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Application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to DNA metabarcoding can greatly increase the understanding of predator–prey dynamics and the conflict between wildlife and humans, but remains underutilized for carnivores such as the threatened snow leopard (Panthera uncia). To date, this technique was hindered by the difficulty in discerning closely related caprines (Caprinae). We identified a segment of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (MT-CO1) to differentiate these prey, and used this marker in tandem with a portion of mitochondrial 12S rRNA (MT-RNR1) to determine dietary items in 165 genetically confirmed snow leopard scats from four range countries. Identified prey species consisted of ten medium to large mammals, three small mammals, and two birds. The dominant prey consumed varied by country, with markhor (Capra falconeri) most prevalent in Pakistan, Siberian ibex (C. sibirica) in Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan, and blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) in China. Livestock comprised 31% of diet occurrences from Pakistan and 15% from Mongolia. Domestic livestock included goat (C. aegagrus hircus), sheep (Ovis aries), bovids (Bos taurus, B. grunniens, and potentially hybrids), and horse (Equus caballus). Protection and management of regionally specific wild prey is crucial for sustaining snow leopard populations, although overall dietary breadth suggests that snow leopards may exploit other species if necessary, including livestock. Additional sampling efforts across seasons, years, regions, and areas with varying degrees of livestock depredation are needed. MT-CO1 in conjunction with MT-RNR1 can be applied to other carnivore diet studies, making it an important tool for conservation and research, particularly in ecosystems with pastoral communities.

Damage to homesteads by brown bears (Ursus arctos) has become commonplace in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Science‐based solutions for preventing damages can contribute to the establishment of mechanisms that promote human–bear coexistence. We examined the spatial distribution patterns of house break‐ins by Tibetan brown bears (U. a. pruinosus) in Zhiduo County of the Sanjiangyuan region in China. Occurrence points of bear damage were collected from field surveys completed from 2017 to 2019. The maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model was then used to assess house break‐in risk. Circuit theory modeling was used to simulate risk diffusion paths based on the risk map generated from our MaxEnt model. The results showed that (a) the total risk area of house break‐ins caused by brown bears was 11,577.91 km2, accounting for 29.85% of Zhiduo County, with most of the risk areas were distributed in Sanjiangyuan National Park, accounting for 58.31% of the total risk area; (b) regions of alpine meadow located in Sanjiangyuan National Park with a high human population density were associated with higher risk; (c) risk diffusion paths extended southeast to northwest, connecting the inside of Sanjiangyuan National Park to its outside border; and (d) eastern Suojia, southern Zhahe, eastern Duocai, and southern Jiajiboluo had more risk diffusion paths than other areas examined, indicating higher risk for brown bear break‐ins in these areas. Risk diffusion paths will need strong conservation management to facilitate migration and gene flow of brown bears and to alleviate bear damage, and implementation of compensation schemes may be necessary in risk areas to offset financial burdens. Our analytical methods can be applied to conflict reduction efforts and wildlife conservation planning across the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau., Assessing risk areas and simulating risk diffusion paths are crucial steps toward mitigating brown bear damage and provide a foundation for developing conservation programs and policies that aimed at making coexistence possible.

Climate change has direct impacts on wildlife and future biodiversity protection efforts. Vulnerability assessment and habitat connectivity analyses are necessary for drafting effective conservation strategies for threatened species such as the Tibetan brown bear (Ursus arctos pruinosus). We used the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model to assess the current (1950–2000) and future (2041–2060) habitat suitability by combining bioclimatic and environmental variables, and identified potential climate refugia for Tibetan brown bears in Sanjiangyuan National Park, China. Next, we selected Circuit model to simulate potential migration paths based on current and future climatically suitable habitat. Results indicate a total area of potential suitable habitat under the current climate scenario of approximately 31,649.46 km2, of which 28,778.29 km2 would be unsuitable by the 2050s. Potentially suitable habitat under the future climate scenario was projected to cover an area of 23,738.6 km2. Climate refugia occupied 2,871.17 km2, primarily in the midwestern and northeastern regions of Yangtze River Zone, as well as the northern region of Yellow River Zone. The altitude of climate refugia ranged from 4,307 to 5,524 m, with 52.93% lying at altitudes between 4,300 and 4,600 m. Refugia were mainly distributed on bare rock, alpine steppe, and alpine meadow. Corridors linking areas of potentially suitable brown bear habitat and a substantial portion of paths with low‐resistance value were distributed in climate refugia. We recommend various actions to ameliorate the impact of climate change on brown bears, such as protecting climatically suitable habitat, establishing habitat corridors, restructuring conservation areas, and strengthening monitoring efforts., Determining regions of refugia and climate connectivity enable the identification of the most effective areas to maintain brown bear populations and enhance connectivity against the background of climate change projection in this century.

