Abstract Evaluating the species use of protected area networks is of considerable worldwide importance, especially as a feedback for policy-makers and the conservation community. Based on the data of an annual, citizen-science monitoring programme of long tradition (2004–2015), we test the hypothesis that the European Natura 2000 network protects high quality habitats preferentially settled by wintering waterbird species in a central European State (the Czech Republic). We analysed species-specific variables (protection status, flyway population trend and numbers, geographical distribution, and foraging guild) explaining the proportions of numbers in Natura 2000 and individual-species changes in numbers inside and outside Natura 2000. The proportions of numbers in individual species were generally low in Natura 2000 sites. The observed pattern revealed the expected higher preference of protected Annex I species for Natura 2000 sites compared to other species and showed foraging guilds having significant differences in Natura 2000 preference, with high preference in herbivores and fish-eaters and low preference in invertebrate-eaters compared to omnivores. Northern species also showed a high preference for Natura 2000. The predicted prevalence of a higher rate of increase, or lower rate of decrease, inside Natura 2000, indicating that Natura 2000 facilitated the species' distribution changes, was not shown; instead, the positive and negative trends inside Natura 2000 were almost equivalent. We concluded that the low preference for Natura 2000, the distribution changes shifting species outside Natura 2000, and limits to the carrying capacity of the protected network sites, could all make an issue in effectively safeguarding the non-breeding populations of waterbirds. The extension of the Natura 2000 network to facilitate their wintering requirements and distribution changes is therefore a high priority.

中文翻译：

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Natura 2000 栖息地对越冬水鸟的重要性：Natura 2000 的低偏好、物种分布变化和承载能力可能无法保护该物种

摘要 评估保护区网络的物种使用在世界范围内具有相当重要的意义，尤其是作为对决策者和保护社区的反馈。根据一项历史悠久的年度公民科学监测计划（2004-2015 年）的数据，我们检验了欧洲自然 2000 网络保护越冬水鸟物种优先在中欧国家（捷克共和国）定居的高质量栖息地的假设。共和国）。我们分析了物种特定的变量（保护状态、飞路种群趋势和数量、地理分布和觅食行会），解释了 Natura 2000 中数量的比例以及 Natura 2000 内外数量的个体物种变化。 Natura 2000 站点的物种普遍较低。观察到的模式显示，与其他物种相比，受保护的附件 I 物种对 Natura 2000 站点的预期更高，并表明觅食行会在 Natura 2000 的偏好方面存在显着差异，相比之下，食草动物和食鱼动物的偏好较高，而无脊椎动物的偏好较低对杂食动物。北方物种也表现出对 Natura 2000 的高度偏好。未显示 Natura 2000 内部较高增长率或较低增长率的预测流行率，表明 Natura 2000 促进了物种的分布变化；相反，Natura 2000 内部的积极和消极趋势几乎相同。我们得出的结论是，对 Natura 2000 的低偏好，Natura 2000 以外的物种分布发生变化，以及受保护网络站点承载能力的限制，都可能成为有效保护非繁殖水鸟种群的问题。因此，Natura 2000 网络的扩展以促进其越冬需求和分配变化是当务之急。