The spatial–temporal pattern changes of the red crowned crane (Grus japonensis) population in Zhalong NNR and the related driving forces

Understanding spatio-temporal distribution patterns of a species is essential to successful species and habitat conservation. The fluctuations of the red crowned crane population were studied after collecting the data about breeding red-crown cranes from Zhalong National Natural Reserve (Zhalong NNR) since 1981; and their spatial distribution patterns were also quantified in variant time periods with the method nearest neighbor analysis (NNA); the main factors leading to the dynamics of the bird population were analyzed. The results showed the red-crown crane population had fluctuated dramatically from 1981 to 2005. The number dropped rapidly to the minimum of the bird population to endanger the existence of the population by the year of 2005. And the spatial distribution pattern changed from uniform distribution to aggregated distribution during 1996–2005. These changes reflected that the distributions of habitats had undergone a process of fragmentation, and the area of the suitable habitats suffered such a continuous loss that there were insufficient habitats to sustain the bird population any more. And consequently, the decline of the bird population occurred. The wildfire and the anthropogenic activities were the driving forces which accounted for the degradation of the habitats and hereafter the fluctuations of the red-crown population.