Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is an automatic and non-invasive method for long-term monitoring of bird vocal activity. PAM generates a large amount of data, and the automatic recognition of data poses significant challenges. BirdNET is a free-to-use sound algorithm. We evaluated the effectiveness of BirdNET in identifying the vocalizations of Chinese Bamboo Partridge (a Chinese endemic species) and proposed a random forest (RF) method to improve the result based on the detection of BirdNET. The diurnal and seasonal patterns of calling activity were described based on the identification results. The results showed that the recall of BirdNET-Analyzer was 16.6%, the precision of BirdNET-Analyzer-XHS was 50.8%, and the recall and precision of the RF model were 75.2% and 74.4%, respectively. The diurnal vocal activity of the Chinese Bamboo Partridge showed a bimodal pattern, with peaks around sunrise and sunset and low vocal activity during the central hours of the day. The seasonal vocal activity displayed a unimodal pattern, with a peak in vocal activity during April and May. This study used the Chinese Bamboo Partridge as an example and proposes an improved RF model, built on BirdNET recognition results, for species identification, providing a practical approach for recognizing the vocalizations of regional species.

Niche partitioning is a key factor in mitigating competition among sympatric species that share limited resources, thereby contributing to their coexistence. Sympatric species might demonstrate partitioning in multiple ecological dimensions, including time and space. Using camera trapping data, we investigated potential spatiotemporal niche partitioning among four sympatric ungulate species, wild boar (Sus scrofa), mainland serow (Capricornis milneedwardsii), Reeves’s muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), and tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus), in Wuyishan National Park (WYS), a predator-limited subtropic humid forest system. We collected 25436 independent records of the four species from 494 camera traps. The four species’ broad-scale temporal niches, measured by daily activity patterns, exhibited medium-to-high interspecific overlap and showed no evidence of partitioning. Similarly, the four species’ broad-scale spatial niches, measured by elevation and general habitat types, showed similar preferences and no evidence of partitioning. Regarding fine-scale combined spatiotemporal patterns, the four species overlapped at relatively low degrees, and there were days of time lags between records of different species. However, such a status was primarily driven by species’ given abundances, and upon this background of segregation created by abundances, many species showed a behavioral tendency of aggregation, meaning that it is beneficial for different species to be at similar sites at a similar time. We suggest that this is most likely because different species are in pursuit of shared favorable fine-scale spatiotemporal conditions, and such pursuit, in the case of WYS ungulates, outweighed the potential need to mitigate interspecific competition by spatial or temporal niche partitioning through behavioral avoidance. Further analysis that considers species diet, incorporates currently undetected microhabitat variables, and distinguishes behaviors would reveal more details of coexistence mechanisms among WYS’s four ungulate species.

The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is an ecologically significant class II-protected species in China. Using an ensemble species distribution model, niche dynamics analysis, and environmental similarity assessments, we evaluated climate risks to this species. Currently, suitable habitat covers 16.17% of China, primarily in the hilly southeast and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, with temperature seasonality and slope as key drivers. Future projections indicate stable core areas, northward expansion, local contraction, and a northward shift of the distribution centroid. Niche dynamics show high similarity (0.89-0.91) between future and current niches, suggesting limited range expansion. Nevertheless, over 80% of the current habitat is projected to experience high climatic novelty, introducing conservation uncertainty. To address these challenges, we propose a climate-adaptive framework focused on enhancing habitat connectivity, mitigating fragmentation, and implementing preventive measures in human-wildlife conflict zones, thereby supporting core habitat identification, corridor planning, and adaptive strategy formulation.

