Harmonizing spatial scales and ecological theories to predict avian richness and functional diversity within forest ecosystems.

Classic ecological theory has proven that temperature, precipitation and productivity organize ecosystems at broad scales and are generalized drivers of biodiversity within different biomes. At local scales, the strength of these predictors is not consistent across different biomes. To better translate these theories to localized scales, it is essential to determine the links between drivers of biodiversity. Here we harmonize existing ecological theories to increase the predictive power for species richness and functional diversity. We test the relative importance of three-dimensional habitat structure as a link between local and broad-scale patterns of avian richness and functional diversity. Our results indicate that habitat structure is more important than precipitation, temperature and elevation gradients for predicting avian species richness and functional diversity across different forest ecosystems in North America. We conclude that forest structure, influenced by climatic drivers, is essential for predicting the response of biodiversity with future shifts in climatic regimes.

Prioritizing global tall forests toward the 30 × 30 goals.

The Global Deal for Nature sets an ambitious goal to protect 30% of Earth's land and ocean by 2030. The 30 × 30 initiative is a way to allocate conservation resources and extend protection to conserve vulnerable and underprotected ecosystems while reducing carbon emissions to combat climate change. However, most prioritization methods for identifying high-value conservation areas are based on thematic attributes and do not consider vertical habitat structure. Global tall forests represent a rare vertical habitat structure that harbors high species richness in various taxonomic groups and is associated with large amounts of aboveground biomass. Global tall forests should be prioritized when planning global protected areas toward reaching the 30 × 30 goals. We examined the spatial distribution of global tall forests based on the Global Canopy Height 2020 product. We defined global tall forests as areas with the average canopy height above 3 thresholds (20, 25, and 30 m). We quantified the spatial distribution and protection level of global tall forests in high-protection zones, where the 30 × 30 goals are being met or are within reach, and low-protection zones, where there is a low chance of reaching 30 × 30 goals. We quantified the protection level by computing the percentage of global tall forest area protected based on the 2017 World Database on Protected Areas. We also determined the global extent and protection level of undisturbed, mature, tall forests based on the 2020 Global Intact Forest Landscapes mask. In most cases, the percentage of protection decreased as forest height reached the top strata. In the low-protection zones, <30% of forests were protected in almost all tall forest strata. In countries such as Brazil, tall forests had a higher percentage of protection (consistently >30%) compared to forests of lower height, presenting a more effective conservation model than in countries such as the United States, where forest protection was almost uniformly <30% across height strata. Our results show an urgent need to target forest conservation in the greatest height strata, particularly in high-protection areas, where most global tall forests are found. Vegetation vertical structure can inform the decision-making process toward the 30 × 30 goals because it can be used to identify areas of high conservation value for biodiversity protection which also contribute to carbon sequestration.

Priorización de bosques globales altos hacia las metas 30 por 30 Resumen El Tratado Global por la Naturaleza establece una meta ambiciosa de proteger 30% de los continentes y océanos de la Tierra para 2030. La iniciativa 30 por 30 es una forma de asignar recursos para la conservación y extender la protección para conservar ecosistemas vulnerables y sin protección al tiempo que se controlan las emisiones de carbono para combatir el cambio climático. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los métodos de priorización para identificar áreas de elevado valor de conservación se basan en atributos temáticos y no consideran la estructura vertical del hábitat. Los bosques altos globales representan un estructura de hábitat vertical rara que alberga alta riqueza de especies de varios grupos taxonómicos y se asocia con grandes cantidades de biomasa aérea. Los bosques altos globales deberían ser priorizados cuando se planifican áreas protegidas globales en el esfuerzo por alcanzar las metas 30 por 30. Examinamos la distribución espacial de bosques globales con base en el producto Altura de Dosel Global 2020. Definimos a los bosques altos globales como áreas con una altura de dosel promedio por arriba de 3 umbrales (20, 25 y 30 m). Cuantificamos la distribución espacial y el nivel de protección de los bosques altos globales en zonas con gran protección, donde se están alcanzando las metas 30 por 30. Cuantificamos el nivel de protección registrando el porcentaje de bosque alto global protegido con base en la Base de Datos Mundial de Áreas Protegidas 2017. También determinamos la extensión global y el nivel de protección de bosques altos, maduros, no perturbados con base en la mascarilla Paisajes Forestales Globales Intactos 2020. En la mayoría de los casos, el porcentaje de protección decreció a medida que la altura del bosque llegaba al estrato superior. En las zonas poco protegidas, >30% de los bosques estaban protegidos en casi todos los estratos de bosque alto. En países como Brasil, los bosques altos tuvieron un mayor porcentaje de protección (>30% consistentemente) que los bosques de menor altura, presentando un modelo de conservación más efectivo que en países como los Estados Unidos, donde la protección de bosques fue casi uniformemente >30% en los tres estratos de altura. Nuestros resultados muestran una urgente necesidad de enfocar la conservación de bosques en los estratos más altos, particularmente en las áreas muy protegidas, donde se encuentra la mayoría de bosques altos globales. La estructura vertical de la vegetación puede proporcionar información al proceso de toma de decisiones con miras a las metas 30 por 30 debido a que puede ser utilizada para identificar áreas de elevado valor de conservación para la protección de la biodiversidad que también contribuya al secuestro de carbono.

