Ch i t t d di t ib tiChanges in status and distribution of wintering geese in Chinaof wintering geese in China

Lei Cao, Mark Barter and Tony Fox

A collaboration between the University of Science and Technology of China and NERI Aarhus University

NAAG Conference, Portland Oregon - 13 January 2011

Talk contentsTalk contents

1. China goose survey results

2. Recent changes in abundance and distribution

3. Our research directions

110110°° EE

Yellow RiverYellow River

H iH i RiRiHuaiHuai RiverRiver 500 km500 km

Yangtze RiverYangtze RiverYangtze RiverYangtze River

POTENTIALPOTENTIALWATERBIRD WATERBIRD

HABITATHABITATHABITATHABITAT

h dh d

SURVEY REGIONSSURVEY REGIONSShandong coastShandong coast

HuaiHuai River floodplainRiver floodplainJiangsu Jiangsu coastcoastpp

500 km500 km

Zhejiang Zhejiang coastcoast

Yangtze floodplainYangtze floodplain

Fujian coastFujian coastFujian coastFujian coast

#S

#S#S

#S

#S

78 78 000000

1% = 8001% = 800150 000150 000

1% = 8001% = 800

#S#S

#S#S

#S

#S#S

#S

#S #S#S

#S#S #S

1% 8001% 800 1% 8001% 800

NUMBERS AND

#S

#S

#S#S

#S

#S

#S#S#S#S#S#S

#S#S

#S

#S

#S#S#S#S#S

#S

#S#S

#S#S

#S#S

#S

#S

#S

#S

#S

#S

#S

#S

#S

#S#S#S #S#S #S

#S#S#S

#S

#S#S#S

#S#S#S

#S#S

#S

#S#S

#S#S#S#S#S#S

#S

#S

#S

#SAND DISTRIBUTION#S

#S#S #S#S#S #S#S#S#S#S #S#S#S#S #S#S

33 00033 000

1% = 1 8001% = 1 800

21 00021 000

1% = 2001% = 200

#S

1% 1 8001% 1 800

#S

1% 2001% 200

#S#S

#S

#S#S#S#S

#S

#S#S

#S

#S#S#S#S#S#S

#S

#S#S

#S

#S

#S

#S#S #S#S#S#S#S #S

#S#S #S#S

KoreaKoreaJapanJapan

East ChinaEast China

JapaJapa

East ChinaEast China

EAST ASIANEAST ASIANEAST ASIAN EAST ASIAN GOOSE WINTERING GOOSE WINTERING

RANGERANGE

GEESE IN EAST ASIAGEESE IN EAST ASIA

EAST CHINA

South Korea Japan EAST

ASIA

EAST CHINA

%

ESTIMATED FLYWAY

POPULATIONS

Swan Goose 78 000 18 2 78 000 100 60 000 - 100 000

Bean Goose 150 000 31 892 10 743 190 000 79 80 000 + 70 000

GWf Goose 33 000 30 275 69 732 130 000 25 150 000 - 200 000

LWf Goose 21 000 2 6 21 000 100 20 000LWf Goose 21 000 2 6 21 000 100 20 000

U

East ChinaEast ChinaKoreaKorea

JapanJapan

Uncommon winter visitor

JapanJapan

Widespread and relatively Main wintering

1990s1990s

numerous until the 1920sregion20042004--20052005

SWAN GOOSE SWAN GOOSE RANGE RANGE CONTRACTIONCONTRACTIONCONTRACTIONCONTRACTION

YANGTZE RIVER WETLANDSYANGTZE RIVER WETLANDSEXTENSIVE 1 800 k f TGD t tEXTENSIVE 1 800 k f TGD t tEXTENSIVE:1,800 km from TGD to estuary;EXTENSIVE:1,800 km from TGD to estuary;

wetland area wetland area –– 25,800 km25,800 km22

Three Gorges DamThree Gorges DamThree Gorges DamThree Gorges Dam

ANNUAL FLOOD ANNUAL FLOOD ––DROUGHT CYCLEDROUGHT CYCLEDROUGHT CYCLEDROUGHT CYCLE

161820

wat

er

u (m

)

250 km250 km8

10121416

angt

ze R

iver

wev

el a

t Huk

ou

68

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct NovDec

Ya le

18

20

kou

(m)

HYDROLOGICAL CHANGEHYDROLOGICAL CHANGE

14

16

er le

vel a

t Hu

8

10

12

tze

Riv

er w

ate

1978-20022004-2007

THREATS6

8

Jan Feb Mar Apr MayJun Jul AugSep Oct NovDec

Yang

t

WATER QUALITYWATER QUALITY AQUACULTUREAQUACULTURE

“Classic switch from a diverse clear-water submerged macrophyte system g p y yto species-poor turbid eutrophic lake”.

