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The park spans the Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, with a total area of 27 134 km SP 2 sp , covering 18 056 km SP 2 sp of the giant panda habitat area, in which 1631 giant pandas (87.7% of the total wild population) reside (NFGA, [5]). Down-listing pandas and upgrading conservation: China setting an example to preserve wildlife worldwide We are researching giant panda habitat and landscape ecology, understanding the characteristics of their habitat requirements, developing the design method of corridors in the region based on scientific evaluation of the status quo of giant panda habitat quality and planning the design of key giant panda habitats corridors. China is writing the giant panda protection story as a successful case for global biodiversity conservation. [Extracted from the article]

To understand the distribution and relative abundance of cave-dwelling bats and to identify those sites that would be important for conservation of bat species, 25 underground sites that had not been previously surveyed were investigated in this 3-year study (from December 2003 to April 2006) in Funiu Mountain of Henan province, China. Approximately 80 000 bats were recorded, representing 12 species. The most abundant species were Rhinolophus affinis, Miniopterus schreibersi and Hipposideros pratti. The roosts were evaluated for their conservation importance. The most important sites in the area are Yunhua and Nanzhao caves, which serve as hibernaculums and nursery roosts to c. 13 740 and 11 803 bats, respectively, representing seven species. By means of cluster and correspondence analysis, the distribution of bat species was different between the two sides of the mountain and was highly dependent on the size of the cave. The underground sites in the south region hosted c. 80% of the total bats, representing 11 species. The sites in the north region hosted 20% of the total bats, representing seven species. Presently, none of the caves in the region has adequate protection and some bat populations are under serious threat. Many large caves that contained large bat populations and several species of concern had been developed as tourist sites, and so some advice on protecting the most important local habitats was sought based on the assessment of the conservation status of underground sites. This paper presents basic data concerning the distribution of cave-dwelling bats and the patterns of cave use on Funiu Mountain. The data will help local governments and policy-makers develop suitable strategies to promote local tourisms while protecting important habitats of animal species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Inbreeding more likely occurs in small, isolated and endangered populations, and may influence the sustainable survival of a population. As the Amur tiger Panthera tigris altaica population in China experienced a severe decline in the 1990s, the recovering population may be prone to inbreeding and its potential impacts on population health. However, the inbreeding status has not been evaluated and relationships with health remain poorly understood in wild animals. Based on the genetic samples collected from the main Amur tiger habitats in China, this study analyzed the population inbreeding level, major histocompatibility complex polymorphism, parasitic infections and gut microbial structures and functions, and then explored the influence of inbreeding on these traits. Our results indicated that more than 50% of individual relationships were in cousin or half sibs, and 22.73% of individuals had moderate or high inbreeding coefficients. There was a significant positive correlation between the inbreeding level of an individual and the Toxocara cati parasitic load. Gut microbiota community structure and function were also impacted by inbreeding intensity. In conclusion, results indicate that the Amur tiger population in China has reached a moderate level of inbreeding and that there are direct interactions between inbreeding intensity and parasitic load and gut microbiota. This study thus provides an early warning on the Amur tiger population health and should prompt the construction of national and international ecological corridors and/or the re‐introduction of new individuals to relieve the evident inbreeding pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yangtze finless porpoise ( Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) is a highly threatened cetacean endemic to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River that has suffered a dramatic decline in recent decades. We characterize and quantify recent distribution patterns of porpoises in the Yangtze River in order to facilitate strategic management of existing in situ cetacean reserves and maximize effective utilization of limited conservation resources. We calculated porpoise relative abundance (encounter rate) using a 1-km moving average along the Yangtze main stem based on a combined visual and acoustic survey conducted in 2006. We then evaluated conservation priority areas based on encounter rates along the river. High-porpoise density areas (> 0.20 porpoises km−1) cover approximately one-third (33.9%, 599 km) of the survey area and contain approximately two-thirds of the porpoise population, making them priority areas for porpoise conservation. In contrast, low-porpoise density areas (≤ 0.05 porpoises km−1) cover 28.8% (509 km) of the survey area but contain only 4.5% of the porpoise population, and may already be of little value for porpoise conservation. Five high-priority porpoise conservation sites and five sections that now contain few or no surviving porpoises are identified. Proposed spatial modifications to existing reserves and associated conservation recommendations are made for five existing protected areas along the Yangtze main stem, and we emphasize that some additional river sections should urgently be designated as new protected areas given their high porpoise density. Our approach for identifying conservation priorities may provide lessons for reserve design and management in other protected area networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future of wild tigers is dire, and the Global Tiger Initiative's ( GTI) goal of doubling tiger population size by the next year of the tiger in 2022 will be challenging. The GTI has identified 20 tiger conservation landscapes ( TCL) within which recovery actions will be needed to achieve these goals. The Amur tiger conservation landscape offers the best hope for tiger recovery in China where all other subspecies have most likely become extirpated. To prioritize recovery planning within this TCL, we used tiger occurrence data from adjacent areas of the Russian Far East to develop two empirical models of potential habitat that were then averaged with an expert-based habitat suitability model to identify potential tiger habitat in the Changbaishan ecosystem in Northeast China. We assessed the connectivity of tiger habitat patches using least-cost path analysis calibrated against known tiger movements in the Russian Far East to identify priority tiger conservation areas ( TCAs). Using a habitat-based population estimation approach, we predicted that a potential of 98 (83-112) adult tigers could occupy all TCAs in the Changbaishan ecosystem. By combining information about habitat quality, connectivity and potential population size, we identified the three best TCAs totaling over 25 000 km2 of potential habitat that could hold 79 (63-82) adult tigers. Strong recovery actions are needed to restore potential tiger habitat to promote recovery of Amur tigers in China, including restoring ungulate populations, increasing tiger survival through improved anti-poaching activities, land-use planning that reduces human access and agricultural lands in and adjacent to key TCAs, and maintaining connectivity both within and across international boundaries. Our approach will be useful in other TCLs to prioritize recovery actions to restore worldwide tiger populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese alligator Alligator sinensis is a critically endangered species endemic to China, and one of the most endangered crocodilian species in the world. Like many other reptiles, important aspects of alligator biology such as foraging, timing of hibernation, breeding and the sex ratio of offspring are all affected by temperature variation. We examined the effects of long-term temperature change on oviposition dates and clutch sizes of the Chinese alligator in a semi-natural facility in southern China. Our study focused on two captive generations including an old breeding generation captured from the wild and a generation composed of their F1 offspring. Median oviposition date shifted to earlier in the year and mean clutch size was larger for both generations as the monthly mean air temperature in April increased over the 19 years of data collection. We observed a mean advance in oviposition date of 10 days for the old breeding generation from 1987 to 2005 and 8 days for both generations from 1991 to 2005. Correspondingly, clutch sizes for the two generations also increased during this period. There were no differences in median oviposition dates and clutch sizes between the two generations from 1991 to 2005. Our results suggest that Chinese alligators have responded to increasing global temperatures. Our findings also suggest that recent increasing global temperatures have the potential to have a substantial effect on Chinese alligator populations in the wild, thus prompting an urgent need for field monitoring of the effects of global warming on this endangered alligator species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]