Body size and digestive system shape resource selection by ungulates: A cross-taxa test of the forage maturation hypothesis.

The forage maturation hypothesis (FMH) states that energy intake for ungulates is maximised when forage biomass is at intermediate levels. Nevertheless, metabolic allometry and different digestive systems suggest that resource selection should vary across ungulate species. By combining GPS relocations with remotely sensed data on forage characteristics and surface water, we quantified the effect of body size and digestive system in determining movements of 30 populations of hindgut fermenters (equids) and ruminants across biomes. Selection for intermediate forage biomass was negatively related to body size, regardless of digestive system. Selection for proximity to surface water was stronger for equids relative to ruminants, regardless of body size. To be more generalisable, we suggest that the FMH explicitly incorporate contingencies in body size and digestive system, with small-bodied ruminants selecting more strongly for potential energy intake, and hindgut fermenters selecting more strongly for surface water.

Impact of climate change on Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and its autumn diet in the northern highlands of Pakistan.

Approximately 20%-30% of plant and animal species are at risk of extinction by the end of the 21st century owing to climate change. Range shifts and range contractions in plant species will dramatically affect the distribution of animals relying on them for food and shelter. The negative impacts of climate change on forested landscapes of the northern highlands of Pakistan (NHP) could change the species composition and distribution. The Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), a forest-dwelling species, primarily depends on plants for foraging, and is assumed to be affected by climate change in NHP. Scat analyses and indigenous knowledge from Machiara National Park revealed the maximum consumption of Quercus species (natural food) and Zea mays (human grown food) by the Asiatic black bear in autumn season. We collected the occurrence data of the Asiatic black bear and its commonly used food (three Quercus spp.) in the NHP. We used the MaxEnt model to simulate current and future (in 2050 and 2070) distribution of the species under RCP4.5 (medium carbon emission scenario) and RCP8.5 (extreme carbon emission scenario). The results predict range reduction and extreme fragmentation in the habitats of all the Quercus spp. Besides, a dramatic decrease in the suitable (SH) and very highly suitable (HSH) habitats was predicted in the future. Range shift and range reduction of Quercus spp. may interrupt the denning chronology of Asiatic black bears, escalate the human-black bear conflicts and local extirpation of the species. Given the extent and magnitude of climate change, it will likely not be enough to focus solely on the conservation of the Asiatic black bear. We need more dynamic planning aiming at mitigating the effect of climate change in forested landscapes including the Quercus forests.

Will the COVID-19 outbreak be a turning point for China's wildlife protection: New developments and challenges of wildlife conservation in China.

On 24 February 2020, at the brink of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Chinese legislature adopted a decision to ban all terrestrial wildlife for food consumption. This decision set the tone for the revision of the Wildlife Protection Law (WPL), planned for release in late 2020. Both the terrestrial wildlife ban and revised WPL have the potential to greatly reduce consumption of wildlife and aid in prevention of future zoonotic disease outbreaks. The government still faces severe challenges in reducing wildlife use in traditional medicine, strengthening habitat and ecosystem conservation, committing to long-term WPL enforcement, and promoting community education and institutional reforms. However, recent progress in establishing a stricter ban on wildlife consumption, consolidating fragmented protected areas, and increased openness to public oversight are promising developments. While it is clear that global pandemics like COVID-19 can cause massive human suffering and disruption of economies; governments can no longer allow business as usual for the wildlife industry, regardless of the monetary or cultural values it brings. Here we discuss the latest development and limitations of the current wildlife legislation in China and the recommendations for improving Chinese wildlife conservation to better protect biodiversity and reduce risks of spreading zoonotic diseases to humans.

