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Heterogeneous nucleation and subsequent growth of surface water occur on the natural substrate when the water vapor concentration reached the point of super-saturation. This study focuses on the parameterization of super-saturation on the canopy-air interface by field observations monitoring surface water formation (SWF) such as dew and frost in the evergreen shrub at an urban cite during autumn and winter in 2015-2017. Here we show that both the interfacial and vertical temperature differences ranged from 1 to 3 K and were necessary but not sufficient for super-saturated condensation on the natural surface. Excessive supplies of moisture must exist, continuously contribute to the growth of the condensed water embryos, originate from both the local and the external sources such as evapotranspiration and atmospheric advection driven by the reduced air pressure, cause SWF not only on the ground soil but also on the vegetation canopy at 1-2 m height. The super-saturation ratio is mainly determined by the coefficient of thermophoresis deposition, which approaches to 1. SWF on the natural surface is not only an indicator but also a weak cleaner of air pollution. The downward thermophoresis deposition of fine particle and droplets favors SWF and the scavenging of air pollutants. The removal efficiency of the deposition flux during SWF event for [SO42-+NO3-] is estimated by ~0.3 mmol (per [Ca2+] meq)/m2(per leaf area)., Comment: 34 pages, 10 figures

Understanding wildlife-livestock interactions is crucial for the design and management of protected areas that aim to conserve large mammal communities undergoing conflicts with humans worldwide. An example of the need to quantify the strength and direction of species interactions is the conservation of big cats in newly established protected areas in China. Currently, free-ranging livestock degrade the food and habitat of the endangered Amur tiger and Amur leopard in the forest landscapes of Northeast China, but quantitative assessments of how livestock affect the use of habitat by the major ungulate prey of these predators are very limited. Here, we examined livestock-ungulate interactions using large-scale camera-trap data in the newly established Tiger and Leopard National Park in Northeast China, which borders Russia. We used N-mixture models, two-species occupancy models and activity pattern overlap to understand the effects of cattle grazing on three ungulate species (wild boar, roe deer and sika deer) at a fine spatiotemporal scale. Our results showed that incorporating the biotic interactions with cattle had significant negative effects on encounters with three ungulates; sika deer were particularly displaced as more cattle encroached on forest habitat, as they exhibited low levels of co-occurrence with cattle in terms of habitat use. These results, combined with spatiotemporal overlap, suggested fine-scale avoidance behaviours, and they can help to refine strategies for the conservation of tigers, leopards and their prey in human-dominated transboundary landscapes. Progressively controlling cattle and the impact of cattle on biodiversity while simultaneously addressing the economic needs of local communities should be key priority actions for the Chinese government., Comment: 43 pages, 4 figures and 3 tables

The endangered Amur tiger is confined primarily to a narrow area along the border with Russia in Northeast China. Little is known about the foraging strategies of this small subpopulation in Hunchun Nature Reserve on the Chinese side of the border; at this location, the prey base and land use patterns are distinctly different from those in the larger population of the Sikhote-Alin Mountains of Russia. Using dietary analysis of scats and camera-trapping data from Hunchun Nature Reserve, we assessed spatiotemporal overlap of tigers and their prey and identified prey selection patterns to enhance understanding of the ecological requirements of tigers in Northeast China. Results indicated that wild prey constituted 94.9% of the total biomass consumed by tigers; domestic livestock represented 5.1% of the diet. Two species, wild boar and sika deer , collectively represented 83% of the biomass consumed by tigers. Despite lower spatial overlap of tigers and wild boar compared to tigers and sika deer, tigers preferentially preyed on boar, likely facilitated by high temporal overlap in activity patterns. Tigers exhibit significant spatial overlap with sika deer, likely favoring a high level of tiger predation on this large-sized ungulate. However, tigers did not preferred roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) and showed a low spatial overlap with roe deer. Overall, our results suggest that tiger prey selection is determined by prey body size and also overlap in tiger and prey use of time or space. Also, we suggest that strategies designed to minimize livestock forays into forested lands may be important for decreasing the livestock depredation by tigers. This study offers a framework to simultaneously integrate food habit analysis with the distribution of predators and prey through time and space to provide a comprehensive understanding of foraging strategies of large carnivores.