Dynamics of Breeding Waterbird Resource and Their Distributions in Wuzhishan Archipelago, Zhoushan

The species, abundance, distributions and breeding ecologies of breeding waterbirds were investigated during 1989 to 2007 in Wuzhishan Archipelago Nature Reserve, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province. Larus crassirostris, Egretta eulophotes, E. garzetta, Mesophoyx intermedia, Sterna bergii, S. sumatrana and Haematopus ostralegus were the main breeding waterbirds in the Wuzhishan Archipelago. Since the nature reserve was founded in 1988, especially in recent years, the species richness of breeding waterbirds and abundance of endangered species, Chinese egret have significantly increased, while the total breeding waterbird abundance has remained relative stabilization. There were two patterns of dynamics of breeding waterbird resource, and their distributions in Wuzhishan Archipelago were worthy of further research: the composition replacement potentially caused by breeding resource competition, and the distribution turnover of breeding individuals among different islands. To work out the underlying process will be important to the conservation of the breeding waterbirds, especially the Chinese egret in this area.