Effects of climate warming on soil nitrogen cycles and bamboo growth in core giant panda habitat.

Climate change can pose a significant threat to terrestrial ecosystems by disrupting the circulation of soil nitrogen. However, experimental analyses on the effect of climate change on soil nitrogen cycles and the implications for the conservation of key wildlife species (i.e., the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca) remain understudied. We investigated the effects of a 1.5 °C, 3 °C, and 4.5 °C temperature increase on nitrogen distribution in different soil layers of bamboo forest via an in-situ experiment and assessed the implications for the growth and survival of arrow bamboo (Bashania faberi), a critical food resource for giant pandas. Our results showed that warming treatments generally increased soil N content, while effects differed between surface soil and subsurface soil and at different warming treatments. Particularly an increase of 1.5 °C raised the subsurface soil NO3-N content, as well as the content of N in bamboo leaves. We found a significant positive correlation between the subsurface soil NO3-N content and the N content of arrow bamboo. An increase of 3-4.5 °C raised the content of total N and NO3-N in the surface soil and led to a reduction in the total aboveground biomass and survival rate of arrow bamboo. Limited warming (e.g., the increase of 0-1.5 °C) may promote the soil N cycle, raise the N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) enzyme activity, increase NO3-N in subsurface soil, increase the N content of bamboo, and boost the biomass of bamboo - all of which could be beneficial to giant panda survival. However, higher warming (e.g., an increase of 3-4.5 °C) resulted in mass death of bamboo and a large reduction in aboveground biomass. Our findings provide a cautiously optimistic scenario for bamboo forest ecosystems under low levels of warming over a short period of time, but risks from higher levels of warming may be serious, especially considering the unpredictability of global climatic change.

Land-use change is associated with multi-century loss of elephant ecosystems in Asia.

Understanding historic patterns of land use and land cover change across large temporal and spatial scales is critical for developing effective biodiversity conservation management and policy. We quantify the extent and fragmentation of suitable habitat across the continental range of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) based on present-day occurrence data and land-use variables between 850 and 2015 A.D. We found that following centuries of relative stability, over 64% (3.36 million km2) of suitable elephant habitat across Asia was lost since the year 1700, coincident with colonial-era land-use practices in South Asia and subsequent agricultural intensification in Southeast Asia. Average patch size dropped 83% from approximately 99,000-16,000 km2 and the area occupied by the largest patch decreased 83% from ~ 4 million km2 (45% of area) to 54,000 km2 (~ 7.5% of area). Whereas 100% of the area within 100 km of the current elephant range could have been considered suitable habitat in the year 1700, over half was unsuitable by 2015, driving potential conflict with people. These losses reflect long-term decline of non-forested ecosystems, exceeding estimates of deforestation within this century. Societies must consider ecological histories in addition to proximate threats to develop more just and sustainable land-use and conservation strategies.

Using residents' perceptions to improve park-people relationships in Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary, Myanmar.

The complex and context-specific relationships that local residents have with neighboring protected areas present many challenges for protected area (PA) management. While long-term, interdisciplinary approaches may be necessary to fully understand park-people relationships within a particular PA, the reality is that management decisions for the majority of PAs in the world are made by protected area staff with little or no external assistance. One potential entry point for management to understand park-people relationships and improve management is through understanding people's perceptions of PAs. This paper presents a study from Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary in central Myanmar designed to explore the impact of using residents' attitudes to directly inform management strategies. We conducted a survey to determine attitudes and determinants of attitudes toward CWS. In response to the survey, the warden made changes to the Sanctuary's management strategy to accommodate local needs and perceptions. Four years later, we repeated the survey to explore the effects of the management changes on people's perceptions and found that people were significantly more likely to like the sanctuary, less likely to mention problems, and more likely to mention benefits. People's negative perceptions of management conflicts and crop damage decreased and their positive perceptions of conservation and ecosystem service benefits and extraction benefits increased. This study demonstrates that residents' perceptions can be used by management as a starting point to improve park-people relationships through feasible and targeted interventions that are meaningful to local communities and their relationships with PAs.

