Abstract: [Objective]Distribution patterns and changes of a red-crowned crane population can reveal the population characteristics, and the habitat quality. This study, therefore, is of significant importance for providing theoretical basis for the protection of habitat of Red Crowned Crane population in the study area.[Method]The Zhalong Wetlands, a famous national nature reserve (NNR), was taken as a case study. L(d) index model and local G-statistics methods were applied to study the distribution patterns and spatial-temperal changes of the population at the global and local spatial scale with ArcGIS10.2 for 30 years since the Zhalong NNR was set up in 1981.[Result]The results showed:1) The changes of spatial distribution pattern of red-crowned cranes were divided into three stages in global spatial distribution pattern from 1981 to 2008:the pattern was uniform distribution or random distribution during the period from 1981 to 1990; aggregated distribution from 1996 to 2005; and uniform distribution or random distribution from 2006 to 2008; 2) The spatial pattern of the red-crowned crone population underwent dramatic changes from random distribution pattern to aggregated pattern and to random distribution again; 3) On the local pattern, changes occurred from scattered pattern to aggregated pattern, to scattered, and to aggregated pattern again; 4) the spatial patterns had distinct scale-dependent effect.[Conclusion]The spatial pattern of the red-crowned crane population mainly presents a tendency from uniform distribution to aggregated distribution, and the aggregated degree is increasing in the global pattern. In local pattern, the local aggregated degree of red-crowned cranes' nest-sites incremented, the hot spots of high aggregation are mainly in the core area, while their positions change dramatically. The whole habitat quality of the study area is deteriorating, however the habitat quality in core area maintains well. The local habitat quality changes drastically, and the habitat has undergone fragmentation.

Key words: population, red-crowned crane, distribution pattern, L(d) index, G-statistics, ArcGIS