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Simple Summary: The Hemiphyllodactylus is a small gecko. Recently, many species belonging to the genus Hemiphyllodactylus have been discovered in the karst region. Therefore, we conducted a large scale of surveys and specimen collections in multiple karst areas of Yunnan Province. Three populations of Hemiphyllodactylus were found to be morphologically and molecularly distinct from known species, prompting us to describe them as three new species. Our study further illustrates the high diversity of Hemiphyllodactylus species within Yunnan Province. The karst landform in Yunnan Province, China, represents one of the most biodiverse regions for Hemiphyllodactylus. Previous research has revealed that the karst forests in this province host a greater diversity of Hemiphyllodactylus than previously acknowledged. However, substantial fundamental data essential for taxonomic and biogeographical studies are lacking. We conducted extensive surveys for Hemiphyllodactylus in the Yunnan Province that led to the discovery of three new species from Menglian Dai, Lahu, and Wa Autonomous County and Jinghong City based on morphological and genetic data. A phylogenetic reconstruction based on the ND2 gene (1038 bp) placed the three new species into clade 3 and clade 4 of Agung et al. The uncorrected genetic pairwise distance of the Menglian specimens were greater than 5.7%, and those of the Jinghong City specimens were greater than 5.2% and 8.5%, respectively. They could be distinguished from their congeners by body size, chin scales, internasal scales, ventral scales, dorsal scales, and the total number of femoral and precloacal pores. Furthermore, we update the distributional knowledge of the known species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been suggested that pairing behavior during winter in migratory ducks represents a trade-off between costs (defense of the female) and benefits (early access to females). To investigate the benefits and costs for both sexes in wintering pairs of ruddy shelducks ( Tadorna ferruginea), we compared time budgets for paired males and females, and surveyed the sex ratio of the birds wintering at Lashihai Lake, southwest China. The behavior of the paired ruddy shelducks was monitored for 5 activity types: feeding, resting (including sleeping), preening, drinking and warning. Feeding was the most dominant activity. The feeding time of both sexes increased as the winter season progressed. However, the paired females always spent significantly more time feeding and less time warning than the paired males. Paired ruddy shelducks had access to better feeding grounds than unpaired individuals, resulting in a food benefit for paired individuals over single individuals. Because the sex ratio of the wintering population was strongly male biased (M:F = 1.44:1.00), the paired male also gained the benefit of accessing a female in advance of the breeding season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecotourism is considered to be an effective means of promoting nature conservation and sustainable development in less developed regions. However, its widespread adoption may be the result of a misunderstanding due to confusion about definitions and interpretations. Using web map browsers, we assessed the distribution pattern of ecotourism sites in both number and density in the 31 provinces of mainland China, and found that it positively correlated with gross domestic products (GDP) and population size, showing spatial dynamics similar to the general tourism model. However, negative-weak or no correlation at all was found with the presence and size of nature variables such as protected areas. These results support previous suspicions that the term ecotourism and its associated concept may be misused in China and that the regions that could benefit the most from this form of tourism have yet to properly develop it. Although this pattern could reflect a huge demand for genuine ecotourism, we recommend that China, to achieve its ambitious sustainable development goals, adapt ecotourism policies in its environmental and socio-cultural context, manage them with a trans-disciplinary expert board, and regulate its market by introducing a rigorous admittance system with continuous monitoring and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of primate evolutionary history from the Late Miocene to the present in East Asia is necessary to develop a conservation strategy for primates today and future. This background is especially evident from the distributions of fossil-bearing sites in the Pleistocene and historical records over the past 800 years. We illustrate catarrhines' early dispersal and radiation routes, paths, and later shrinking trajectories, providing robust evidence and information for making or amending conservation strategies. Catarrhines (apes and Old-World monkeys) in East Asia are analyzed in this study. The results indicate that their spread during the Pleistocene from the west to east remarkably involved the three river systems (Yangtze, Yellow, and Pearl) and the coastlines, resulting in broad distributions in the Far East (Taiwan, Korea, and Japan). Unfortunately, their continental taxa significantly suffered reductions from ancient to modern Holocene, leading to a tremendous biodiversity loss in East Asia. These events corresponded to major periodic social upheavals and anthropogenic activities, particularly in the first half of the last century and the post-war period after 1950 that has involved unparalleled environmental devastation and natural resource depletion. Except for the taxa in Taiwan and Japan, primates in East Asia will finally be confined to Southwest China, especially a Convergence-Divergence Center (CDC) that has played a unique role in shielding primates and other animals, as well as the plants since the Later Miocene. Thus, developing a specific conservation priority is critical for the CDC and its adjacent regions to mitigate primate extinction in East Asia. • Conservation strategy encompassing evolutionary and historical development and contemporary and prospective distribution profiles. • Dispersion and radiation of the catarrhines in East Asia during the Pleistocene. • Diminished primate biodiversity over the last 800 years on the East Asian continent. • Southwest China, the final refuge of the primates in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The karst landform in Yunnan Province, China, represents one of the most biodiverse regions for Hemiphyllodactylus . Previous research has revealed that the karst forests in this province host a greater diversity of Hemiphyllodactylus than previously acknowledged. However, substantial fundamental data essential for taxonomic and biogeographical studies are lacking. We conducted extensive surveys for Hemiphyllodactylus in the Yunnan Province that led to the discovery of three new species from Menglian Dai, Lahu, and Wa Autonomous County and Jinghong City based on morphological and genetic data. A phylogenetic reconstruction based on the ND2 gene (1038 bp) placed the three new species into clade 3 and clade 4 of Agung et al. The uncorrected genetic pairwise distance of the Menglian specimens were greater than 5.7%, and those of the Jinghong City specimens were greater than 5.2% and 8.5%, respectively. They could be distinguished from their congeners by body size, chin scales, internasal scales, ventral scales, dorsal scales, and the total number of femoral and precloacal pores. Furthermore, we update the distributional knowledge of the known species.