The impact of climate change on three indicator Galliformes species in the northern highlands of Pakistan.

The rise in global temperature is one of the main threats of extinction to many vulnerable species by the twenty-first century. The negative impacts of climate change on the northern highlands of Pakistan (NHP) could change the species composition. Range shifts and range reduction in the forested landscapes will dramatically affect the distribution of forest-dwelling species, including the Galliformes (ground birds). Three Galliformes (e.g., Lophophorus impejanus, Pucrasia macrolopha, and Tragopan melanocephalus) are indicator species of the environment and currently distributed in NHP. For this study, we used Maximum Entropy Model (MaxEnt) to simulate the current (average for 1960-1990) and future (in 2050 and 2070) distributions of the species using three General Circulation Models (GCMs) and two climate change scenarios, i.e., RCP4.5 (moderate carbon emission scenario) and RCP8.5 (peak carbon emission scenario). Our results indicated that (i) under all three climate scenarios, species distribution was predicted to both reduce and shift towards higher altitudes. (ii) Across the provinces in the NHP, the species were predicted to average lose around one-third (35%) in 2050 and one-half (47%) by 2070 of the current suitable habitat. (iii) The maximum area of climate refugia was projected between the altitudinal range of 2000 to 4000 m and predicted to shift towards higher altitudes primarily > 3000 m in the future. Our results help inform management plans and conservation strategies for mitigating the impacts of climate change on three indicator Galliforms species in the NHP.

Conservation: Where can elephants roam in the Anthropocene?

Human presence and activities shape African elephant movements more than water and food availability, restricting the area available for their survival.

Range-wide assessment of the impact of China's nature reserves on giant panda habitat quality.

Protected areas (PAs) form the backbone of global conservation efforts. Although many studies have evaluated the impact of PAs on land cover, human disturbances, and people's welfare, PAs' impact on wildlife habitat quality remains poorly understood. By integrating wildlife habitat mapping and information of 2183 rural households, we assessed the impacts of nature reserves (a type of PAs) across the entire geographic range of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) on panda habitat suitability change between 2001 and 2013 using the matching approach. We found the impact of nature reserves is concentrated in areas susceptible to human pressure, where 65% of the habitat suitability increase is attributable to the nature reserves' protection. The impact of nature reserves has spilled over to nearby unprotected areas and enhanced habitat suitability there. Nature reserves supported by the central government showed higher performance in improving habitat suitability than their counterparts supported by local governments. Older nature reserves perform better than those established more recently. Our results also show that local households' participation in tourism and labor migration (people temporarily leaving to work in cities) enhanced the ability of nature reserves to improve habitat suitability. These results and methods provide valuable information and tools to support effective management of PAs to enhance the habitat quality of giant pandas and other wildlife species in China and elsewhere.

Activity pattern study of Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in the Qinling Mountains, China, by using infrared camera traps.

The study of activity patterns is important for understanding the capacity of animals for adapting their behavior based on their habitat conditions. Among bears, daily activity patterns are considered to be strongly influenced by regional climate conditions. We monitored the activity patterns (active vs. inactive) of the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) using infrared camera traps (from May 2013 to November 2016) in the Qinling Mountains, China. We used 125 photos, with 19,132 camera days from 55 camera locations. Based on relative independent capture (RIC), bears were found to be intensively active during June (5.86 ± 1.05 SE), July (8.45 ± 2.74), September (14.83 ± 6.13), and October (8.70 ± 3.43), with activity levels gradually decreasing beyond October. After this decline, activities eventually come to a halt when the bears enter in hibernation. We found that their hibernation period was shorter in the Qinling bears, with only 3 months of denning from January to March. Based on their daily patterns, bears were predominantly active during the daytime both in spring (70.83 ± 35.41%) and summer (52.09 ± 28.89%), but more active at twilight during autumn (51.12 ± 42.88%). We assumed that food preferences and food availability (due to warmer regional climatic conditions) might be responsible for such deviations in daily and monthly activity patterns.

