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The Changbaishan reserve and the forests around it are one of the priority areas for Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) recovery in northeastern China. Previous habitat suitability analyses only took the ecological requirements of tigers into consideration, so this study aims to determine habitat suitability for a tiger-prey community in the region, by analysing ungulate prey availability and habitat suitability for both predator and prey. Three prey species were found, using the snow tacking method: red deer (Cervus canadensis xanthopygus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and roe deer (Capreolus pygargus). Habitat suitability was evaluated for tigers, red deer, and wild boar, using a multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) process. MCE results showed that (1) habitat suitability is generally low outside the reserve for all three species; (2) suitability values were the lowest for tigers due to high intensity of human impact in the area, with suitable habitat restricted to the centre of the reserve; and (3) red deer and wild boar would find pockets of suitable habitat outside the reserve. A combination of low forest quality and high human impact intensity imposes significant environmental pressure to those ungulates. To recover tiger population in Changbaishan, forest quality and human impacts should be properly managed, which should increase prey availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The animal species richness in four forest types were very similar to each other. • Low-elevation primary forest had the largest relative abundant index of animals. • Low-elevation primary forest preferred by most species while secondary forest by one. • Plantation and secondary forest played important roles of supporting animal species. China's primary forest has gone through the extensive deforestation and further restoration since 1950s. However, little is known about how animal diversity responds to restoration. Here, we used camera trapping to monitor diversity of large-and-medium mammals for three years (2014–2017) in four forest habitat types in the Qinling Mountains: high-elevation primary forest, low-elevation primary forest, secondary forest, and plantation forest. The species richness did not vary between forest types (n = 17–18). But the relative abundant index (RAI) was higher in low-elevation primary (3.00%), followed by plantation forest (1.77%), secondary forest (0.89%), and high-elevation primary forest (0.74%), respectively. In term of habitat using, low-elevation primary forest was the most preferred habitat by the animals (11 species), followed by high-elevation forest (5 species), and plantation forest (4 species), while secondary forest was only preferred by 1 species. Species' preferences on forest habitat types were stable during daytime and night-time but significantly changed in different seasons. Our study indicated that both plantation forest and secondary forest in the Qinling Mountains played important roles of supporting animal species. Thus a comprehensive management is required for biodiversity conservation in the Qinling Mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental heterogeneity contributes to various habitats and may influence the diversity and activity patterns of wildlife among habitats. We used camera traps to assess wildlife habitat use in Guanyinshan Nature Reserve from 2009 to 2012. We focused on four types of habitat including open areas with gentle slope (<15°) (Type1), low elevation areas (about 1500-1700 m) with high bamboo coverage (Type2), high elevation areas (about 2100-2300 m) with high canopy coverage (Type3), and wildlife migration passages (Type4). We analyzed the differences in species richness, relative abundance index (RAI), species diversity, and animals' activity pattern among habitats. Total six species were analyzed on activity pattern, which are Takin ( Budorcas taxicolor), tufted deer ( Elaphodus cephalophus), Himalayan goral ( Naemorhedus goral), wild boar ( Sus scrofa), golden pheasant ( Chrysolophus pictus), and porcupine ( Hystrix hodgsoni). The results are (1) that there were significant differences in richness and RAI among habitats; (2) Type4 habitat had the highest richness and RAI while Type2 had the highest species diversity; giant pandas were found in these two habitats; (3) there were significant differences in species' activity during daytime and nighttime; and (4) differences appeared in habitat preference of the most abundant species. Takin and tufted deer preferred Type1, Himalayan goral preferred Type2, and golden pheasant preferred Type3. Type4 habitat was used by most animals. All these revealed that habitat heterogeneity plays an important role in species diversity and the importance for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial separation of the Qinling Mountains from the western mountains has caused morphological and genetic distinctions of giant pandas. Could this separation also cause the pandas' behavior change? In this research, we focused on the pandas' movement pattern and selected two wild panda groups in Foping and Wolong Nature Reserves (NR) to represent the populations in the Qinling and Qionglai Mountains, respectively. We hypothesized that the Qinling pandas have developed a different seasonal movement pattern compared with the pandas in the western mountains. We analyzed the radio tracking data from two NRs by using GIS. Our results showed the following significant differences: (1) The Foping