Anthropogenic habitat fragmentation and climate change have significantly reduced the genetic diversity and adaptive potential of local populations in numerous species. However, the lack of comprehensive genomic data from local populations has hindered the accurate assessment of their threatened status, hindering the designation of effective conservation units. Museum specimens offer a valuable source of historical DNA, enabling insights into population structure and uncovering hidden genetic diversity. The Koklass Pheasant, a montane species distributed across Central and Southwestern China, is increasingly threatened by habitat loss and climate change. Here, we utilized whole-genome sequencing data of museum samples to decipher the population structure and assess genetic diversity of this species. We identified six distinct populations, five of which corresponded to known subspecies in China, while a newly discovered Sichuan population exhibited clear genetic differentiation. Historical demographic analyses revealed a shared historical trajectory, characterized by expansion following the Last Glacial Maximum and a decline starting around 10 Kya. Genetic diversity and mutational load were unevenly distributed across populations. Notably, the Anhui population, which inhabits a restricted and isolated range, exhibited the lowest genetic diversity and highest mutational load, rendering it particularly vulnerable. Furthermore, ecological niche modeling predicted that climate change will lead to the near-complete loss of suitable habitat for populations in Anhui and Southern China. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating genomic data from museum samples into conservation strategies and highlight the necessity of establishing conservation units based on genetic diversity and evolutionary significance to safeguard the future of threatened species.

Infrared Camera Traps (ICTs) are widely used in ecological research as a noninvasive wildlife monitoring technique, particularly for the detection and identification of animal targets. Existing ICT data screening methods face challenges in recognizing animals against complex backgrounds, particularly fast-moving or small targets. To address these issues, we proposed a target-oriented enhanced data-screening method called GFD-YOLO, which emphasized key locations in images to effectively guide the focus of the model toward target regions, thereby improving detection accuracy. We compared the effects of different preprocessing methods on detection performance. Results revealed that the proposed method improved the mean Average Precision (mAP) by 16.96%, precision by 10.13%, and recall by 24.85% compared to the YOLOv11n model. Therefore, the preprocessing method proposed in this study had significant advantages in reducing false negatives and false positives and was adaptable to wildlife detection tasks under different background conditions. In addition, this method demonstrated higher robustness in scenarios involving lighting variations and fast-moving targets.

The phylogeny of Diplopoda, a group of ancient arthropod and an important component of modern terrestrial ecosystems, remains unclear. Here, the complete mitogenome of Spirobolus walkeri was determined. The newly sequenced complete mitogenome was circular DNA molecules with sizes of 14,879 bp. The mitogenome was composed of 37 genes and one control region. Negative AT-skews and positive GC-skews were found in whole mitogenome. The gene COX1 used CGA as the start codon, while the other PCGs utilized ATN (A, T, G) as the start codons; however, the sequence of the stop codon was variable. The Ser2 exhibited the highest usage bias. All tRNAs have typical cloverleaf structures, except trnS-AGC and trnM. Phylogenetic analysis showed that S. walkeri and Spirobolus bungii shared a close relationship and that they were also closely related with Narceus annularus. This study helps resolve taxonomic ambiguities among morphologically similar species and provides data to support the establishment of evolutionary benchmarks for millipedes, including gene rearrangements and variations in tRNA structure.

Mountain ecosystems are crucial for global biodiversity conservation. However, their landscape features are constantly changing owing to urban expansion. Understanding the relationships between biotic communities and landscape features is essential for biodiversity conservation. This study aimed to examine the effect of land cover type on avian communities in Lishui, a mountainous urban area in eastern China. Avian surveys were conducted using 168 line transects in total across different land cover types once per season from December 2019 to January 2021. We assessed the diversity of bird communities by calculating various metrics at both taxonomic and functional levels. Among the land cover types measured, woodland, built-up land, cultivated land, and water bodies significantly influenced bird community diversity and composition. Species richness, species abundance, and functional richness were negatively correlated with the proportion of woodland but were positively correlated with the proportion of non-natural land cover, such as built-up and cultivated land. In contrast, functional evenness was positively correlated with the proportion of woodland and grassland but negatively correlated with the proportion of non-natural land cover. Land cover type also exhibited significant correlations with avian functional characteristics such as diet, foraging strata, and body mass, thereby influencing the overall community structure. Our results indicated that mountainous landscape patterns substantially affect avian communities. Different land cover types possess varying resource endowments that affect the distribution of avian species. Therefore, urban landscape planning in mountainous areas should carefully consider the various functions provided to organisms by different types of land cover to promote biodiversity.