A global assessment of the impact of individual protected areas on preventing forest loss.

Globally, the number and extent of terrestrial protected areas (PAs) are expanding rapidly. Nonetheless, their impacts on preventing forest loss and the factors influencing the impacts are not well understood, despite the critical roles of forests in biodiversity conservation, provision of ecosystem services, and achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. To address this important knowledge gap, we quantified the impacts of 54,792 PAs worldwide on preventing forest loss from 2000 to 2015, and assessed important landscape and management factors affecting the impacts of PAs. Although the majority (71.4%) of the PAs contributed to preventing forest loss, only 30.5% of forest loss in the PAs have been prevented. PAs with higher rates of forest loss in their surrounding regions, located at lower elevations, within a few hours of travel from the nearest city, with higher agricultural productivity, and permission for fewer human uses were better able to prevent forest loss. Impacts on preventing forest loss were similar regardless of whether the PAs were privately or publicly owned. Our findings highlight the potential benefits of strict protections, involving private entities in the establishment of PAs, and situating PAs in areas exposed to high risks of forest loss to enhance the capacity to combat global forest loss.

Short-term effects of GPS collars on the activity, behavior, and adrenal response of scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah).

GPS collars have revolutionized the field of animal ecology, providing detailed information on animal movement and the habitats necessary for species survival. GPS collars also have the potential to cause adverse effects ranging from mild irritation to severe tissue damage, reduced fitness, and death. The impact of GPS collars on the behavior, stress, or activity, however, have rarely been tested on study species prior to release. The objective of our study was to provide a comprehensive assessment of the short-term effects of GPS collars fitted on scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), an extinct-in-the-wild antelope once widely distributed across Sahelian grasslands in North Africa. We conducted behavioral observations, assessed fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM), and evaluated high-resolution data from tri-axial accelerometers. Using a series of datasets and methodologies, we illustrate clear but short-term effects to animals fitted with GPS collars from two separate manufacturers (Advanced Telemetry Systems-G2110E; Vectronic Aerospace-Vertex Plus). Behavioral observations highlighted a significant increase in the amount of headshaking from pre-treatment levels, returning below baseline levels during the post-treatment period (>3 days post-collaring). Similarly, FGM concentrations increased after GPS collars were fitted on animals but returned to pre-collaring levels within 5 days of collaring. Lastly, tri-axial accelerometers, collecting data at eight positions per second, indicated a > 480 percent increase in the amount of hourly headshaking immediately after collaring. This post-collaring increase in headshaking was estimated to decline in magnitude within 4 hours after GPS collar fitting. These effects constitute a handling and/or habituation response (model dependent), with animals showing short-term responses in activity, behavior, and stress that dissipated within several hours to several days of being fitted with GPS collars. Importantly, none of our analyses indicated any long-term effects that would have more pressing animal welfare concerns.

New elephant crisis in Asia-Early warning signs from Myanmar.

In the southern Bago Yoma mountain range in Myanmar, Asian elephants are being killed at a disturbing rate. This emerging crisis was identified initially through a telemetry study when 7 of 19 of collared elephants were poached within a year of being fitted with a satellite-GPS collar. Subsequent follow up of ground teams confirmed the human caused death or disappearance of at least 19 elephants, including the seven collared individuals, within a 35 km2 area in less than two years. The carcasses of 40 additional elephants were found in areas located across south-central Myanmar once systematic surveys began by our team and collaborators. In addition to the extreme rate of loss, this study documents the targeting of elephants for their skin instead of the more common ivory, an increasing trend in Myanmar. Intensive research programs focused on other conservation problems identified this issue and are now encouraging local authorities to prioritize anti-poaching efforts and improve conservation policies within the country. Myanmar represents one of the last remaining countries in Asia with substantial wildlands suitable for elephants. Increasing rates of human-elephant conflict and poaching events in this country pose a dire threat to the global population.

Diversity and activity patterns of sympatric animals among four types of forest habitat in Guanyinshan Nature Reserve in the Qinling Mountains, China.

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 RAIt among habitats; (2) Type4 habitat had the highest richness and RAIt 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.

