Shiquan River National Wetland Park: Integrated High-Elevation Wetland Ecosystem

Scientists at the Southwest Forestry University in Kunming, People's Republic of China, have conducted a comprehensive study on the bird communities in the Shiquan River National Wetland Park in Tibet. According to the research, the wetland park serves as a demonstration site for international river conservation and the "conservation-utilization-sustainable enhancement" of wetland resources in alpine desert zones. The study aimed to explore the effects of different habitat types on bird communities from the perspective of species and functional diversity.

Key Takeaways:

• The Shiquan River National Wetland Park in Tibet is an integrated high-elevation wetland ecosystem, serving as a demonstration site for international river conservation.
• The park hosts 56 bird species, representing 23 families and 11 orders, which were documented in the study.
• Species diversity was highest in the marsh habitat during the breeding season, followed by grassland, bare land, and water bodies.
• The study found that birds utilized the ecological space within the marsh habitat to the greatest extent, indicating a strong connection between habitat type and bird community.
• The research also showed that niche complementarity and weaker competition were stronger in bare ground habitats.
• The functional dispersion results demonstrated a pattern of grass land marsh land bare land water bodies, indicating a greater number of species with similar functional traits in grass habitats.

Statistics:

• A total of 56 bird species were documented in the study, representing 23 families and 11 orders.
• Species diversity was highest in the marsh habitat during the breeding season, with 23 species documented.
• The functional richness (FRic) results revealed a pattern of marsh land grass land bare land water bodies, indicating that birds utilized the ecological space within the marsh habitat to the greatest extent.
• The study found that birds in grass habitats exhibited a greater number of species with similar functional traits, indicating a higher level of community cohesion.

Sources:

• Yang Wei et al. Species and Functional Diversity of Bird Communities in Different Habitats in Shiquan River National Wetland Park, Tibet. Diversity, 2025, 17(4):271. (Diversity - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/diversity/).
• Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, People's Republic of China.
• Yunnan Provincial First-class Discipline of Forestry; Yunnan Provincial Key Discipline of Wildlife Conservation And Utilization.