Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40813706›Full record

ArticleMovement ecology2025

Exploring potential environmental drivers of migration phenology in two Mongolian Plateau-nesting goose species.

Junjian Zhang, Xianghuang Li, Xueqin Deng, Iderbat Damba, Nyambayar Batbayar, Zhenggang Xu, Yong Zhang, Lei Cao, Anthony David Fox

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Movement ecology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Junjian ZhangState Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Xianghuang LiEast China Sea Survey Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Shanghai, China.
Xueqin DengCenter for Environmental Education and Communications (CEEC) of Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, China.
Iderbat DambaInstitute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Nyambayar BatbayarWildlife Science and Conservation Center, B-1301 Union Building, Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Zhenggang XuHunan Engineering Research Center of Ecological Environment Intelligent Monitoring and Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Technology in Dongting Lake Region, College of Information and Electronic Engineering, Hunan City University, Yiyang, China.
Yong ZhangCo-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China.
Lei CaoState Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. leicao@rcees.ac.cn.
Anthony David FoxDepartment of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.

Funding

China Biodiversity Observation Networks Sino BONJOINT CAS-MPG Research Project HZXM20225001MINational Natural Science Foundation of China 42271116National Natural Science Foundation of China W2412056, 32100373
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMigratory phenology affects fitness and therefore plays a crucial role in the annual life cycle of migrants. Various indicators in relation to the migration patterns of Arctic nesting birds have been well studied (e.g. vegetation production), but we still lack knowledge from lower latitudes, e.g. the Mongolian Plateau, which is one of the top-priority regions for avian research and conservation.

methodsWe used 208 spring and 248 autumn migration tracks from individually tagged Swan Geese Anser cygnoides (SG) and Greylag Geese A. anser (GG) from four geographically discrete breeding groups across the Mongolian Plateau. We analyzed the difference in their migratory timing, how they responded to nine environmental metrics as indicators of environmental change, and the probability of spring arrival and autumn departure.

resultsWe found significant differences in spring and autumn departure times between species, yet their arrival times were similar, although the migration phenology of eastern nesting birds differed significantly from those in central and western Mongolia. Their spring migration followed the onset of daily temperature reaching 0 °C, but was not correlated with indices of plant green-up, which occurred behind them along their migration routes. The autumn departure phenology of SG exhibited stronger responses to 0 °C nighttime temperatures, while the GG responded more to 0 °C cumulative temperatures.

conclusionsTwo goose species follow behind the daily 0 °C and before the green-up of plants in spring, allowing the time of hatching of goslings to coincide with the plant growth peak, ensuring a predictable food supply for the nidifugous juveniles. Vegetation and snow metrics were not appropriate indicators to predict the migration process of either species, due to the lack of strong latitudinal gradients in plant growth and long-term snow cover.

Indexed as

Anser anserAnser cygnoidesMigration phenologyNDVISnow coverTemperatureVegetation growth

Identifiers

PMID40813706
PMCPMC12351783

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