Binqiang Li, Shanjun Ma, Nehafta Bibi, Miaodan Yang, Lifeng Tan
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The White-eared Night Heron (Gorsachiusmagnificus) is an endangered species facing increasing threats from human activities and ecological changes throughout its fragmented habitat. In this study, we integrate decade-long news data (2015-2024) and systematic field monitoring (2013-2024) to assess the species' distribution, local population trends and conservation challenges in China. Our analysis of 36 verified new reports revealed 14 new distribution sites across 11 provinces. Moreover, there were 17 reports of injuries to the White-eared Night Heron, including five wing injuries, four leg injuries, three eye injuries and five unspecified injuries. Our results suggest that discarded fishing lines, fishhooks and plastic contamination are the main causes of injuries to the species. For the local population, we recorded 12 breeding pairs of this species in Junwu Forest Park, Guangxi, China. However, our data showed a persistent decline in the number of adult individuals, nests and nestlings. The fragmented distribution pattern, combined with the threats it faces, means that, even if more and more of its distribution sites are detected, if adequate protective measures are not taken, its population may still face the danger of local extinction and further reduction. Our study highlights the role of social media data in assessing the population size and distribution of endangered species. From the perspective of species conservation, long-term monitoring programmes should be established in multiple sites across the species' range to provide a comprehensive understanding of population size trends and the effectiveness of conservation efforts.
Biodiversity Data JournalAgricultural and Biological Sciences-Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
CiteScore
2.20
自引率
7.70%
发文量
283
审稿时长
6 weeks
期刊介绍:
Biodiversity Data Journal (BDJ) is a community peer-reviewed, open-access, comprehensive online platform, designed to accelerate publishing, dissemination and sharing of biodiversity-related data of any kind. All structural elements of the articles – text, morphological descriptions, occurrences, data tables, etc. – will be treated and stored as DATA, in accordance with the Data Publishing Policies and Guidelines of Pensoft Publishers.
The journal will publish papers in biodiversity science containing taxonomic, floristic/faunistic, morphological, genomic, phylogenetic, ecological or environmental data on any taxon of any geological age from any part of the world with no lower or upper limit to manuscript size.