Comparing Bird Species Richness among Habitats in Bai Tu Long National Park
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Abstract
Understanding spatial variation in avian diversity across habitat types is essential for effective conservation planning in tropical protected areas. This study provides the first habitat-explicit, landscape-scale assessment of bird diversity in Bai Tu Long National Park, northeastern Vietnam, based on systematic surveys conducted across eight major habitat types. Using presence–absence data combined with species accumulation analysis (Chao2), Jaccard similarity, and habitat-specific species occurrence, we documented 161 bird species belonging to 52 families and 16 orders, with high sampling completeness (S_obs/Chao2 = 0.97). Species richness varied markedly among habitats, with evergreen broadleaf forest on soil mountains (E1) supporting the highest richness and the greatest number of habitat-restricted species, followed by evergreen broadleaf forest on limestone mountains (E2) and agricultural land (E8). In contrast, coastal and marine-associated habitats, including mangrove forests (E3), karst lagoons within limestone mountains (E6), coral reefs (E4), and seagrass beds (E5), supported fewer species but contributed distinct assemblages characteristic of open or aquatic environments. Jaccard similarity analysis revealed strong compositional differentiation between forest and non-forest habitats, indicating high beta diversity driven by habitat heterogeneity. Notably, 17 recorded species are of conservation concern according to the Vietnam Red Data Book, the IUCN Red List, and Circular No. 27/2025/TT-BNNMT of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. These findings demonstrate that structurally complex forest habitats function as primary reservoirs of avian diversity, while coastal habitats provide complementary ecological contributions that enhance landscape-level biodiversity. The study provides an important baseline for long-term biodiversity monitoring and highlights the importance of habitat-based, multihabitat conservation strategies for tropical coastal protected areas located along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway.
Keywords
Bai Tu Long National Park, beta diversity, bird species richness, conservation planning, habitat heterogeneity
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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