Assessment of habitat suitability and identification of the driving factors are crucial to the protection and management of species and their habitats,and also are the premise and basis for biodiversity conservation planning.In this study,the distribution of key habitats and their suitability in Xianju National Park pilot area of Xianju Coun-ty were evaluated using a MaxEnt model based on species occurrence data for large mammals and rare birds sourced from field investigations.Furthermore,the main driving factors and their contributions to habitat suitability were analyzed.The conservation gaps were identified by overlaying these variables on current distribution of protected areas.Finally,suggestions for future regional biodiversity protection and planning are proposed.The results showed that mean value of the area under the curve(AUC)for the 13 target species was 0.956,indicating that the outcome of the MaxEnt model used in this study was reliable.Human population density,mean temperature in the wettest quarter,and land use types were the main factors affecting habitat suitability for mammals.The annual temperature range and mean temperature of the wettest quarter were the main factors affecting the distribution of pheasants,while altitude and slope were the main factors affecting the distribution of suitable areas for wetland birds.In terms of habitat distribution,suitable areas for mammals and pheasants were mainly located around Kuocang Mountain in the south of Xianju County,while suitable areas for wetland birds were located near the Yong'an River.Currently,the protected areas in Xianju County are 316.80 km2,while the suitable habitats located outside the existing protec-ted areas are 160.37 km2 for mammals,178.67 km2 for pheasants,and 422.65 km2 for wetland birds,indicating some conservation gaps within the current protected system.We suggest the strengthening of biodiversity protection in Xianju County in conjunction with the construction of the Xianju National Park pilot area,which can provide a theoretical basis and best practice guidelines for regional sustainable development.

The rapid development of urbanization has changed landscape patterns and biological habitats severely and, therefore, affected biodiversity. In this study, we selected 75 townships in Lishui, a mountainous area in eastern China, to conduct bird surveys for two years. We analyzed the birds' composition characters in townships with different levels of development in order to identify the effects on bird diversity of the urban development level, land cover pattern, landscape pattern, and other factors. In total, 296 bird species from 18 orders and 67 families were recorded between December 2019 and January 2021. A total of 166 species of birds belonged to Passeriformes (56.08%). The seventy-five townships were divided into three grades by K-means cluster analysis. The average number of bird species, richness index, and diversity index were higher in G-H (highest urban development level) compared with the other grades. At the township level, landscape diversity and landscape fragmentation were the key factors that positively affected the bird species number, diversity index, and richness index. Landscape diversity had a greater effect than landscape fragmentation, particularly on the Shannon-Weiner diversity index. The diversity and heterogeneity of urban landscapes could be improved by constructing biological habitats in future urban development planning to maintain and increase biodiversity. The results obtained in this study provide a theoretical basis for urban planning in mountainous areas, and a reference for policymakers to formulate biodiversity conservation strategies, construct reasonable biodiversity patterns, and solve practical biodiversity conservation problems.

Understanding how biotic communities are spatially distributed is essential for biodiversity conservation in human‐modified landscapes. The large‐scale subsidence wetlands generated by underground coal mining in China have been increasingly used by large numbers of waterbirds, which remain understudied. We aimed to explore the role of non‐random assembly in shaping the regional waterbird diversity in non‐breeding seasons, providing insights for the conservation.

在城市景观中,鸟类群落对环境中食物和栖息场所依赖性较强,环境因子与城市鸟类的关系非常密切.然而,城市土地覆被格局对鸟类群落的影响模式仍然不够明确.2019年1—10月,采用固定样线法对南京市溧水区鸟类群落进行调查,并探究城市鸟类多样性与土地覆被之间的关系.结果表明,不同季节鸟类物种数和多样性指数均存在显著差异,春季和秋季鸟类物种数显著大于冬季;春、夏和秋季多样性指数均显著大于冬季;春季均匀度指数显著大于冬季;不同季节个体数无显著差异.鸟类物种数与农田面积占比、林地面积占比和景观多样性指数呈显著正相关;个体数与草地面积占比呈显著负相关,与景观多样性指数呈显著正相关;多样性指数与农田面积占比呈显著正相关.在春、夏和冬季,杂食性、肉食性和食谷鸟类个体数量与草地面积占比呈正相关,食虫和食果鸟类数量与林地面积占比呈正相关;春、夏季杂食性、肉食性和食谷鸟类数量与景观多样性指数呈正相关;冬季杂食性鸟类数量与建设用地面积占比呈正相关;秋季鸟类各食性集团个体数与土地覆被之间关系不显著.为提高城市鸟类个体数和物种数,建议在城市规划和管理中,增加土地覆被格局的多样性,提高林地面积占比,丰富草地环境异质性.

