Exploring dynamic habitat compensation through waterbird responses to paddy field landscapes

The intensification of global habitat fragmentation has exacerbated the biodiversity crisis, with migratory waterbirds facing significant threats due to their reliance on habitat conservation networks. Driven by food security pressures, significant areas of natural wetlands habitat in China have been converted into paddy fields. Against the backdrop of safeguarding China's farmland resources and achieving global biodiversity conservation goals (protecting 30 % of land by 2030), it is essential to investigate whether paddy fields can function as compensatory habitats for waterbirds, offering a promising pathway to mitigate spatial conflicts between conservation and agricultural development. We focus on the endangered Oriental White Stork (Ciconia boyciana) to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns and landscape drivers of its paddy fields use. Our results indicated that storks preferred paddy fields during the sowing period but avoided these areas during harvest period. They selected fields characterized by high edge density and irregular shapes. When wetlands or open water dominate the landscape, storks tend to avoid paddy fields. While artificial ponds associated with fishery production increase their proximity to paddy fields. Additionally, paddy fields exhibit greater attractiveness in landscapes context with higher diversity. Based on these observations, we propose an Oriental White Stork Conservation-Paddy Field Landscapes Management Framework based on the coupling of agricultural practices with the storks' life cycles. By optimizing paddy field landscapes and agricultural practices, this approach offers a scientific foundation for harmonizing conservation efforts with agricultural land use, while presenting innovative strategies for global biodiversity conservation in the context of food security.