Extremely endangered wildlife can be effectively protected by ex situ conservation programs. Despite that, the effects of human activity on the health of captive populations are still unclear. Using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing and RNA-seq, we assessed epigenetic and gene transcriptional variations between different types of human intervention (“Custodial” and “Sanctuary” groups) and a “Wild” group of golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana), which is one of the most endangered primates worldwide. Consequently, we found striking genome-scale divergence of both DNA methylation and gene expression for the Custodial group, which agreed with stronger human interventions on the food supply and management of the group. KEGG pathway analyses indicated that the differentially expressed genes were enriched in a wide range of physiologically functional pathways, most of which are involved in immune and metabolic functions. In particular, a group of core genes in autophagy related pathways, e.g., ATP6V0A1 and PPM1D, were both differentially expressed and methylated. Our findings revealed that the ex situ conserved golden snub-nosed monkey exhibited significant epigenetic and transcriptional adaptation to human intervention, thereby may provide a foundation for future biomarker development that can be used to evaluate the unintended risks of ex situ conservation programs for endangered animal species.

The Sichuan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is an endangered species endemic to China, where the smallest population resides in Shennongjia National Park, Hubei Province. In this study, the genetic diversity of the Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys from two areas, Qianjiaping (QJP) and Dalongtan (DLT) in Shennongjia National Park was evaluated using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) data derived from restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq). A total of 41,260 SNP loci were found in 29 Sichuan snub-nosed monkey individuals. The genome-wide nucleotide diversity (π) of the Shennongjia population was 0.001842. The genetic differentiation (FST) between the QJP and DLT subpopulations was 0.034. The heterozygosity of individuals from QJP was 0.3475 ± 0.03696 and 0.3148 ± 0.03501 for individuals from DLT. Although the DLT and QJP subpopulations did not show significant genetic differences, genetic differentiation between the two subpopulations was confirmed using Bayesian cluster analysis, neighbor-joining trees and principal component analysis. These results suggest that the Shennongjia population of Sichuan snub-nosed monkey has relatively low genetic diversity at the genomic level. The little genetic differentiation noted between the DLT and QJP subpopulations likely due to natural and anthropogenic barriers which may exacerbate loss of genetic diversity of this endangered subpopulation.

The wild Bactrian camel is one of the world’s rarest and most endangered animals and is facing hybridization threat due to human encroachment. Although captive breeding programs of the wild camel have been undertaken to save it from extinction, to succeed, we need to take into account many factors, e.g., maintain genetic diversity of captive populations similar to that found in wild populations. We applied restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-Seq) on a captive population in the most important wild camel conservation center in China—Gansu endangered animal conservation center—to investigate the genetic diversity, potential hybridization and inbreeding threats, and thus further guide population management. We sequenced a total of 44 Bactrian camels including 13 wild camels and 31 domestic camels and generated a genome-wide polymorphism dataset with 679,195 high-quality SNPs. This enabled us to detect wild camel individuals with recent genetic introgression from domestic camels. In addition, it revealed that the studied captive population suffers from inbreeding. We therefore suggest practical measures to improve the management of the wild camel and to protect its natural gene pool.