pandas live most of the year in the low elevation areas and move higher during June and remain through August while the Wolong pandas live most of the year in the high elevation areas and move lower in April and stay through June; (2) Comparing their low and high elevational areas shows the distinct spatial patterns between reserves, forming two obviously separated clusters in Foping but a single-compact cluster in Wolong; (3) Foping pandas move an average of 425 m ± 147 s.d. daily, while Wolong pandas move an average of 550 m ± 343 s.d. daily; and (4) Three habitat factors (i.e., terrain, temperature, and bamboo nutrient) were taken as the driving forces and analyzed, and they showed a strong support explanation to these different movement behaviors of pandas in two NRs. Our findings have important implications for management, for instance, it needs to be careful considering the behavior difference of the pandas when reintroducing them to the wild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying habitat suitability and potential corridors are important tools for biodiversity conservation in the face of climate change. We modeled habitat suitability and simulated possible corridors for movement and gene flow among the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) population in the Northern Highlands of Pakistan (NHP). Results indicated that the areas of 13,923 km2 and 21,931 km2 suitable for the Asiatic black bear under current and future scenarios respectively. Under the future scenario, we found an area of 12,657 km2 (57.21%) as increase in suitable habitat (ISH f) and 4649 km2 (33.39%) area as a decrease in current suitable habitat (DSH c). Our model predicted that about >65% (9274 km2) of the current suitable habitat as a climate refugia which is projected from the center to southeast east and northwest of the NHP primarily in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK). The attitudinal range of refugia was projected from 688 m to 4483 m with >56% at the elevations between 2001 m to 3000 m. A very small portion of suitable habitats (current suitable habitat = 2.75%, future suitable habitat = 5.11%) were projected under the protected areas. Maps connecting suitable habitats identified different regions delineated as important for the dispersal of Asiatic black bears, which mainly distributed in the PAK and KPK. Our results help informs conservation strategies and management plans for mitigating the impacts of climate change on Asiatic black bears in the NHP. • Asiatic black bears' distribution and dispersal paths were identified in the Northern Highlands of Pakistan (NHP). • We predicted an increased but shifted suitable habitat towards higher altitudes in the future. • The magnitude of climate change is varying across the provinces of NHP. • Two provinces of the NHP i.e., AJ&K and KPK are important for the dispersal of Asiatic black bears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question Is there, at the macro-habitat scale, a relationship between the fraction of evergreen forests and the presence probability of epiphyllous liverworts? Can these two parameters be estimated and mapped using an NDVI-based indicator that is derived from time-series of SPOT- VGT imagery? Location Southern China. Methods Applying the ISODATA algorithm, we classified SPOT- VGT NDVI time-series imagery and produced an NDVI map at 1-km2 resolution containing 128 NDVI classes. That map and the National Land Cover Map of China (2000) were used to prepare a scheme for field sampling. For 537 1-km2 areas, located in 19 blocks of 100 km × 100 km, field data were collected. They represented 51 preselected NDVI classes that were assumed to contain evergreen forests. Data on the fractions of forest and evergreen forest, the fraction of evergreen forest in forest present and presence probability of epiphyllous liverworts were regressed against different NDVI class-specific indicators by means of weighted least-squares regression ( WLSR). Results The SPOT- VGT NDVI for March was found to best explain the variation between 1-km2 areas in the presence probability of epiphyllous liverworts ( R2 = 0.64; linear relationship; RMSE = 0.38) as the area fraction (%) of evergreen forest ( R2 = 0.90; exponential relationship; RMSE = 6.1%). Epiphyllous liverworts were only found within 1-km2 areas when the SPOT- VGT NDVI value for March was more than 0.50 (model estimate: 0.43 ± 0.20) and the fraction of evergreen forest in 1 km2 was above 14% (model estimate: 5 ± 35%). The estimation errors (with 95% confidence interval) of these two relationships were calculated using a bootstrap resampling method with 1000 replications; they were, respectively, 0.49-0.76 and 0.85-0.94 for R2, and 0.11-0.23 and 5.2-11.9% for RMSE. Other positive relationships were found between the presence probability of epiphyllous liverworts and the fraction of evergreen forest ( R2 = 0.64, linear relationship; RMSE = 0.38) and between the fraction of evergreen forest and forest within 1-km2 areas ( R2 = 0.80, linear relationship; RMSE = 29%). Conclusion We show that for southern China, the fraction of evergreen forest and the presence probability of epiphyllous liverworts can directly be inferred by making use of SPOT- VGT NDVI imagery. The findings are fully consistent with earlier reported hotspots for epiphyllous liverworts. At the macro-habitat scale, the presence probability of epiphyllous liverworts proved quantitatively related to the fraction of evergreen forest. This suggests causal relationships with patch size and/or rainfall patterns. We believe