Disappearance of endangered turtles within China's nature reserves.

China ranks first among Northern hemisphere countries for species richness, but approximately 43% of its species are threatened [1], with harvesting being the major threat to vertebrates [2]. To protect its biodiversity, China has established about 2,700 nature reserves covering 1.46 million km2 ( about 15% of China's territory, a percentage higher than the world average [3]). With increasing habitat destruction and harvesting, nature reserves are the final refugia for threatened species. However, many Chinese nature reserves are poorly managed, leaving them vulnerable to poaching and other human encroachment [4]. In this study, we conducted a 12-year (2002-2013) case study on turtles to illustrate the damaging impacts China's nature reserves have on wildlife conservation. We discovered that poaching occurred in all of the 56 reserves surveyed, resulting in dramatically reduced turtle populations. In a majority of the reserves, the reserve staff themselves were involved in poaching. Although nature reserves were created to protect plants and animals, they have become part of the problem due to weak enforcement of rules.

Update on the distribution range of the white-browed crake (Porzana cinerea): a new record from mainland China.

Since 1980, the white-browed crake (Porzana cinerea) has been experiencing an expansion from south of the Isthmus of Kra, northward to China. Recently, this species was observed in several locations throughout Southwest China, including Ningming and Baise, Guangxi (2012, 2013), and Xichang, Sichuan (2013). These sightings are the first distribution record of this species in mainland China, suggesting that the white-browed crake is following a natural species dispersal northward into mainland China from Southeast Asia.

[A new record of the bird subspecies Black-crested Bulbul (Pycnonotus flaviventris johnsoni) in China].

Several Black-crested Bulbul (Pycnonotus flaviventris) with red throats were observed and photographed in December 2010 and April 2011 in the Youjiang District (N23(o)54', E06(o)36', altitude 179 m) and Jingxi County(N22(o)59', E1 06(o)40', altitude 354 m) of Baise city, northwestern Guangxi, in southern China. These individuals belong to subspecies johnsoni, recorded previously in central and southeastern Thailand as well as the southern Indochina Region. This sighting provides a new record of the subspecies within China, warranting a discussion on the classification and distribution of Pycnonotus flaviventris.

[Seasonal feeding site selection of the Nonggang Babbler (Stachyris nonggangensis) in Nonggang, Guangxi, China].

We investigated the feeding sites of the Nonggang Babbler (Stachyris nonggangensis) during three time periods (July-September, 2010; November-December, 2010; January-February, 2011) in Nonggang National Nature Reserve, Guangxi, China with the line transect method and sampling method. Principal component analysis of the data identified that the feeding sites in the rainy season were dominated by factors consisting of tree layer, the layer of fallen leaves and the herb layer; whereas the feeding sites in the dry season were dominated by factors dependant on terrain, herb layer and shrub layer. The results of a circular distribution analysis showed that the Nonggang Babbler preferred feeding sites with a gentle slope in both the rainy season and dry season. The tests of differences of the variables between used and control plots indicated that with low arbor coverage in the rainy season, whereas with a low slope position, high shrub and thick fallen leaves in the dry season. In comparison with the rainy season, the feeding sites in the dry season tended to be at lower altitude, to have a lower slope position, lower grass coverage, and to be covered with a larger and thicker bed of fallen leaves. A logistic regression analysis suggested that altitude, slope, and shatter cover were the most important factors influencing feeding site selection in the rainy season. Slope position, arbor cover, grass cover, and the thickness of the shatter cover were the most important factors influencing feeding site selection in the dry season.