Understanding animals’ migration, distribution and activity patterns is vital for the development of effective conservation action plans; however, such data for many species are lacking. In this study, we used camera trapping to document the spatial and temporal activity patterns of golden takins (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) in Changqing National Nature Reserve in the Qinling mountains, China, from April 2014 to October 2017. Our study obtained 3,323 independent detections (from a total of 12,351 detections) during a total camera trapping effort of 93,606 effective camera trap days at 573 sites. Results showed that: (1) the golden takin’s utilization distributions showed seasonal variation, with larger utilization distributions during spring and autumn compared to summer and winter; (2) the species was recorded at the highest elevations in July, and lowest elevations in December, with the species moving to higher-elevations in summer, lower-elevations in spring and autumn; (3) during all four seasons, golden takins showed bimodal activity peaks at dawn and dusk, with activity intensity higher in the second peak than the first, and overall low levels of activity recorded from 20:00–06:00; and (4) there were two annual activity peaks, the first being in April and the second in November, with camera capture rate during these two months higher than in other months, and activity levels in spring and autumn higher than in summer and winter. This study is the first application of camera traps to assess the spatial and temporal activity patterns of golden takins at a population level. Our findings suggest that the proposed national park should be designed to include golden takin habitat and that ongoing consistent monitoring efforts will be crucial to mitigating novel and ongoing threats to the species.

Personal injury and property loss caused by wildlife often deteriorates the relationship between humans and animals, prompting retaliatory killings that threaten species survival. Conflicts between humans and Tibetan brown bears (Ursus arctos pruinosus) (Human-Bear Conflicts, HBC) in the Sanjiangyuan region have recently dramatically increased, seriously affecting community enthusiasm for brown bears and the conservation of other species. In order to understand the driving mechanisms of HBC, we proposed six potential drivers leading to increased occurrences of HBC. We conducted field research in Zhiduo County of the Sanjiangyuan region from 2017 to 2019 to test hypotheses through semi-constructed interviews, marmot (Marmota himalayana) density surveys and brown bear diet analysis based on metagenomic sequencing. Analysis of herder perceptions revealed that the driving factors of HBC were related to changes in their settlement practice and living habits, changes in foraging behavior of brown bears and recovery of the brown bear population. Since the establishment of winter homes, brown bears have gradually learned to utilize the food in unattended homes. Although 91.4% (n = 285) of the respondents no longer store food in unattended homes, brown bears were reported to still frequently approach winter homes for food due to improper disposal of dead livestock and household garbage. The frequency and abundance of marmots were found to be high in brown bear diet, indicating that marmots were the bears' primary food. However, marmot density had no significant effect on brown bears utilizing human food (P = 0.329), and HBC appears to not be caused by natural food shortages. Distance to rocky outcrops (P = 0.022) and winter homes (P = 0.040) were the key factors linked to brown bears pursuing human food. The number of brown bears has increased over the past decade, and HBC is likely linked to its population recovery. Our findings will provide scientific basis for formulating effective mitigation measures and protection countermeasures for brown bears.

Cornus elliptica is a species of the Cornus, an evergreen tree endemic to China. Here, we report a complete chloroplast genome sequence of C. elliptica. The chloroplast genome was found to be 157,4...

We examined the landscape suitability of the region currently occupied by the Sichuan golden money (Rhinopithecus roxellana) using occupancy models constructed in Maxent with presence-only data and environmental variables. The aim of the study was to estimate potential dispersal corridors between presently disjunct populations. Least-cost path analysis was used to estimate its dispersal paths across the fragmented landscape. The results indicate that core areas of suitable habitat are located in the Qinling, Dabashan, and Minshan Mountains, as well as small patches in the Qionglai, Daxiangling and Liangshan Mountains; the most suitable habitats are in nature reserves of the Minshan Mountain. Elevation and density of the human settlements were the most important factors for identifying suitable habitat; and we identified location of less populated areas where some suitable forest patches offer the potential for dispersal corridors for this species. The study implies that there is potential for expansion of the species distribution, if steps are taken to preserve current forest patches that maybe too small for residency but suitable for dispersal.

