Model to assess the habitat suitability for endangered bird species: Brown Eared-pheasant Crossoptilon mantchuricum Swinhoe in Xiaowutaishan Reserve, China

Brown Eared-pheasant (Crossoptilon mantchuricum Swinhoe, 1863) is an endangered species endemic to China. Habitat management for Brown Eared-pheasant has to compensate the loss of natural forests and to improve their habitat quality. In this study, we applied a Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) model to analyze the habitat suitability and quality for the breeding populations of this species in Xiaowutaishan National Nature Reserve, North China. The Reserve (area 21833 ha) is located at 800–2882 m a.s.l. and high mountain and deep valley habitats as well as different types of mountain forest and alpine meadows occur there. We used six variables (vegetation type, canopy cover, altitude, exposure, slope gradient and position of slope) both in field observation and in the analysed model. According to the utilization rates of different habitat types by Brown Eared-pheasants, these variables were categorized into five classes (unsuitable, less suitable, moderately suitable, suitable, and highly suitable). Our results show that highly suitable, suitable, less suitable and unsuitable habitat accounted for 13.5%, 53%, 32%, and 1.5% of the entire reserve area, respectively. Our HSI model is well validated by the observed data. We expect this study can be useful as an example of successful model applying to the habitat management or population manipulation of the endangered species.