Spatial scales matter in designing buffer zones for coastal protected areas along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway
Coastal protected areas are increasingly threatened by urbanization, posing significant risks to wetland biodiversity. Consequently, the recognition of buffer zones as essential for reducing anthropogenic impacts on protected areas has grown. However, limited monitoring and research efforts have bee...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424005614 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832590948181213184 |
|---|---|
| author | Roger H. Lee Ivan H.Y. Kwong Tom C.H. Li Paulina P.Y. Wong Yik-Hei Sung Yat-Tung Yu |
| author_facet | Roger H. Lee Ivan H.Y. Kwong Tom C.H. Li Paulina P.Y. Wong Yik-Hei Sung Yat-Tung Yu |
| author_sort | Roger H. Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Coastal protected areas are increasingly threatened by urbanization, posing significant risks to wetland biodiversity. Consequently, the recognition of buffer zones as essential for reducing anthropogenic impacts on protected areas has grown. However, limited monitoring and research efforts have been directed towards areas beyond protected sites, despite their interconnectedness. In this study, we focused on waterbirds as ecologically important wetland species to provide evidence of the significance of monitoring and managing buffer zones. By integrating remotely sensed parameters and 3-year monthly waterbird surveys in and around the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site of Hong Kong, a key stopover of the East Asian Australasian Flyway, we mapped waterbird occurrences for all and different waterbird guilds during winter and summer using random forest models. We found that suitable habitats were predominantly found within protected areas, yet ardeids, large wading birds, ducks and grebes also relied on buffer zones. Waterbird occurrences were influenced by the spatial extent of suitable habitats, with variations observed across different guilds and seasons. In the study area, maintaining at least 40 % open water within an 800-meter radius of key habitats better supports diverse waterbird guilds and should inform the design of waterbird-friendly landscape profiles for protected areas and their buffer zones. Our findings reinforce the significant contribution of protected coastal wetlands to waterbird conservation and highlight the growing importance of spatially relevant buffer zones in facilitating a gradual transition between protected and urbanized areas in supporting waterbird diversity amidst coastal developments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-47b8d0dfa87141b589ff822192419dc7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj-art-47b8d0dfa87141b589ff822192419dc72025-01-23T05:26:53ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942025-01-0157e03357Spatial scales matter in designing buffer zones for coastal protected areas along the East Asian-Australasian FlywayRoger H. Lee0Ivan H.Y. Kwong1Tom C.H. Li2Paulina P.Y. Wong3Yik-Hei Sung4Yat-Tung Yu5Science Unit, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Lingnan University, Hong KongDepartment of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong KongHong Kong Bird Watching Society, Hong KongScience Unit, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Lingnan University, Hong KongScience Unit, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Lingnan University, Hong Kong; School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Suffolk, Ipswich IP4 1QJ, UK; Corresponding author at: School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Suffolk, Ipswich IP4 1QJ, UK.Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, Hong KongCoastal protected areas are increasingly threatened by urbanization, posing significant risks to wetland biodiversity. Consequently, the recognition of buffer zones as essential for reducing anthropogenic impacts on protected areas has grown. However, limited monitoring and research efforts have been directed towards areas beyond protected sites, despite their interconnectedness. In this study, we focused on waterbirds as ecologically important wetland species to provide evidence of the significance of monitoring and managing buffer zones. By integrating remotely sensed parameters and 3-year monthly waterbird surveys in and around the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site of Hong Kong, a key stopover of the East Asian Australasian Flyway, we mapped waterbird occurrences for all and different waterbird guilds during winter and summer using random forest models. We found that suitable habitats were predominantly found within protected areas, yet ardeids, large wading birds, ducks and grebes also relied on buffer zones. Waterbird occurrences were influenced by the spatial extent of suitable habitats, with variations observed across different guilds and seasons. In the study area, maintaining at least 40 % open water within an 800-meter radius of key habitats better supports diverse waterbird guilds and should inform the design of waterbird-friendly landscape profiles for protected areas and their buffer zones. Our findings reinforce the significant contribution of protected coastal wetlands to waterbird conservation and highlight the growing importance of spatially relevant buffer zones in facilitating a gradual transition between protected and urbanized areas in supporting waterbird diversity amidst coastal developments.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424005614Artificial wetlandFishpondSustainable developmentUrbanizationTropical Asia |
| spellingShingle | Roger H. Lee Ivan H.Y. Kwong Tom C.H. Li Paulina P.Y. Wong Yik-Hei Sung Yat-Tung Yu Spatial scales matter in designing buffer zones for coastal protected areas along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Global Ecology and Conservation Artificial wetland Fishpond Sustainable development Urbanization Tropical Asia |
| title | Spatial scales matter in designing buffer zones for coastal protected areas along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway |
| title_full | Spatial scales matter in designing buffer zones for coastal protected areas along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway |
| title_fullStr | Spatial scales matter in designing buffer zones for coastal protected areas along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial scales matter in designing buffer zones for coastal protected areas along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway |
| title_short | Spatial scales matter in designing buffer zones for coastal protected areas along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway |
| title_sort | spatial scales matter in designing buffer zones for coastal protected areas along the east asian australasian flyway |
| topic | Artificial wetland Fishpond Sustainable development Urbanization Tropical Asia |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424005614 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rogerhlee spatialscalesmatterindesigningbufferzonesforcoastalprotectedareasalongtheeastasianaustralasianflyway AT ivanhykwong spatialscalesmatterindesigningbufferzonesforcoastalprotectedareasalongtheeastasianaustralasianflyway AT tomchli spatialscalesmatterindesigningbufferzonesforcoastalprotectedareasalongtheeastasianaustralasianflyway AT paulinapywong spatialscalesmatterindesigningbufferzonesforcoastalprotectedareasalongtheeastasianaustralasianflyway AT yikheisung spatialscalesmatterindesigningbufferzonesforcoastalprotectedareasalongtheeastasianaustralasianflyway AT yattungyu spatialscalesmatterindesigningbufferzonesforcoastalprotectedareasalongtheeastasianaustralasianflyway |