Impacts of Environmental Factors on Over-Wintering Aquatic Bird Communities in Yamzho Yumco Lake, China

Abstract

Global climate change has significantly impacted waterbird communities in the warming and humidifying wetlands of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. However, further research is needed as these wetlands transition to warmer and drier states. This study focused on the diversity and richness of wintering birds in the alpine wetlands of the Yamzho Yumco Lake. By analyzing data collected from 17 sampling sites over seven years, we examined the abundance changes of waterbirds in the lake and surrounding land and determined the relationship between the structure of waterbird communities and climate data. The results have shown that the abundance, richness, and α-diversity index of wintering waterbirds fluctuated. Wintering waterbirds were positively correlated with monthly mean temperature and monthly mean higher temperature and negatively correlated with monthly total precipitation and water level. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that temperature contributed the most to the wintering waterbirds. Bird abundance and diversity in the drying wetlands of Yamzho Yumco Lake showed the same results. As temperatures continue to increase and precipitation decreases, the number of wintering waterbirds may also increase. We have highlighted the indicative role of Yamzho Yumco Lake in climate change responses from warming and humidification to warming and aridification and suggest that decision makers strengthen monitoring of the Yamzho Yumco Lake Reserve, restrict human activities, improve water resource management, and actively respond to the challenges brought about by climate change.