Impact Of Climate Change On Breeding Population And Habitat Quality Of Anser Indicus In Qinghai Lake

The global warming may cause a new wave of massive species extinction.Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is the highest geographical unit on earth,and its unique geographic setting makes it very sensitive to climate change,and therefore,it is the hot-spots area for the study of climate change on biodiversity.Qinghai lake is one of the most important wetlands in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,with rich biodiversity.It is the key habitat for migratory water birds.This study analyzed population changes in the 24 sites in Qinghai lake,and the egg-laying and hatching dates of Bar-headed Goose from 2007 to 2016,as well as environment trend(climate,hydrology,and NDVI),to study 1)the effect of climate change on the habitat of Bar-headed Goose and its population dynamics and spatial distribution in Qinghai Lake,2)the effect of climate change on the egg-laying and hatching time of Bar-headed Goose in Dandao.The results show:(1)The maximum,minimum and mean temperature,as well as rainfall in Qinghai Lake has significantly increased over the past 60 years(1958-2016),with the increase of 0.020?/a,0.031?/a,0.025?/a and 1.008 mm/a,respectively,Generally,inflow and water level of the lake increased in 1995-2015,and NDVI decreased in 2001-2016;NDVI in most of the sites decreased significantly with the rise of the water level.(2)Breeding populations of Bar-headed Goose in Qinghai lake was 9587±1703 from 2007 to 2016,which accounts for 17%of the global populations.Among all sites within the lake,Dandao recorded 4,976±790 breeding bar-headed geese,which accounts for nearly 10%of the global population,however,a significant decrease trend has been documented over the 10 year period(p=0.0013);(3)The first egg-laying date is significantly related to mean minimum temperature in April,and mean maximum temperature in March,as well as the accumulated temperature above 5? in April;incubation time is significantly related to NDVI Mean in April and mean temperature in May The effect of environmental factors on the population varied between the breeding grounds and foraging areas.NDVI had a more important role in bar-headed goose population at breeding site than at foraging site.This study first provided evidence of the impact of climate change on bar-headed geese in Qinghai lake,which is important science basis for habitat management.However,due to the fact of climate change is a long processes,further studies are needed to confirm the recorded impact in the future studies.