The snow leopard, Panthera uncia, is an elusive high-altitude specialist that inhabits vast, inaccessible habitat across Asia. We conducted the first range-wide genetic assessment of snow leopards based on noninvasive scat surveys. Thirty-three microsatellites were genotyped and a total of 683 bp of mitochondrial DNA sequenced in 70 individuals. Snow leopards exhibited low genetic diversity at microsatellites (AN = 5.8, HO = 0.433, HE = 0.568), virtually no mtDNA variation, and underwent a bottleneck in the Holocene (∼8000 years ago) coinciding with increased temperatures, precipitation, and upward treeline shift in the Tibetan Plateau. Multiple analyses supported 3 primary genetic clusters: (1) Northern (the Altai region), (2) Central (core Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau), and (3) Western (Tian Shan, Pamir, trans-Himalaya regions). Accordingly, we recognize 3 subspecies, Panthera uncia irbis (Northern group), Panthera uncia uncia (Western group), and Panthera uncia uncioides (Central group) based upon genetic distinctness, low levels of admixture, unambiguous population assignment, and geographic separation. The patterns of variation were consistent with desert-basin "barrier effects" of the Gobi isolating the northern subspecies (Mongolia), and the trans-Himalaya dividing the central (Qinghai, Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal) and western subspecies (India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan). Hierarchical Bayesian clustering analysis revealed additional subdivision into a minimum of 6 proposed management units: western Mongolia, southern Mongolia, Tian Shan, Pamir-Himalaya, Tibet-Himalaya, and Qinghai, with spatial autocorrelation suggesting potential connectivity by dispersing individuals up to ∼400 km. We provide a foundation for global conservation of snow leopard subspecies, and set the stage for in-depth landscape genetics and genomic studies.

Climate change might pose an additional threat to the already vulnerable giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Effective conservation efforts require projections of vulnerability of the giant panda in facing climate change and proactive strategies to reduce emerging climate‐related threats. We used the maximum entropy model to assess the vulnerability of giant panda to climate change in the Qinling Mountains of China. The results of modeling included the following findings: (1) the area of suitable habitat for giant pandas was projected to decrease by 281 km2 from climate change by the 2050s; (2) the mean elevation of suitable habitat of giant panda was predicted to shift 30 m higher due to climate change over this period; (3) the network of nature reserves protect 61.73% of current suitable habitat for the species, and 59.23% of future suitable habitat; (4) current suitable habitat mainly located in Chenggu, Taibai, and Yangxian counties (with a total area of 987 km2) was predicted to be vulnerable. Assessing the vulnerability of giant panda provided adaptive strategies for conservation programs and national park construction. We proposed adaptation strategies to ameliorate the predicted impacts of climate change on giant panda, including establishing and adjusting reserves, establishing habitat corridors, improving adaptive capacity to climate change, and strengthening monitoring of giant panda.

The wild camel (Camelus ferus) is a critically endangered species found in extremely arid environments of Central Asia. The wild camel population and its distribution areas have decreased significantly since the middle of the 19th century. The species is now restricted to four isolated habitats in China and Mongolia, and more than 20 years have passed since the most recent surveys of its status and distribution. In an effort to get more current information, we conducted ground surveys, coupled with ad-libitum interviews of local residents, in the geographic range of wild camels in China from 2011 to 2013. We aim to present the most up to date status and distribution of wild camels and provide effective management and conservation strategies. We identified three subpopulations (Taklimakan Desert, Kumtagh Desert, border area of China and Mongolia). The wild camel population in the Kumtagh Desert was found to be stable and relatively dense, likely due to large areas of protected habitat. Camel presence in the Taklimakan Desert was further south than previously reported, indicating an expansion or range shift in distribution that may have been driven by high levels of anthropogenic disturbance. No signs of camels were found in the border area, likely due to a substantial border fence that impedes animal movement. Protected areas appear to work at improving camel populations and will be imperative for their persistence across their currently known range. Continued monitoring is needed to deduce camel movement, and connectivity between China and Mongolia improved. We also recommend surveys in the very near future to determine how populations may have changed since the surveys presented herein were undertaken.

Geographic variation can lead to the changes of local plant species, which play crucial roles in primary production and ecosystem structure. Therefore, understanding multiple scale distribution patterns of plant species is important for us to effectively monitor ecosystem changes due to climate changes and other modifications. Here, we mainly investigated the distribution pattern of wood vascular plants and key environmental controlling forces in natural broadleaved forest along the latitudinal gradient across 24 geographic regions of China continental territory. The results showed that the richness and diversity of plant community significantly decreased with the increasing latitude. The similarity of plant community also decreased with increasing latitudinal distance. The mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature played the most important roles in the distribution of plant community across latitudinal gradient, followed by soil pH and soil moisture.

