Bird Diversity in the Buffer Zone of the Largest Coastal Nature Reserve of China and Conservation Implications

Buffer zone (BZ) of nature reserve is usually ignored in protecting bird diversity. Yancheng Rare Birds National Nature Reserve, the largest coastal reserve of China, supports higher bird diversity, but the buffer zone (BZ) function and its avian fauna composition remained unclear. In December 2010, we investigated the bird diversity in BZ of Yancheng reserve covering 188.8 km transect line. As a result, 50 species belonging to 26 families and 13 orders were identified. The general bird diversity index H in BZ is 2.291 with evenness of 0.583, and three orders viz., Ciconiiformes, Passeriformes and Charadriiformes, showed high bird diversity (H > 1). Considering high bird diversity and preference of 32 protected species including endangered red-crowned (Grus japonensis) and grey cranes (Grus grus), the northern BZ should be now considered to be priority protected area and even upgraded to. core area. Although relationship index (I) between aquaticulture area and cultivated fields was 0.688, the dominant species compositon in aquaticulture area (five species comprised 75.3%) and cultivated fields (two species comprised 73.6%) was significantly different. Therefore both the habitats were equally important for bird conservation, and should be given the same protection efforts. Under the influence of natural forces and anthropogenic activities, the habitats are continuously changing. Therefore, we suggest monitoring the bird diversity annually, so that we can take targeted and effective protection measures.