Changes in Communities of Summer Birds at Shapotou Nature Reserve,Ningxia

Species and amount of birds were surveyed with line transects made in summer 1999 at habitats of desert,wetland,fixing sand forest,and village and farmland in Shapotou Nature Reserve,Ningxia,and then compared with those in 1986 (Liu ＆ Chang,1990).There were 67 species in the reserve in 1999.In comparison with the record of 1986,36 were new,but 10 disappeared.Of the changes,the amount of birds in desert decreased <50%;amount and species number in wetland doubled;species number in fixing sand forest increased from 8 to 34 (mainly insect-eating birds and desert-living birds),H increased 67% and dominance index (D) decreased 63%;species number in village and farmland decreased 42%,and D decreased 22%.The status of bird community in wetland becomes much better because fish-pounds increase;that in fixing sand forest seems better,but the habitat itself is changing to desert due to increased population of insect pests;that in village and farmland is getting worse because of disappearance of traditional houses.