Dispersal behaviors stimulated by habitat alterations in golden snub-nosed monkeys(Rhinopithecus roxellana)in the Qinling Mountains, China

DEAR EDITOR,Combining location data, species distribution modeling(Max Ent), and major conservation events, we analyzed historical distribution changes in golden snub-nosed monkeys(Rhinopithecus roxellana) in the Qinling Mountains of China.

Statistical Downscaling Retrieval of Land Surface Temperature in an Area with Complex Landforms in the Eastern Qinling Mountains of China Based on Sentinel-2/3 Satellite Data

The study of land surface temperature(LST)is of great significance for ecosystem monitoring and ecological environmental protection in the Qinling Mountains of China.In view of the contradicting spatial and temporal resolutions in extracting LST from satellite remote sensing(RS)data,the areas with complex landforms of the Eastern Qinling Mountains were selected as the research targets to establish the correlation between the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)and LST.Detailed information on the surface features and temporal changes in the land surface was provided by Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3,respectively.Based on the statistically downscaling method,the spatial scale could be decreased from 1000 m to 10 m,and LST with a Sentinel-3 temporal resolution and a 10 m spatial resolution could be retrieved.Comparing the 1 km resolution Sentinel-3 LST with the downscaling results,the 10 m LST downscaling data could accurately reflect the spatial distribution of the thermal characteristics of the original LST image.Moreover,the surface temperature data with a 10 m high spatial resolution had clear texture and obvious geomorphic features that could depict the detailed information of the ground features.The results showed that the average error was 5 K on April 16,2019 and 2.6 K on July 15,2019.The smaller error values indicated the higher vegetation coverage of summer downscaling result with the highest level on July 15.

Winter diet and digestive tract of the Golden Pheasant(Chrysolophus pictus) in the Qinling Mountains,China

The winter diet and morphological structure of the gastrointestinal tract of the Golden Pheasant(Chrysolophus pictus) was investigated in the Qinling Mountains,Shaanxi Province in 2002/2003.Individual food items in crops were identified by species,where possible,using standard taxonomic methods.The Golden Pheasant consumes exclusively vegetarian foods in the winter,of at least 14 plant species,such as crops and other vegetable species.The digestive tract of the Golden Pheasant is composed of an oesophagus,a stomach,a relatively long intestine measuring 3.4 × standard body length,two fully-developed caeca and a relatively short colon,typical for herbivorous birds.Pebbles of different sizes(0.5-3 mm in diameter) were very frequent in the gizzard.The average dry weight of the pebbles was 10.4±2.5 g and was positively correlated with the weight of digesta in the gizzard(Pearson r = 0.747,p < 0.01,n = 37).The mucosa surface pH of the digestive tract of the Golden Pheasant was slightly acidic,but higher in the crop and gizzard.

Determination of the Neoproterozoic Shicaogou Syn-collisional Granite in the Eastern Qinling Mountains and Its Geological Implications

The Shicaogou granite has been identified as a magnesian (Fe-number=0.71-0.76), calcic to calc-alkalic (MALI=3.84-5.76) and peraluminous (ASI=1.06-1.13) granite of the syn-collisional S-type, with high SiO2(>71%), A12O3 (>13%) and Na2O+K2O (6.28%-7.33%, equal for NaO2 and K2O). Trace element and REE analyses show that the granite is rich in LILE such as of Rb, Sr, Ba and Th, and poor in HFSE like Yb, Y, Zr and Hf. Its Rb/Sr ratio is greater than 1; the contents of Nb and Ta, and the ratio of Nb/Ta as well as the REE geochemical features (e.g. REE abundance, visible fractionation of LREE and HREE and medium to pronounced negative Eu anomalies) are all similar to those of crust-origin, continent-continent syn-collisional granite. Moreover, the granite exhibits almost the same pattern as that of the typical continent-continent syn-collisional granite on the spider diagram and all samples fall within the syn-collisional granite field.The cathodoluminescence (CL) investigations have revealed that the zircon from the Shicaogou granite represents a typical magmatic product characterized by its colorless, transparent and euhedral crystals, and distinct zoning of oscillatory bands. Residual cores of irregular zircon can be found in a few enhedral grains. Trace element studies of the zircon grains, with high contents of P, Y, Hf, Th, U and REE and high ratios of Th/U, obviously positive Ce anomalies and HREE enrichment compared to LREE, also result in the same conclusion.The LA-ICP-MS U-Pb isotopic data from 24 spots of 21 zircon grains demonstrate that 20 spots in the oscillatory zone yield an average weighted 206Pb/238U age of 925±11 Ma, indicating that the Shicaogou granite was formed in the Neoproterozoic. Combined with other Neoproterozoic syn-collisional granites found in the study area, the present geochronological determination can further reveal that collision-amalgamation events could have occurred among some continental blocks in the Qinling orogenic belt during the Neoproterozoic. This in turn provides an accurate chronological constraint on the Neoproterozoic break-up and convergence in the belt.

