China Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2011-2030)" and "Convention on Biological Diversity", the Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection of PRC, has been exploring and trying to establish a national wide bird observation network since 2011. After more than six years of efforts, the China Biodiversity Observation Network-Birds (China BON-Birds) has basically been established, covering 338 sample zones located in 31 provinces (autonomous regions or municipalities), including 1 822 line transects and 1 343 point transects, of which 253 points for breeding birds, and 1 090 points for wintering birds. By the end of 2016, a total of 943 species of birds belonging to 86 families and 22 orders were recorded by the China BON-Birds, accounting for 68.8% of the bird species recorded in China. Through the operation of the China BON-Birds, a primary knowledge about characteristics of the spatial distribution of the bird diversity all over China was achieved. It was found that random exploitation and utilization of coastal wetlands damaged habitats for some wintering birds, leaving them exposed to severe threat; and some of the habitats for rare and endangered species or species high in population (≥ 1% of the total population of the species) were not included into the checklist for protection. So gaps in protection of bird species diversity do exsit. It is, therefore, suggested that the systematic protection of breeding, staging and wintering habitats for birds be intensified.