Avian species survey with citizen-science data in Janghang Wetland, Goyang, Republic of Korea

Abstract

Background

Monitoring of avian populations in Janghang Wetland, Goyang, Republic of Korea (ROK) is based on citizen science (also called community-based monitoring). This monitoring data can be used to track avian density, population status and waterbird census at local, national and regional levels. The Ministry of Environment (MoE) ROK has surveyed since 1999, including Odusan Unification Tower to Ilsan Bride, which connects the cities of Gimpo and Goyang along the Han River estuary. However, it has not covered Janghang Wetland, which is located in the Han River estuary at the transboundary between the two Koreas. The Janghang Wetland is a protected wetland in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas. In 2019, Janghang Wetland was designated as a Flyway Network Site by Goyang City and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership. This Network site is a voluntary collaboration and includes many internationally significant wetlands for waterbirds that still lack formal national protection. In addition, it was designated as a Ramsar site in 2021. The wetland currently supports wintering population of White-naped Crane (Grusvipio), species listed as vulnerable and Tundra Bean Goose (Ansercygnoides), spring-autumn migration population of Swan Goose (Ansercygnoid), species listed as vulnerable and a breeding population of Black-faced Spoonbill (Plataleaminor), species listed as endangered in summer.

New information

We provide data that the Janghang Wetland is a significant area for migration and breeding for waterbirds; and that Han River estuary is also internationally important for waterbirds during the migratory bird season. We observed 14 orders, 42 families and 132 species. The surveys also observed the critically-endangered Black-faced Spoonbill (Plataleaminor), Swan Goose (Ansercygnoides), White-naped Crane (Grusvipio), Whooper Swan (Cygnuscygnus) and Peregrine Falcon (Falcoperegrinus). We also observed the Black-faced Spoonbill, Great Egret, Little Egret, Great Cormorant, Eastern Spot-billed Duck, Pheasant and Brown-eared Bulbul at the sensor camera point and White-naped Crane, Hooded Crane, Bean Goose, White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Swan Goose, Great Cormorant and Eastern Spot-billed Duck at the closed-circuit television camera point from the camera-trap surveys. Based on the species recorded, the survey area is of clear importance for biodiversity conservation.

Introduction

The Janghang Wetland is a site of international importance located in Han River estuary. It is an estuarine wetland teeming with a stretch of Salixkoreensis (Korean willows), rarely seen in other brackish water zones of Korea. The Salixkoreensis community has not only a symbiotic relationship with benthos, including Chiromantesdehaani, Sesarmopsintermedius and Ilyoplaxdeschampsi, which are indicator species of a blackish water zone, but also plays a role in regulating temperature of the urban area, decreasing carbon and protecting the margins of the river. It serves as an important stopover site for more than 30,000 birds each year, providing habitat and food for winter visitors, such as Black-faced Spoonbill (Plataleaminor), Hooded crane (Grusmonachal), White-naped Crane (Grusvipio) and Bean goose (Anserfabalis). This site was established as a National Wetland Protected Area on 17 April 2006, designated as East Asian-Australasian Flyway site on 10 May 2019 (EAAFP 2019) and Ramsar site on 20 May 2021 (Ramsar Convention Secretariat 2021).

General description

Purpose

MoE has surveyed the annual Winterbird Census since 1999, as part of the Asia Waterbird Census (MoE 1999, MoE and National Institute of Environmental Research 2000, MoE 2001, MoE and National Institute of Environmental Research 2002, MoE and National Institute of Environmental Research 2003, MoE and National Institute of Environmental Research 2004, MoE and National Institute of Environmental Research 2005, MoE and National Institute of Environmental Research 2006, MoE and National Institute of Environmental Research 2007, MoE and National Institute Biological Resources 2008, National Institute Biological Resources 2010, National Institute Biological Resources 2012, MoE and National Institute Biological Resources 2013). However, the current area of the Asia Waterbird Census does not include the westernmost part of the Han River estuary area, including Siman-ri Wetland in Gimpo-si (city) and Janghang wetland in Goyang-si (National Institute Biological Resource 2020, National Institute of Biological Resources 2022). In both areas, there are, at this time, thousands of geese, plus numerous other waterbirds. With this background, this work aimed to conduct an inventory of the waterbirds in the inner border area of Goyang in ROK, focused on the Janghang Wetland.

Additional information

The survey result is provided in the supplementary material (Suppl. material 1).

Project description

Title

Ecological Survey in Janghang Wetland

Personnel

The survey was led by a citizen-science group, including four experts who have experience over 10 years, 10 assistants who have experience over 5 years, one officer within local government and two ornithologists for identification and data preparation at research institutes. To ensure accuracy for the bird identification, we recorded photos and did peer-reviews. The survey was conducted over 11 months between April 2020 and March 2021 by ECO Korea, a citizen-science organisation. We gathered data during forty-four surveys.

Study area description

The study area is part of Han River Estuary Wetland Protected Area, designated on 17 April 2006 by the Ministry of Environment, ROK. The total area is 60,668 km² (Fig. 1). In addition, the study area is a civilian-controlled area in the DMZ, where access to the public is restricted due to the threat of land mines and the Military Installation Protected Area.

Figure 1.

The survey area, Janghang Wetland (Sourced by authors' compilation, based on the map of Janghang Wetland by Goynag City).

Funding

The project is supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea, funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2021R1A6A1A10045235) and Han River Basin Environmental Office.

Sampling methods

Study extent

This study covered Janhang Wetland and the surrounding area along the Jayu-Ro (road).

