Contrasting habitat use and conservation status of Chinese-wintering and other Eurasian Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) populations ...

• Main Authors: Deng, Xueqin, Zhao, Qingshan, Zhang, Junjian, Kölzsch, Andrea, Solovyeva, Diana, Bysykatova-Harmey, Inga, Xu, Zhenggang, Kruckenberg, Helmut, Cao, Lei, Fox, Anthony David
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: figshare 2021
• Subjects: Ecology; FOS Biological sciences; Arctic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5745470.v1; https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/Contrasting_habitat_use_and_conservation_status_of_Chinese-wintering_and_other_Eurasian_Greater_White-fronted_Goose_Anser_albifrons_populations/5745470/1

Abstract Background GPS/GSM tracking data were used to contrast use of (i) habitats and (ii) protected areas between three Arctic-nesting Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons, GWFG) populations throughout the annual cycle. We wished to demonstrate that the East Asian Continental Population (which winters on natural wetlands in the Chinese Yangtze River floodplain and is currently declining) avoids using farmland at multiple wintering sites. We also gathered tracking evidence to support general observations from two increasing population of GWFG, the North Sea-Baltic (which winters in Europe) and the West Pacific (which winter in Korea and Japan) winter mostly within farmland landscapes, using wetlands only for safe night roosts. Methods We tracked 156 GWFG throughout their annual cycle using GPS/GSM transmitters from these three populations to determine migration routes and stopover staging patterns. We used Brownian Bridge Movement Models to generate summer, winter and migration stopover home ranges ...