Background Despite its important implications in behavioural and evolutionary ecology, male mate choice has been poorly studied, and the relative contribution of personality and morphological traits remains largely unknown. We used standard two-choice mating trials to explore whether two personality traits (i.e., shyness and activity) and/or body size of both sexes affect mate choice in male mosquitofish Gambusia affinis. In the first set of trials involving 40 males, we tested whether males would prefer larger females and whether the preference would be affected by males' body length and personality traits, and females' activity level. In the second set of trials (using another 40 males), we tested whether males would prefer more active females and whether the preference would be affected by males' body length and personality traits. Results Both shyness and activity in males were significantly repeatable and constituted a behavioural syndrome. No overall directional preference for large (or small) females with the same activity levels was detected because larger males preferred larger females and smaller males chose smaller females. Males' strength of preference for larger females was also positively correlated with the activity level of larger females but negatively with the activity level of smaller females. Males spent more time associating with active females regardless of their body lengths, indicating males' selection was more influenced by female activity level than body size. Males' preference for inactive females was enhanced when females became active. There was no convincing evidence for the effect of males' personality traits or body length on their preferences for females' activity level. Conclusions Our study supports the importance of body size in male mate choice but highlights that personality traits may outweigh body size preferences when males choose mating partners.

Natural secondary forest has a strong capacity to regrow naturally and recover biodiversity rapidly on abandoned lands. However, at the neighborhood scale, which can truly reflect the facilitative or competitive interactions among individual plants, the local diversity spatial structure in secondary forest and the feedback effects of neighborhood diversity on natural regeneration remain unclear, and this may be the key to properly understand the mechanisms of natural secondary forest species diversity recovery. To this end, this study established a dynamic plot in a rehabilitated secondary forest after disturbance and conducted a comprehensive survey of 68,336 individual plants with repeated measurements at 5-year interval to assess the characteristics of neighborhood diversity structure across life history stages and link the neighborhood species richness (NSR) effect translated by species interactions at species diversity structure with individual trees recruitment/mortality in secondary forest regeneration. The results showed that, compared with tropical and temperate natural forests, a higher proportion of diversity accumulators and a lower proportion of repellers in subtropical secondary forests resulted in neighborhood diversity structures characterized by heterospecific or high-diversity patches, which are beneficial to the maintenance or restoration of biodiversity. As an important supplement to the research on the relationship between diversity and productivity, our findings show a positive diversity–survival relationship in subtropical secondary forests. Importantly, we observed that the neighborhood diversity structure exhibited a trend of accumulator-dominated to neutral-dominant changes with life stage from sapling to adult, which, in turn, determined the direction and strength of NSR effects on recruitment/mortality. Specifically, diverse local neighborhoods at a later successional stage characterized with ‘neutral’ species–species interactions can act as a ‘welfare net’ by offering favorable microhabitats for the most vulnerable recruitments or saplings, i.e., the NSR effects that promoted individual recruitment/survival in our study. These results not only enrich our understanding of the biodiversity–productivity–survival relationship but also highlight the importance of retaining late-successional species of native trees in intensive forest production or in situ conservation policies.

丹顶鹤(Grus japonensis是我国Ⅰ级重点保护动物,世界自然保护联盟(IUCN)濒危物种.基于丹顶鹤迁地与就地保护单位的圈养数量调查结果,分析丹顶鹤圈养种群近年数量变化及分布现状,探讨丹顶鹤圈养种群和野生种群的关系及动物园(笼养动物园、半散放动物园、开放式动物园)与自然保护区对圈养丹顶鹤的保护利弊,并对丹顶鹤的圈养管理给出建议.截至2019年12月,累计调查我国大陆地区182个饲养单位(动物园157家,自然保护区25个),其中的90个单位有圈养丹顶鹤(动物园80家,自然保护区10个),圈养丹顶鹤数量总计2386只(动物园1176只,自然保护区1210只),分布在我国28个省份.丹顶鹤圈养种群通过野外驯化和放归方式可以缓解我国丹顶鹤野生种群的濒危状况.笼养动物园丹顶鹤数量显著小于半散放动物园(P＜0.05),半散放动物园丹顶鹤数量显著小于开放式动物园(P＜0.05),动物园饲养丹顶鹤数量显著小于自然保护区(P＜0.05).笼养动物园设施简单,圈养的丹顶鹤多用于观赏,对圈养丹顶鹤的保护不利.半散放动物园无法进行大量圈养丹顶鹤的高质量管理.开放式动物园与自然保护区占地面积大,驯化条件较好,有利于对圈养丹顶鹤的保护.建议将笼养丹顶鹤转换为散养式饲养,饲养丹顶鹤数量少的动物园可将丹顶鹤引入或并入大型动物园,改善幼鹤饲养环境,并进行单独饲养.