Tony Fox

SWAN GEESE NUMBERS IN ANHUISWAN GEESE NUMBERS IN ANHUI20042004 2005/20092005/2009 20102010

40,000

20042004--2005/20092005/2009--20102010

30,000

40,000TOTAL Shengjin Lake Fengsha Lake

20,000

Caizi Lake Wuchang Lake Baidang Lake

10,000

0

Massive decline in abundance since 2005 in Anhui lakesMassive decline in abundance since 2005 in Anhui lakes

Almost no Vallisneria found in Anhui’s lakes during 2010 vegetation surveyslakes during 2010 vegetation surveys

Explains why few Swan Geese now occur in AnhuiExplains why few Swan Geese now occur in Anhui

O l it bl i i it i P L kOnly suitable remaining site is Poyang Lake

BEAN GEESE NUMBERSBEAN GEESE NUMBERS20042004 2005/20092005/2009 20102010

70,000

20042004--2005/20092005/2009--20102010

50,000

60,000

70,000

Anhui

30,000

40,000

50,000HunanHubeiJiangxi

10,000

20,000

,

0

Bean Geese have increased greatly inBean Geese have increased greatly in AnhuiAnhuiBean Geese have increased greatly in Bean Geese have increased greatly in AnhuiAnhui, , but decreased in Hunanbut decreased in Hunan

WHY HAVE BEAN GEESE NUMBERS WHY HAVE BEAN GEESE NUMBERS INCREASED IN ANHUI?INCREASED IN ANHUI?INCREASED IN ANHUI?INCREASED IN ANHUI?

Bean Geese have a cosmopolitan diet and are

CarexCarexopportunistic foragers mainly feeding on:

TrapaTrapa fruitsfruitsTrapaTrapa fruitsfruits

ZizaniaZizania shoots shoots d hid hiand rhizomesand rhizomes

…….as they become available with water recession

WHY HAVE BEAN GEESE NUMBERS WHY HAVE BEAN GEESE NUMBERS INCREASED IN ANHUI?INCREASED IN ANHUI?INCREASED IN ANHUI?INCREASED IN ANHUI?

E t t f T d Zi i i A h i hExtents of Trapa and Zizania in Anhui have increased greatly in recent years, probably due t h d l i l h d t hi tito hydrological change and eutrophication

e.g. Zizania at Wuchang Lake – major Bean Goose site8 Aug 19838 Aug 1983 11 May 200911 May 20098 Aug 19838 Aug 1983 yy

5 5 kmkm

GREATER WHITEGREATER WHITE--FRONTED GEESE FRONTED GEESE NUMBERS 2004NUMBERS 2004 2005/20092005/2009 20102010NUMBERS 2004NUMBERS 2004--2005/20092005/2009--20102010

20,000

15,000

20,000Shengjin LakePoyang LakeDongting Lake

10,000

Dongting Lake

5,000

0

GWFG have decreased greatly at Dongting LakeGWFG have decreased greatly at Dongting LakeGWFG have decreased greatly at Dongting Lake GWFG have decreased greatly at Dongting Lake and less so at Poyang Lake, increased and less so at Poyang Lake, increased greatly at greatly at ShengjinShengjin Lake, Lake, why?why?

DONGTING LAKEDONGTING LAKE--GREEN DESERTGREEN DESERT10

16

18

20

Huk

ou (m

)

8

10Carex growth rate

12

14

16

wat

er le

vel a

t H

4

6

mm

d-1

6

8

10

Yang

tze

Riv

er

1978-20022004-2007

0

2

6Jan FebMar AprMayJun Jul AugSep OctNovDec

Y

Hydrological changes due to Three Gorges damHydrological changes due to Three Gorges damHydrological changes due to Three Gorges dam Hydrological changes due to Three Gorges dam have led to earlier exposure of have led to earlier exposure of CarexCarex•• CarexCarex grows quickly in mild autumn grows quickly in mild autumn •• Length is about 25Length is about 25--35cm in mid35cm in mid--OctoberOctober•• Decreased intake rate?Decreased intake rate?

GWFG PREFER SHORT GWFG PREFER SHORT CarexCarex AT SHENGJIN LAKEAT SHENGJIN LAKE(2(2 –– 5 cm5 cm after grazing)after grazing)(2 (2 –– 5 cm 5 cm after grazing)after grazing)

Number of GWFG

LESSER WHITELESSER WHITE--FRONTED GEESEFRONTED GEESE

Dongting LakeDongting Lake

14 000

10,000

12,000

14,000 Caisang LakeDaxiaoxi Lake Chunfeng Lake

Decline in Decline in 6,000

8,000

DaxioaxiDaxioaxi LakeLake0

2,000

4,000

LWFG MAIN FOODLWFG MAIN FOOD

MAIN FEEDING HABITATMAIN FEEDING HABITAT

Very short and homogeneous sward!!! Very short and homogeneous sward!!!

Very small area of short sward vs. Very small area of short sward vs. vast area of tall swardvast area of tall swardvast area of tall swardvast area of tall sward

Is this the reason LWFG declined in Is this the reason LWFG declined in DaxiaoxiDaxiaoxi lake? lake?

Plenty of hypotheses......Plenty of hypotheses......y ypy ypnot so much data not so much data

thi ill k tthi ill k t–– this will keep our team this will keep our team working for many years to come!working for many years to come!working for many years to come!working for many years to come!

Can our geese survive? Can our geese survive?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaChinese Academy of Sciences Innovation ProjectChinese Academy of Sciences Innovation Project