Snow leopards are one of the least known large cats, the population of which has dramatically de- creased. Their habitat loss was considered the main reason for the decline during the last decade, but their habitat pr...Snow leopards are one of the least known large cats, the population of which has dramatically de- creased. Their habitat loss was considered the main reason for the decline during the last decade, but their habitat preferences are still not well known. In this paper, we studied the winter habitat preferences of snow leopards in the Tomur National Nature Reserve （TNNR） in Northwest China during 2004-2005. We used sign surveys and tran- sects to study the winter habitat selection of snow leopards. The results indicated that snow leopards showed a preference for habitat variabilities in slope aspect, vegetation cover, dominant topographical features, landform ruggedness and grazing status. We found that prey availability and dominant topographical features were the most important factors that determined the winter habitat selection of snow leopards. Our results supported the idea that the habitat preferences of snow leopards are a tradeoff between suitable habitat features and avoidance of potential human interactions.展开更多
Great gerbil（Rhombomys opimus） colonies, with bare soil and herbaceous plants, are conspicuous to the background environment throughout their range area. In order to quantify the engineer role of great gerbils, we i...Great gerbil（Rhombomys opimus） colonies, with bare soil and herbaceous plants, are conspicuous to the background environment throughout their range area. In order to quantify the engineer role of great gerbils, we investigated the plant communities of 20 active colonies in the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, China. In areas without disturbance, desert plant communities were dominated by the shrubs with low level species richness. In burrow areas and surrounding intermediate areas, which were disturbed by great gerbils, the shrubs were suppressed with the decrease of vegetation cover and aboveground biomass. As a result, ＂niche gaps＂ were created in disturbed areas and worked as a refuge for herbaceous annuals and perennials. So the existence of great gerbils increased the overall species richness of the desert. Furthermore, herbaceous annuals and perennials are the major food source for great gerbils in spring, indicating that great gerbils have a mutually beneficial relationship with herbaceous plants.展开更多
Many arid areas have very severe climates with extremely high summer temperatures,strong solar radiation,and a lack of drinking water during the driest season.Therefore,antelopes living in arid areas are forced to sol...Many arid areas have very severe climates with extremely high summer temperatures,strong solar radiation,and a lack of drinking water during the driest season.Therefore,antelopes living in arid areas are forced to solve two main problems:avoiding overheating and maintaining water balance.Generally,there are physiological,morphological,and behavioral mechanisms for antelope adaptations to arid environments.Among the mechanisms,behavioral adjustments have a minimal cost and are activated first,while physiological mechanisms are the most energetically costly and involve adaptations to high temperatures when other mechanisms are insufficient.In previous publications,some examples of the antelope behavioral adaptations have been described only rarely,while in this review,we try to clarify all available information on the adaptations of antelopes living in arid areas to their native environments,paying particular attention to behavioral adjustments.Behavioral mechanisms,especially daily activity,diet and microclimate selection,and migrations,are so important and commonly used by antelopes in natural conditions,in which physiological mechanisms are usually not involved.Antelopes adjust their behaviors according to environmental changes so successfully that purely physiological mechanisms are discovered under laboratory conditions;for example,adaptive heterothermia or selective brain cooling phenomenon is difficult to observe in their natural habitats.This review provides a better understanding of the main behavioral mechanisms of antelope adaptations to arid environments and allows for the identification of the key factors for successful conservation of antelopes in their natural habitats.展开更多
Initially,hunting was the primary means for getting food for the survival of ancient people.As time passed,people started to breed livestock and develop agriculture,gradually reducing their reliance on unpredictabilit...Initially,hunting was the primary means for getting food for the survival of ancient people.As time passed,people started to breed livestock and develop agriculture,gradually reducing their reliance on unpredictability of hunting.People,however,continued to hunt and,even though their survival did not depend on hunting.During the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(USSR)period,attitudes toward the use of natural resources fluctuated significantly,and after the establishment of new reserves for wildlife protection,the government soon weakened protections it had introduced.In the current,the organizations in dependent countries of the USSR that are chartered to protect areas with wildlife diversity are very weak and have no sufficient material resources to provide any real control of poaching,especially when hunting weapons and ammunition are easily available.Trophy hunting companies exploit wildlife resources but do not make protecting wildlife from poaching as a priority in their work;they just use whatever resources are available as if they are unlimited.To help solve this problem,we suggest to organize the local people to join the wildlife protection societies and give them official rights to benefit from the development of hunting tourism in the future.There are numerous examples of successful and very profitable hunting businesses in different countries in the world.In Central Asia,all the prerequisites exist for organizing highly effective trophy hunting tourism,maintaining the richness of biodiversity,and at the same time providing a sustainable and significant income for local communities as the country as a whole.The sustainable use of wildlife resources is a very tangible challenge in the countries of Central Asia,and the most important consideration is to establish and enforce hunting laws equally,irrespective of a person’s social status or financial assets,otherwise no laws will work.展开更多
基金supported by the Science Supporting Project of the National Ministry of Science and Technology(2008BA C39B04)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30470262 and 30970340)+1 种基金the International Science and Technology Cooperation Program of China(2010DFA92720)the Chinese Academy of Sciences Visiting Professorships for Senior International Scientists(2009Z2-5)
文摘Snow leopards are one of the least known large cats, the population of which has dramatically de- creased. Their habitat loss was considered the main reason for the decline during the last decade, but their habitat preferences are still not well known. In this paper, we studied the winter habitat preferences of snow leopards in the Tomur National Nature Reserve （TNNR） in Northwest China during 2004-2005. We used sign surveys and tran- sects to study the winter habitat selection of snow leopards. The results indicated that snow leopards showed a preference for habitat variabilities in slope aspect, vegetation cover, dominant topographical features, landform ruggedness and grazing status. We found that prey availability and dominant topographical features were the most important factors that determined the winter habitat selection of snow leopards. Our results supported the idea that the habitat preferences of snow leopards are a tradeoff between suitable habitat features and avoidance of potential human interactions.