that the derived maps may serve as a foundation for a range of further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Habitat is the place where animals live, which is directly related to animal population. In recent years, habitat fragmentation has caused serious impacts on wildlife due to human activities. The effect on animal population has become one of the most important issues. Guanyinshan Nature Reserve (GNR) is located in the middle of the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province, which connects two local populations of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuc). In this research, the suitability of potential habitat in GNR was analyzed and evaluated by using GIS technology in order to get a comprehensive grasp of the habitat quality spatially. Our results show that (1) when not considering human activities, the “most suitable” potential habitat covers 6.03ha occupying 0.04% of the total area with main reason of very occasional distribution of Bashania fargesii. The unsuitable potential habitat covers 1097.10ha occupying 7.63% of the total area with very low bamboo density. The area of “suitable” and “marginally suitable” habitat is 12767.94ha and 506.70ha, with the proportion of 88.81% and 3.52% of the whole reserve respectively. (2) When considering the impact of residences and roads, the proportion of unsuitable area increases to 16.81%. Compared with the potential habitat under no considering impact of human activities, the ratio of unsuitable area increases by 9.18%. The percentage of “suitable” habitat decreases from 88.81% to 61.89% of the total area while the proportion of “marginally suitable” habitat increases from 3.52% to 21.26%. In the future, one way of protecting the habitat and the giant panda population, is to reduce human activities as much as possible. The other way is to implement proper scientific management and effective measures to promote regeneration and restoration of the habitat that has been impacted or destroyed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan province covers a unique mountainous ecosystem located on the eastern border of the Tibetan Plateau in China. We applied a popular non-invasive observational method, i.e., infrared-triggered camera trapping, to gain thousands of photographs of wildlife to monitor biodiversity over three years. Combined with data on the local abiotic factors, our integrative statistical analysis identified the key environmental drivers, i.e., temperature and vegetation, affecting the distribution and abundance of mammals and birds in the reserve. All species were classified into three main types by their tolerance of or fondness for different environmental conditions. The detectability of each species by camera trapping was quantified and ranked to provide insights on each species' relative abundance in the area. The high-altitude ecosystem of the Tibetan Plateau in China is a biodiversity hotspot that provides unique habitats for endemic and relict species along an altitudinal gradient at the eastern edge. Acquiring biodiversity information in this area, where the average altitude is over 4000 m, has been difficult but has been aided by recent developments in non-invasive technology, including infrared-triggered camera trapping. We used camera trapping to acquire a substantial number of photographic wildlife records in Wolong National Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China, from 2013 to 2016. We collected information of the habitat surrounding the observation sites, resulting in a dataset covering 37 species and 12 environmental factors. We performed a multivariate statistical analysis to discern the dominant environmental factors and cluster the mammals and birds of the ecosystem in order to examine environmental factors contributing to the species' relative abundance. Species were generalized into three main types, i.e., cold-resistant, phyllophilic, and thermophilic, according to the identified key environmental drivers (i.e., temperature and vegetation) for their abundances. The mammal species with the highest relative abundance were bharal (Pseudois nayaur), Moupin pika (Ochotona thibetana), and Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana). The bird species with highest relative abundance were snow partridge (Lerwa lerwa), plain mountain finch (Leucosticte nemoricola), Chinese monal (Lophophorus lhuysii), and alpine accentor (Prunella collaris). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land development has impacted natural landforms extensively, causing a decline in resources and negative consequences to elephant populations, habitats, and gene flow. Often, elephants seek to fulfill basic needs by wandering into nearby human communities, which leads to human–elephant conflict (HEC), a serious threat to conserving this endangered species. Understanding elephant space use and connectivity among their habitats can offset barriers to ecological flow among fragmented populations. We focused on the Keonjhar Forest Division in Eastern India, where HEC has resulted in the deaths of ~300 people and several hundred elephants, and damaged ~4100 houses and ~12,700 acres of cropland between 2001 and 2018. Our objectives were to (1) analyze elephant space use based on their occupancy; (2) map connectivity by considering the land structure and HEC occurrences; (3) assess the quality of mapped connectivity and identify potential bottlenecks. We found that (1) the study area has the potential to sustain a significant elephant population by providing safe connectivity; (2) variables