Sampling description

We focused counting on bird species found in open wetland habitats, as defined by the Ramsar Convention (e.g. along streams and waterways; the river edge). We covered five points with specific and secured areas (Fig. 2) and stayed for a particular time to survey with binoculars (8×32, Swarovski) and telescope (20~60×, Swarovski). We also did camera-trap surveys to record the cryptic species at the tidal channel, the inner area of Janghang Wetland, such as with a sensor camera (HP2X Hyperfire 2 Covert IR Camera) and a closed-circuit television camera at the submerged sleeping ground of the winter birds. During the surveys, we counted every individual bird, based on point surveys and line surveys that we either heard or saw from a slowly moving vehicle (average < 20 km/h) and walking in Janhang Wetland. We also did video analysis using camera trapping for the bird identification.

Figure 2.

The survey points (A-E), sensor camera point (B) and closed-circuit television camera point (C) (Sourced by authors' compilation, based on Google Earth).

Geographic coverage

Description

The survey area covered the Goyang City of ROK, N37º39’22.36"~ 37º36’43.90" and E126º47’46.34"~126º43’3.43".

Taxonomic coverage

Description

This dataset (Suppl. material 1) provides the distribution information for the 132 species of birds recorded in Janghang Wetland following the IOC World Bird List version 13.1 (Gill et al. 2023).

Taxa included

Rank	Scientific Name	Common Name
kingdom	Animalia	Animals
class	Aves	Birds
order	Accipitriformes
order	Anseriformes
order	Bucerotiformes
order	Charadriformes
order	Ciconiiformes
order	Columbiformes
order	Cuculiformes
order	Falconiformes
order	Galliformes
order	Gruiformes
order	Passeriformes
order	Pelecaniformes
order	Piciformes
order	Podicipediformes
family	Accipitridae
family	Acrocephalidae
family	Aegithalidae
family	Alaudidae
family	Alcedinidae
family	Anatidae
family	Cettidae
family	Charadriidae
family	Ciconiidae
family	Columbidae
family	Coraciidae
family	Corvidae
family	Emberizidae
family	Falconidae
family	Fringillidae
family	Gruidae
family	Hirundinidae
family	Laniidae
family	Laridae
family	Motacillidae
family	Muscicapidae
family	Oriolidae
family	Pandionidae
family	Paridae
family	Passeridae
family	Phalacrocoracidae
family	Phasianidae
family	Phylloscipidae
family	Picidae
family	Podicipedidae
family	Pycnonotidae
family	Rallidae
family	Recurvirostridae
order	Reguliidae
family	Remizidae
family	Scolopacidae
family	Sturnidae
family	Sylviidae
family	Threskiornithidae
family	Troglodytidae
family	Turdidae
family	Upupidae

Temporal coverage

Notes

6 April 2020 to 29 March 2021

Usage licence

Usage licence

Creative Commons Public Domain Waiver (CC-Zero)

Data resources

Data package title

Janghang Wetland Avian Survey Data

Number of data sets

1

Data set 1.

Data set name

Avian Survey result

Data format

https://ipt.pensoft.net/resource?r=janghang

Data format version

Darwin Core Archive

Description

The dataset (Suppl. material 1) is the observation birds list in Janghang Wetland, Goyang City, ROK, 43x observations from April 2020 to March 2021. The taxonomy and nomenclature follow the IOC World Bird List (v. 13.1) (Gill et al. 2023).

Data set 1.

Column label	Column description
basisOfRecord	The specific nature of the data record.
occurrenceID	An identifier for the Occurrence (as opposed to a particular digital record of the occurrence).
recordedBy	A list of names of people, groups or organisations responsible for recording the original Occurrence.
eventDate	The date-time or interval during which an Event occurred.
eventTime	The time or interval during which an Event occurred.
eventRemarks	Weather conditions.
continent	The name of the continent in which the Location occurs.
countryCode	The standard code for the country in which the Location occurs.
country	The name of the country or major administrative unit in which the Location occurs.
locality	The specific description of the place.
locationRemarks	Comments or notes about the Location.
decimalLatitude	The geographic latitude (in decimal degrees, using the spatial reference system given in geodeticDatum) of the geographic centre of a Location.
decimalLongitude	The geographic longitude (in decimal degrees, using the spatial reference system given in geodeticDatum) of the geographic centre of a Location.
geodeticDatum	The ellipsoid, geodetic datum or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which the geographic coordinates given in decimalLatitude and decimalLongitude are based.
coordinateUncertaintyInMetres	The horizontal distance (in metres) from the given decimalLatitude and decimalLongitude describing the smallest circle containing the whole of the Location. Leave the value empty if the uncertainty is unknown, cannot be estimated or is not applicable (because there are no coordinates). Zero is not a valid value for this term.
class	Class name.
order	Order.
family	Family.
scientificName	An identifier for the nomenclatural (not taxonomic) details of a scientific name.
vernacularName	A common or vernacular name.
individualCount	The number of individuals represented present.
identificationReferences	List of references (publications) used in the Identification.

Supplementary Material

Supplementary material 1

Janghang Wetland Avian Survey Data

Hyun-Ah Choi, Eunjeong Lee, Eunjeong Kim, Insook Jung, Donguk Han

Data type

Occurrences

File: oo_842721.csv

Author contributions

HAC and DH did conceptualidation, methodology, performed analysis, data curation and wrote the manuscript. EL, EK, IJ and DH did investigation, data curation and formal analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.