Pastoralists are key stakeholders in environmental management decisions in China, thus, their involvement in wildlife conservation and research is imperative for the success of long-term initiatives. Despite the many opportunities for herders to be included in these efforts, biases have hindered knowledge exchange and collaborative outcomes. This is detrimental for species living in quickly changing landscapes reliant on effective conservation, such as that of the snow leopard (Panthera uncia). Pastoralists living in snow leopard habitats on the Qinghai&ndash, Tibetan Plateau of China possess a deep and intricate understanding of the environments in which they live, and can serve as strong conservation allies by playing direct roles in scientific endeavors via expert elicitation and engagement. Here, we draw on our own experiences as academically trained scientists to present a framework for broadening opportunities for local community member participation in research efforts on the species. Framework outcomes include better targeting of conservation concerns, increased integration of Western science and local ecological knowledge, additional income to the community, clearer communication and trust between conservation stakeholders, greater flexibility in research, and additional platforms for community-based conservation. We outline avenues of involvement and considerations when working with local community members in snow leopard habitat, and submit this as an example with wide-ranging applicability to other parts of the world where livelihoods are intrinsically tied to the environment.

Human-carnivore conflict (HCC) has become a major concern for both the management of protected areas and local community development worldwide. The occurrence and intervention of HCCs has been originated in duel context of the environment and social economy. In the Sanjiangyuan region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, human-bear conflict (HBC) has emerged as a severe problem. Damages caused by Tibetan brown bears (Ursus arctos pruinosus) seriously threaten the livelihood and safety of local herders, decreasing community tolerance for brown bear conservation. A systematic field survey of HBC occurrences was undertaken in Zhiduo county of the Sanjiangyuan region in summer 2019. We surveyed 312 families via semi-structured interviews to understand the factors that contributed towards the likelihood of bear damage, representative conflict types, seasonal variation in damage occurrence, and mitigation measures deployed. The results showed that incidents of bear damage in the Sanjiangyuan region have elevated as a consequence of changes in the nomadic lifestyle of local herders. It is in part connected with simultaneous recovery of bear numbers following the conservation measures applied. Despite the widespread incidence of HBCs, with almost all respondents (n = 288, 92.31%) reporting occurrences of bear damage, most home damages were not compensated, and programs for such were lacking. Through the survey of the expected compensation types of local respondents, it was concluded that HBCs need to be mediated and resolved by integrated compensation schemes, physical and chemical prevention measures, and community development plans. Particularly, the local government should pay more attention to reducing family dependence on animal husbandry and transforming livelihood strategies into replaceable economic practices unrelated to grazing. These include things like ecological public welfare jobs and brown bear viewing ecotourism.

International audience; Using a case study of an isolated management unit of Sichuan snub‐nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana), we assess the extent that climate change will impact the species’ habitat distribution in the current period and projected into the 2050s. We identify refugia that could maintain the population under climate change and determine dispersal paths for movement of the population to future suitable habitats. Hubei Province, China. We identified climate refugia and potential movements by integrating bioclimatic models with circuit theory and least‐cost model for the current period (1960–1990) and the 2050s (2041–2060). We coupled a maximum entropy algorithm to predict suitable habitat for the current and projected future periods. Suitable habitat areas that were identified during both time periods and that also satisfied home range and dispersal distance conditions were delineated as refugia. We mapped potential movements measured as current flow and linked current and future habitats using least‐cost corridors. Our results indicate up to 1,119 km2 of currently suitable habitat within the study range. Based on our projections, a habitat loss of 67.2% due to climate change may occur by the 2050s, resulting in a reduced suitable habitat area of 406 km2 and very little new habitat. The refugia areas amounted to 286 km2 and were located in Shennongjia National Park and Badong Natural Reserve. Several connecting corridors between the current and future habitats, which are important for potential movements, were identified. Our assessment of the species predicted a trajectory of habitat loss following anticipated future climate change. We believe conservation efforts should focus on refugia and corridors when planning for future species management. This study will assist conservationists in determining high‐priority regions for effective maintenance of the endangered population under climate change and will encourage increased habitat connectivity.