基金granted by the National Basic Research Program of China (2014CB954204)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30970476)the Western Light Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XBBS201309)
文摘Great gerbil（Rhombomys opimus） colonies, with bare soil and herbaceous plants, are conspicuous to the background environment throughout their range area. In order to quantify the engineer role of great gerbils, we investigated the plant communities of 20 active colonies in the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, China. In areas without disturbance, desert plant communities were dominated by the shrubs with low level species richness. In burrow areas and surrounding intermediate areas, which were disturbed by great gerbils, the shrubs were suppressed with the decrease of vegetation cover and aboveground biomass. As a result, ＂niche gaps＂ were created in disturbed areas and worked as a refuge for herbaceous annuals and perennials. So the existence of great gerbils increased the overall species richness of the desert. Furthermore, herbaceous annuals and perennials are the major food source for great gerbils in spring, indicating that great gerbils have a mutually beneficial relationship with herbaceous plants.
基金the Third Xinjiang Scientific Expedition Program(2021xjkk0603).
文摘Many arid areas have very severe climates with extremely high summer temperatures,strong solar radiation,and a lack of drinking water during the driest season.Therefore,antelopes living in arid areas are forced to solve two main problems:avoiding overheating and maintaining water balance.Generally,there are physiological,morphological,and behavioral mechanisms for antelope adaptations to arid environments.Among the mechanisms,behavioral adjustments have a minimal cost and are activated first,while physiological mechanisms are the most energetically costly and involve adaptations to high temperatures when other mechanisms are insufficient.In previous publications,some examples of the antelope behavioral adaptations have been described only rarely,while in this review,we try to clarify all available information on the adaptations of antelopes living in arid areas to their native environments,paying particular attention to behavioral adjustments.Behavioral mechanisms,especially daily activity,diet and microclimate selection,and migrations,are so important and commonly used by antelopes in natural conditions,in which physiological mechanisms are usually not involved.Antelopes adjust their behaviors according to environmental changes so successfully that purely physiological mechanisms are discovered under laboratory conditions;for example,adaptive heterothermia or selective brain cooling phenomenon is difficult to observe in their natural habitats.This review provides a better understanding of the main behavioral mechanisms of antelope adaptations to arid environments and allows for the identification of the key factors for successful conservation of antelopes in their natural habitats.
基金The study was supported by the Strategic Priority Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,China(XDA20020101).
文摘Initially,hunting was the primary means for getting food for the survival of ancient people.As time passed,people started to breed livestock and develop agriculture,gradually reducing their reliance on unpredictability of hunting.People,however,continued to hunt and,even though their survival did not depend on hunting.During the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(USSR)period,attitudes toward the use of natural resources fluctuated significantly,and after the establishment of new reserves for wildlife protection,the government soon weakened protections it had introduced.In the current,the organizations in dependent countries of the USSR that are chartered to protect areas with wildlife diversity are very weak and have no sufficient material resources to provide any real control of poaching,especially when hunting weapons and ammunition are easily available.Trophy hunting companies exploit wildlife resources but do not make protecting wildlife from poaching as a priority in their work;they just use whatever resources are available as if they are unlimited.To help solve this problem,we suggest to organize the local people to join the wildlife protection societies and give them official rights to benefit from the development of hunting tourism in the future.There are numerous examples of successful and very profitable hunting businesses in different countries in the world.In Central Asia,all the prerequisites exist for organizing highly effective trophy hunting tourism,maintaining the richness of biodiversity,and at the same time providing a sustainable and significant income for local communities as the country as a whole.The sustainable use of wildlife resources is a very tangible challenge in the countries of Central Asia,and the most important consideration is to establish and enforce hunting laws equally,irrespective of a person’s social status or financial assets,otherwise no laws will work.
