Special Column:Celebration of the 70th Anniversary of IGSNRR, CAS
GE Ji-wen, CAI Qing-hua, HU Hong-xing, LIU Jian-kang, CAO Guo-bin, ZHU Zhao-quan, LIU Sheng-xiang, SHI Dao-liang
Based on the field survey data obtained from May 1996 to June 2003,the resources of waterfowl in Hubei province of Central China,including species diversity,distribution and population number were studied with systematic sampling such as direct count,quadrat and special survey methods.There were 131 species of waterfowl in Hubei's wetlands,belonging to 58 genera of 19 families of 7 orders,in which 107 species were recorded in our studies,accounting for 81.68%.Four waterfowls (Egretta eulophotesjxobrychus minutus,Amaurornis akool and Char-adrius placidus)viere firstly recorded in Hubei.In terms of geographical distribution types,the Palaearctic,Cosmopolitan and Oriental species were 80,26 and 25,which accounted for 61.07%, 19.85% and 19.08% ,respectively.The Palaearctic species were dominant.According to the seasonal patterns,75 species were winter migrants,32 species were summer migrants,14 species were traveling birds and 10 species were resident birds.They took up 57.25% ,24.43% , 10.69% and 7.63% respectively .The Grallatores with 81 species were the dominant lifetypes,and 50 species were Natatores.About 159.396 9×104 individuals were estimated as the total number of waterfowl in Hubei province and the density was 101.96 individuals per km2.Among these waterfowls,the number of Fulica atra was the highest with 15.345×104 individuals,and there were 28 species whose population numbers were more than 1×104 individuals, in which 3 species such as Fulica atra,Egretta garzetta and Tachybaptus ruficollis were all above 10×104 individuals. Twenty-four species were not recorded within our investigation,indicated that they might have been extinct or be very endangered in Hubei wetlands.