Climate change threatens endangered species and challenges current conservation strategies. Effective conservation requires vulnerability assessments for species susceptible to climate change and adaptive strategies to mitigate threats associated with climate. In this paper, we used the Maxent to model the impacts of climate change on habitat suitability of Sichuan golden monkey Rhinopithecus roxellana. Our results showed that (i) suitable habitat for Sichuan golden monkey was predicted to decrease by 37% in 2050s under climate change; (ii) the mean elevations of suitable habitat in the 2050s was estimated to shift 160 m higher; (iii) nature reserves protect 62% of current suitable habitat and 56% of future suitable habitat; and (iv) 49% of current suitable habitat was predicted to be vulnerable to future climate change. Given these results, we proposed conservation implications to mitigate the impacts of climate change on Sichuan golden monkey, including adjusting range of national park, establishing habitat corridors, and conducting long-term monitoring.

Taxus chinensis is a rare and endangered shrub, highly sensitive to temperature changes and widely known for its potential in cancer treatment. How gene expression of T. chinensis responds to low temperature is still unknown. To investigate cold response of the genus Taxus, we obtained the transcriptome profiles of T. chinensis grown under normal and low temperature (cold stress, 0°C) conditions using Illumina Miseq sequencing. A transcriptome including 83,963 transcripts and 62,654 genes were assembled from 4.16 Gb of reads data. Comparative transcriptomic analysis identified 2,025 differently expressed (DE) isoforms at p < 0.05, of which 1,437 were up-regulated by cold stress and 588 were down-regulated. Annotation of DE isoforms indicated that transcription factors (TFs) in the MAPK signaling pathway and TF families of NAC, WRKY, bZIP, MYB, and ERF were transcriptionally activated. This might have been caused by the accumulation of secondary messengers, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca2+. While accumulation of ROS will have caused damages to cells, our results indicated that to adapt to low temperatures T. chinensis employed a series of mechanisms to minimize these damages. The mechanisms included: (i) cold-enhanced expression of ROS deoxidant systems, such as peroxidase and phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase, to remove ROS. This was further confirmed by analyses showing increased activity of POD, SOD, and CAT under cold stress. (ii) Activation of starch and sucrose metabolism, thiamine metabolism, and purine metabolism by cold-stress to produce metabolites which either protect cell organelles or lower the ROS content in cells. These processes are regulated by ROS signaling, as the “feedback” toward ROS accumulation.

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is an apex predator on the Tibetan Plateau and in the surrounding mountain ranges. It is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN's Red List. The large home range and low population densities of this species mandate range-wide conservation prioritization. Two efforts for range-wide snow leopard conservation planning have been conducted based on expert opinion, but both were constrained by limited knowledge and the difficulty of evaluating complex processes, such as connectivity across large landscapes. Here, we compile >6000 snow leopard occurrence records from across its range and corresponding environmental covariates to build a model of global snow leopard habitat suitability. Using spatial prioritization tools, we identified seven large continuous habitat patches as global snow leopard Landscape Conservation Units (LCUs). Each LCU faces differing threat levels from poaching, anthropogenic development, and climate change. We identified ten potential inter-LCU linkages, and centrality analysis indicated that Tianshan-Pamir-Hindu Kush-Karakorum, Altai, and the linkage between them play a critical role in maintaining the global snow leopard habitat connectivity. However, international border fences, railways and major roads can fragment LCUs and potentially obstruct linkages. We propose LCU-specific conservation strategies and transboundary cooperation that should be highlighted in future snow leopard conservation. This effort represents the first range-wide, systematic landscape conservation plan for snow leopards, and provides a rigorous and analytically sound basis for further survey and evaluation.

Microorganisms play key roles in ecosystem processes and biogeochemical cycling, however, the relationship between soil microbial taxa diversity and their function in natural ecosystems is largely unknown. To determine how soil bacteria community and function are linked from the local to regional scale, we studied soil bacteria community composition, potential function and environmental conditions in natural and mature broadleaf forests along a latitudinal gradient in China, using the Illumina 16S rRNA sequencing and GeoChip technologies. The results showed strong biogeographic endemism pattern in soil bacteria were existed, and the spatial distance and climatic variables were the key controlling factors for this pattern. Therefore, dispersal limitation and environmental selection may represent two key processes in generating and maintaining the soil bacterial biogeographic pattern. By contrast, the soil bacterial potential function is highly convergent along the latitudinal gradient and there were highly differing bacterial community compositions, and the soil chemistry may include the main factors active in shaping the soil bacterial potential function. Therefore, the soil bacterial potential function may be affected by local gradients in resource availability, and predicting soil bacterial potential function requires knowledge of abiotic and biotic environmental factors.