Rapid forest clearing in a Myanmar proposed national park threatens two newly discovered species of geckos (Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus).

Myanmar's recent transition from military rule towards a more democratic government has largely ended decades of political and economic isolation. Although Myanmar remains heavily forested, increased development in recent years has been accompanied by exceptionally high rates of forest loss. In this study, we document the rapid progression of deforestation in and around the proposed Lenya National Park, which includes some of the largest remaining areas of lowland evergreen rainforest in mainland Southeast Asia. The globally unique forests in this area are rich in biodiversity and remain a critical stronghold for many threatened and endangered species, including large charismatic fauna such as tiger and Asian elephant. We also conducted a rapid assessment survey of the herpetofauna of the proposed national park, which resulted in the discovery of two new species of bent-toed geckos, genus Cyrtodactylus. We describe these new species, C. lenya sp. nov. and C. payarhtanensis sp. nov., which were found in association with karst (i.e., limestone) rock formations within mature lowland wet evergreen forest. The two species were discovered less than 35 km apart and are each known from only a single locality. Because of the isolated nature of the karst formations in the proposed Lenya National Park, these geckos likely have geographical ranges restricted to the proposed protected area and are threatened by approaching deforestation. Although lowland evergreen rainforest has vanished from most of continental Southeast Asia, Myanmar can still take decisive action to preserve one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.

Losing a jewel-Rapid declines in Myanmar's intact forests from 2002-2014.

New and rapid political and economic changes in Myanmar are increasing the pressures on the country's forests. Yet, little is known about the past and current condition of these forests and how fast they are declining. We mapped forest cover in Myanmar through a consortium of international organizations and environmental non-governmental groups, using freely-available public domain data and open source software tools. We used Landsat satellite imagery to assess the condition and spatial distribution of Myanmar's intact and degraded forests with special focus on changes in intact forest between 2002 and 2014. We found that forests cover 42,365,729 ha or 63% of Myanmar, making it one of the most forested countries in the region. However, severe logging, expanding plantations, and degradation pose increasing threats. Only 38% of the country's forests can be considered intact with canopy cover >80%. Between 2002 and 2014, intact forests declined at a rate of 0.94% annually, totaling more than 2 million ha forest loss. Losses can be extremely high locally and we identified 9 townships as forest conversion hotspots. We also delineated 13 large (>100,000 ha) and contiguous intact forest landscapes, which are dispersed across Myanmar. The Northern Forest Complex supports four of these landscapes, totaling over 6.1 million ha of intact forest, followed by the Southern Forest Complex with three landscapes, comprising 1.5 million ha. These remaining contiguous forest landscape should have high priority for protection. Our project demonstrates how open source data and software can be used to develop and share critical information on forests when such data are not readily available elsewhere. We provide all data, code, and outputs freely via the internet at (for scripts: https://bitbucket.org/rsbiodiv/; for the data: http://geonode.themimu.info/layers/geonode%3Amyan_lvl2_smoothed_dec2015_resamp).

How do two giant panda populations adapt to their habitats in the Qinling and Qionglai Mountains, China.

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.

Water Use Patterns of Sympatric Przewalski's Horse and Khulan: Interspecific Comparison Reveals Niche Differences.

Acquiring water is essential for all animals, but doing so is most challenging for desert-living animals. Recently Przewalski's horse has been reintroduced to the desert area in China where the last wild surviving member of the species was seen before it vanished from China in the 1960s. Its reintroduction placed it within the range of a close evolutionary relative, the con-generic Khulan. Determining whether or not these two species experience competition and whether or not such competition was responsible for the extinction of Przewalski's horses in the wild over 50 years ago, requires identifying the fundamental and realized niches of both species. We remotely monitored the presence of both species at a variety of water points during the dry season in Kalamaili Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, China. Przewalski's horses drank twice per day mostly during daylight hours at low salinity water sources while Khulans drank mostly at night usually at high salinity water points or those far from human residences. Spatial and temporal differences in water use enables coexistence, but suggest that Przewalski's horses also restrict the actions of Khulan. Such differences in both the fundamental and realized niches were associated with differences in physiological tolerances for saline water and human activity as well as differences in aggression and dominance.