Comparison of IUCN and species distribution modeling-estimated ranges of shorebirds in Coastal Mainland China

Over 80% of the environmentally suitable habitat ranges (EOOm) for eight shorebird species along China's coasts remain unprotected by national nature reserves, revealing significant conservation gaps. This study compared IUCN-defined extents of occurrence (EOOiucn) with MaxEnt species distribution models (EOOm), finding that EOOm were generally smaller and often fell outside protected areas. Notably, some unprotected EOOm overlapped with high human footprint regions, particularly in Bohai Bay and the Jiangsu–Shanghai coastal area. The research used citizen science data and environmental variables to estimate EOOm, highlighting critical areas needing strengthened conservation efforts.

Duan, H., Yu, X., Xia, S., & Liu, Y. (2022). Comparison of IUCN and species distribution modeling-estimated ranges of shorebirds in Coastal Mainland China. Global Ecology and Conservation, 38, e02236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02236