研究人工景观对鸟类的影响有助于相关保护对策的制定.本研究于2019年8月采用样线法对皖南山区中的农田、村庄、森林和公路等4种生境的鸟类群落进行了调查.共记录到鸟类4432只,隶属于13目39科86种.不同生境的鸟类个体数量从多到少依次为村庄、农田、公路、森林;各生境样线鸟类平均物种丰富度从高到低依次为农田、村庄、公路、森林;各生境鸟类累计物种丰富度从高到低依次为农田、森林、村庄、公路.农田的Shannon物种多样性指数最高,Pielou均匀度指数仅低于森林.村庄的Shannon指数和Pielou指数均最低.不同生境中鸟类群落的物种组成具有显著差异.鸟类群落的Bray-Crutis相异性系数在森林和村庄之间最大,森林和农田之间次之,公路和农田之间的最小.在所记录到的鸟类中,其分布与生境类型有显著相关性的鸟类有14种.研究表明,皖南山区不同生境的鸟类群落具有显著差异,为了保护该地区的鸟类多样性,各类生境均应得到保护;农田是鸟类更为偏好的生境类型,但农田中人为干扰较为强烈,且其生物多样性保护的价值常被忽视,应加强对农田鸟类的保护.

Abstract The competitive relationship and coexistence pattern among close related species have long been one of the hot issues in ecological research. Interspecies interactions can exert important influences on the local distribution of rare species. Black muntjac Muntiacus crinifrons is an endemic species to eastern China, currently restricted to limited regions. In contrast, Chinese muntjac Muntiacus reevesi is the most common and widespread deer in southern China. Both species co‐occur in southern Anhui and western Zhejiang Province. Little is known about the interaction of these two sympatric‐related species. In this study, to investigate the site use determinants and co‐occurrence pattern of the two sympatric muntjac species, we conducted a camera trap survey across about 250 km2 in mountainous area of southern Anhui Province, China. We adopted a multistep approach to incorporate habitat preferences while modeling occupancy and detection. We found that the two species did not separate along elevation gradient (range from 400 m to 1,400 m) as described in previous studies. Results of single‐species occupancy models indicated that elevation had positive effects on the site use of both species, while slope had an opposite influence on their site use. Positive effects of elevation on the site use implied that both species try to avoid human interference at low elevations. Significant negative effect of slope on the site use of black muntjac suggested that the species prefer habitat with gentle slope and avoided steep. Co‐occurrence models and species interaction factors provided evidence that the two muntjac species had an independent occupancy (ψ BM CM = ψ BM cm, SIF = 1) and exhibited a positive species interaction in detection probability (p BM < r BM CM). Combined with the results of previous studies, we suggested that it was fine differentiation in microhabitats and food resources utilization rather spatial or temporal segregation that allowed the two species co‐occurrence. The site use determinants revealed in our study would be useful for the habitat conservation and restoration for the rare black muntjac, and the co‐occurrence pattern of the two sympatric muntjac species could provide useful information for deep understanding of the coexistence mechanism among forest‐dwelling ungulates.

