Habitat suitability assessment for the Great Bustard Otis tarda tarda in Tacheng Basin, western China

The Great Bustard is afforded the highest category of protection in China. This species has disappeared from much of its former range, and identification of factors influencing habitat suitability can play a key role in development of conservation plans. We used distance sampling and interviews to census Great Bustards in the Tacheng Basin of western China in October from 2014 to 2016, and obtained 210 occurrence points. We then used high-resolution species distribution models to explore the role of 16 environmental variables, including a novel high-resolution contemporary climate dataset, in habitat suitability. Our ensemble model classifies approximately 3,885 km2, or 9.9% of our study area in the most suitable and moderately suitable categories. These suitable areas are distributed primarily in the north of our study area, in farmlands along the southern slope of Talbahetai Mountain, and to a lesser degree along the eastern slope of Balluk Mountain. The variables which contributed most significantly to habitat suitability include distance to county highway, elevation, distance to field edge, and mean summer temperature. We propose reducing disturbance associated with roads by conducting awareness campaigns among local residents and creating campaigns and policies to promote responsible bird photography. Given the important role of farmlands to Great Bustards, we recommend planting compatible crops and establishing a Great Bustard protection demonstration area to implement and inform others about measures to improve farmland habitat for Great Bustards.