[Responses of plant community diversity to human disturbance in temperate grassland with different soil parent materials]. / ä¸åŒæ¯è´¨æ¸©å¸¦è‰åœ°æ¤ç‰©ç¾¤è½å¤šæ ·æ€§å¯¹äººä¸ºå¹²æ‰°çš„å“åº”.

Based on community investigation data from grasslands on two different soil parent material types (loess and sand parent materials) and under three human utilization modes in the Saihan Ullah Reserve, we calculated human disturbance index (HDI) and biodiversity indices and analyzed the interactions between species diversity and degradation levels. The results showed that degradation status varied across different soil parent material types and human utilization modes, and that degradation levels of loess and sand parent materials both increased with the enhancement of human utilization intensification. HDI of loess parent material grasslands (mean value of 1.21) was lower than sand parent material grasslands (mean value of 1.48) in the same human utilization. Biodiversity indices declined with soil sandy degree and the utilization intensification. The mean values of Margarlef richness index, Shannon diversity index, Simpson dominance index and Pielou evenness index were between 1.57-4.27, 1.16-2.39, 0.76-0.87, and 0.71-0.80, respectively. The Margalef richness index, Shannon diversity index and Simpson dominance index decreased with increasing HDI, while Pielou evenness index increased. Overgrazing could lead to serious threat on both grasslands with soil parent material types, and the optimum utilization mode of loess and sand parent material grasslands were enclosure with mowing and seasonal grazing. In the future works of biodiversity conservation, it is important to consider the influence of both different soil patent material and human utilization modes of grassland. It is urgent to develop different utilization modes for grassland under different soil parent material types, which would enhance the matchness of grassland restoration and management with local conditions.

A Study of Population Size and Activity Patterns and Their Relationship to the Prey Species of the Eurasian Lynx Using a Camera Trapping Approach.

Revealing the behavioral relationships between predators and their prey is fundamental in understanding the community structure and ecosystem functions of such animals. This study aimed at detecting the population size and activity patterns of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) (along with its prey) by camera trapping monitoring from 2014 to 2017 at the Saihanwula nature reserve in central Inner Mongolia. The total effective trapping days were 29,892 and 20 lynx were identified from 343 trapping photos based on the inner side patterns of their forelimbs. The daily activity rhythms of the lynx overlapped with those of different prey in different seasons. The yearly activity pattern of the lynx was influenced by its main prey's biology. In conclusion, this study reveals that the activity patterns of the top predator matched those of its prey in different time periods. Habitat management strategies promoting the restoration of prey communities would benefit the lynx in maintaining a stable community structure.

Non-invasive genetic analysis indicates low population connectivity in vulnerable Chinese gorals: concerns for segregated population management.

Detailed information on the size and genetic structure of wildlife populations is critical for developing effective conservation strategies, especially for those species that have suffered population decline and fragmentation due to anthropogenic activities. In the present study, we used a non-invasive approach combining fecal pellet sampling with mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA microsatellite marker analysis to monitor and compare the population structure of the Chinese goral (Naemorhedus griseus) in Beijing and northeast Inner Mongolia in China. Of the 307 fecal samples confirmed to be from N. griseus, 15 individuals (nine females and six males) were found in the Beijing population and 61 individuals (37 females and 24 males) were found in the Inner Mongolian population. Among these 76 individuals, we identified eight haplotypes and 13 nucleotide polymorphic sites from mtDNA and 45 alleles from 10 microsatellite loci. Spatially structured genetic variation and a significant level of genetic differentiation were observed between the two populations. In both populations, the sex ratios were skewed toward females, indicating high reproductive potential, which is crucial for population recovery and conservation of this patchily distributed vulnerable species. We suggest that managing the two populations as evolutionarily significant units with diverse genetic backgrounds could be an effective solution for present population recovery, with the possible relocation of individuals among different groups to help ensure future goral species prosperity.