[目的]江苏南部沿海不仅是鸟类迁徙路线上鸻鹬类重要的停歇地,还是众多雁鸭类等水鸟重要的越冬地.对江苏南部沿海越冬鸟类的种群动态及其生境利用状况进行调查,为越冬鸟类及其越冬地的生境管理提供参考.[方法]采用样点法结合样线法对江苏南部包括东台条子泥、如东小洋口、通州湾、吕四港、启东黄金海滩的沿海滩涂、河口、围湖、高潮栖息地等区域进行调查,依据调查区域内水鸟栖息地分布及活动特点,对越冬水鸟群落结构和各调查区域越冬水鸟的多样性进行分析.[结果]共记录江苏南部沿海越冬水鸟41种35353只鸟类个体,隶属于6目10科;雁形目占总个体数的52.50％,鸻形目占总个体数的33.02％;人工鱼塘和泥质滩涂生境内越冬水鸟个体数均超过1万只,高于米草滩涂、滩涂围湖和芦苇塘等生境;从物种数来看,江苏南部沿海越冬的雁鸭类物种数高于越冬的鸻鹬类;在多样性指数上,东台条子泥越冬的水鸟物种多样性最高,其次为吕四港、黄金海滩、小洋口、通州湾.[结论]在自然湿地退化的背景下,人工湿地作为鸟类越冬的替代生境,起到了越来越重要的作用,合理调控的人工生境为越冬水鸟提供了栖息地;互花米草的入侵对江苏南部越冬水鸟产生了复杂的生态影响,芦苇群落生境破碎化以及侵占泥质滩涂等都将使雁鸭类和鸻鹬类赖以生存的栖息地不断减少,互花米草的快速扩增,对沿海鸟类群落数量及分布的负面影响逐渐显现.

[目的]了解近40年来丹顶鹤(Grus japonensis)在我国的主要分布情况及变化,探讨我国现阶段丹顶鹤的就地保护状况,分析丹顶鹤分布变迁的可能原因,为今后丹顶鹤的保护和研究提供理论基础.[方法]基于1976年《中国鸟类分布名录》中记述我国丹顶鹤的分布情况,通过文献查询、部门咨询等方式,系统搜集丹顶鹤的历史分布资料,将分布信息按照时间顺序进行分类,分析丹顶鹤繁殖地、越冬地分布的时空变化特征,比较不同时间阶段丹顶鹤保护区的就地保护成效.[结果]自1976年以来,我国丹顶鹤新的分布地在多个省区逐渐增加,截至2019年,有丹顶鹤分布记录的自然保护区达119个,分布在16个省区,丹顶鹤繁殖与越冬分布界限也发生了改变.其中,丹顶鹤繁殖分布区由以往广泛分布于我国东部区域转换为现在集中分布的繁殖地所在自然保护区,丹顶鹤越冬分布区由以往长江中下游的多地分布转换为现在的三地分布,即盐城湿地珍禽国家级自然保护区、黄河三角洲国家级自然保护区、辽河口国家级自然保护区.目前,全国已建立57个丹顶鹤保护区,国家级、省级、县市级自然保护区的数量分别为30、18、9个,各占总数的52.6％、31.6％、15.8％.[结论]近40年来,我国丹顶鹤种群的新分布时有报道,其分布现状已经发生了较大变化.由此推测,人为因素的干扰与 自然气候的变化是导致丹顶鹤分布变迁的主要原因,自然保护区的管理、其他突发事件也共同影响着丹顶鹤的分布.

为了解黄河三角洲潮间带大型底栖无脊椎动物现状,于2019年5月分别对建国后黄河入海口4个流路区域20个潮间带站位进行了采样调查.调查共采集到大型底栖无脊椎动物5纲16目37科60种,主要优势种有托氏（虫昌）螺(Umbonium costatum)、泥螺(Bullacta exarata)、光滑河篮蛤(Potamocorbula laevis)、彩虹明樱蛤(Moerella iridescens)和四角蛤蜊(Mactra veneriformis)等;平均密度和平均生物量分别为158.34个/m2和398.3 g/m2;各流路区域的丰富度指数(d)变化范围为0.786～1.409,均匀度指数(J)的变化范围为0.332～0.462,多样性指数(H')的变化范围为1.216～1.692.平均密度在不同地点间存在显著差异(P<0.05),其余指数则差异不显著(P>0.05).聚类分析结果说明各采样站位物种相似度较高.黄河入海改道、防潮坝建设工程以及黄河国家级自然保护区对黄河三角洲潮间带大型底栖无脊椎动物物种组成、分布及群落结构产生一定影响.本研究对黄河三角洲潮间带大型底栖无脊椎动物的资源状况进行分析,为底栖生物多样性保护提供本底数据,以促进黄河三角洲湿地的合理开发与可持续利用.