like forests, precipitation, rural built-up areas, cropland, and transportation networks were responsible for predicting elephant presence (0.407, SE = 0.098); (3) five habitat cores, interconnected by seven corridors were identified, of which three habitat cores were vital for maintaining connectivity; (4) landscape features, such as cropland, rural built-up, mining, and transportation networks created bottlenecks that could funnel elephant movement. Our findings also indicate that overlooking HEC in connectivity assessments could lead to overestimation of functionality. The study outcomes can be utilized as a preliminary tool for decision making and early planning during development projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Rapid plantation expansion and its associated impacts on habitat fragmentation and landscape connectivity in many tropical areas has raised increasing concerns as to its impact on Ecosystem Services (ES). Using the InVEST modelling suite, we evaluated critical ES dynamics in four zones of varying plantation expansion intensity (high, medium, low and no plantation expansion) in Xishuangbanna prefecture in Southwest China from 1976 to 2012. Based on these results, we also exmained the relationship between ES and landscape pattern and connectivity derived by the “probability of connectivity” model. We found that during the study period, plantation area increased more than 20 times in Xishuangbanna prefecture as a whole, while broad-leaved forest cover decreased by nearly 30%. The impact of plantation on ES was substantial at both the regional and local scale. Carbon stocks and water yield services decreased by 15.48% and 10.85%, respectively, from 1976 to 2012 throughout the region as a whole. Within the selected study zones, carbon stock and water yeild decreased by 45% and 32%, respectively, from the no plantation to the high plantation zones in 2012 specifically. Plantation expansion has also resulted in a decrease in natural forest cover and a high level of habitat fragmentation. Landscape connectivity decreased by a range of 54.64–95.58% throughout the study area, with 134.58 km 2 of forest patches of high importance reduced to medium or low importance during the study period. Correlation analysis showed that carbon storage was more closely correlated to landscape connectivity than forest habitat percentage, large patch index or cohesion index. Together, these results highlight that habitat configuration with a high connectivity level between fragmented patches is important for maintaining critical Ecosystem Services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the most biodiversity-rich part of the protected areas system, habitats within the pilot national parks have long been threatened by drastic human-induced land use and land cover changes. The growing concern about habitat loss has spurred China's national park project to shift from pilot to construction phase with the official establishment of China's first group of national parks (CFGNPs) in October 2021. But far too little attention has been paid to the synergistic work concerning the habitat quality (HQ) dynamics of all five national parks. Here, the InVEST model, combined with a satellite-derived land use and land cover product and a hot spot analysis (HSA) method, was used to investigate the HQ dynamics at the park- and pixel-scale within the CFGNPs. Our results demonstrate that the past ecological conservation practices within national parks have been unpromising, especially in Giant Panda National Park, Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park (NCTL), and Wuyi Mountain National Park (WYM), where HQ as a whole showed a significant decline. Furthermore, more than half of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park (87.2%), WYM (77.4%), and NCTL (52.9%) showed significant HQ degradation from 1980 to 2019. Besides, increasing trends in the area shares of HQ degraded pixels were observed in all five national parks from 1980–1999 to 2000–2019. The HSA implied that the hot spots of high HQ degradation rates tend to occur in areas closer to urban settlements or on the edge of national parks, where human activities are intensive. Despite these disappointing findings, we highlighted from the observed local successes and the HQ plateau that the construction of CFGNPs is expected to reverse the deteriorating HQ trends. Thus, we concluded our paper by proposing an HSA-based regulatory zoning scheme that includes five subzones to guide the future construction of China's national park system. [Display omitted] • The first known investigation to reveal the habitat quality trends for China's first group of national parks was presented. • The past ecological conservation practices within national parks have been unpromising over the past four decades. • The area shares of habitat quality degraded pixels show an increasing trend in all five national parks from 1980 to 2019. • We developed a regulatory zoning scheme for habitat protection or ecosystem restoration within these national parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The spatial distribution of epiphyllous liverworts in China is predicted. [•] Six core distribution areas of epiphyllous liverworts across China are found. [•] The macro-habitat factors that affect epiphyllous liverwort distribution are identified. [•] Satellite vegetation indices are the most important predictors of epiphyllous liverworts. [•] Epiphyllous liverworts may be used as indicator for forest degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]