^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar Thermochronological Constraints on the Timing of Collisional Orogeny in the Mian-Lite Collision Belt,Southern Qinling Mountains

Silurian, Devonian and Carboniferous geological bodies in the Mianxian-Lueyang (Mian-Lue) collisional belt (MLB) and its neighbouring areas, southern Qinling Mountains, China, show similar characteristics of having undergone deformation of two stages. The earlier one, which is inferred to be related to collisional orogeny between the Yangtze and Sino-Korean palaeocontinents based on previous geological data, is responsible for large-scale, north-verging recumbent folds and overthrusts, and associated with low greenschist fades metamorphism. 40Ar/39Ar dating of three muscovite samples taken from different localities yields plateau ages of 226.9±0.9 and 219.5±1.4 Ma and an apparent age of 194.5±3.0 Ma. Thus, the late Triassic collision between the Yangtze and Sino-Korean palaeocontinents has been constrained.

A study on environmental aridity over northern and southern to Qinling Mountains under climate warming

Based on the data up to 1999 from hydroclimatological departments, this pape analyzes the climatic divide implications of the Qinling Mountains in regional response to the process of climate warming, due to which the grades of dryness/wetness (GDW) in 100 years show that the northern region has entered a drought period, while the southern is a humid period. In a course of ten years, the D-value of annual average air temperature over southern Shaanxi (the Hanjiang Valley) and the Central Shaanxi Plain (the Guanzhong Plain) has narrowed, i.e., the former with a slight change and the latter with rapid increase in temperature. Both regions were arid with the decrease in precipition D-value, namely the plain became warmer while the south was drier. The Qinling Mountains play a pronounced role in the climatic divide. The runoff coefficient (RC) of the Weihe River decreases synchronously with that of the Hanjiang due to climate warming. The RC of Weihe dropped from 0.2 in the 1950s to less than 0.1 in the 1990s. The Weihe Valley (the Guanzhong Plain) is practically an arid area due to shortage of water. The successive 0.5, 1.0°C temperature anomaly over China marks, perhaps, the improtant transition period in which the environment becomes more vulnerable than before. The study shows the obvious trend of environmental aridity, which is of help to the understanding of regional response to global climate change.

Structural patterns of land types and optimal allocation of land use in Qinling Mountains

The case study based on Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province of China, in virtue of the information from TM image, classifies the land types and analyzes their spatial and temporal differential law, and puts forward three structural patterns of land types in mountainous areas, namely, spatial, quantitative and qualitative structures of mountainous land types. Furthermore, it has been noticed that the analysis of structural patterns can disclose the heterogeneity and orderliness of combination of land types, which can lay the theoretic foundation for comprehensively recognizing ecological characteristics and succession law of structure and function of land types. After the all-around comparative analysis, an optimal allocation of land use in Qinling Mountains has been put forward according to the principle of sustainable development and landscape ecology, which can lay the scientific foundation in practice for the structural adjustment and distribution optimization from the macro level to micro level.

High Pressure Metamorphism of Garnet-Amphibole Rocks from Songshugou Area,Eastern Qinling Mountain and Its Tectonic Implication

Eclogitic garnet-amphibole rocks are scattered around me Songshugou ultramafic bodies in Qinling Mountains . Three metamorphic stages are recognized in terms of petrography, mineral chemistry and geothermobarometry . The first alhite-amphibole stage was of greenschist facies metamorphism with typical mineral assemblage of actinolite+epidote+chlorite+albite ; the pressure and temperature conditions were equal to or lower than 500MPa and about 400 ℃ .The second prograde eclogitic garnet-amphibole stage was of amphibole-eclogite fades metamorphism with typical mineral assemblage of garnet+hornblende± clinopyroxene+ruffle without ptagioclase ,the pressure condition was at least 1000- 1200MPa and the temperature about 600 ℃ .The third retrograde epidote-amphibole stage was of epidote-amphibolite fecies with assemblage of plagioclase+hornblende+epidote+ilmenite/titanite , the temperature was 500-600 ℃ and the pressure from 800MPa down to 500MPa .All three stages took place in one single tectonothermal event called Jinningian movement at about 1000Ma .The p-T path shows a hairpin shape and thus indicates a metamorphism in the sobduction environment. The metamorphk processes of the garnet- amphibole rocks thus provides a significant evidence for the pbte tectonic movement prevailing in the late Middle Proterozoic period.

Effects of Environmental Factors on Tree Seedling Regeneration in a Pine-oak Mixed Forest in the Qinling Mountains, China

Natural seedling regeneration and tree establishment are affected by various environmental factors. In this study, we established eight, eight, six, and four independent forest stands （each stand was further divided into five subplots） respectively based on the altitudinal gradient, stand density, slope location, and slope aspect to investigate the effects of environmental factors on tree seedling regeneration in a pine-oak mixed forest. The results indicated that the seedling density was significantly higher at altitudes of 1,283 m to 1,665 m, whereas the sapling density did not differ with altitudes. The seedling and sapling density decreased significantly at 1,835 m. The seedling densities on the upper slopes were much higher than those on the middle and lower slopes, whereas the sapling density had no difference. The sapling density decreased southwest （20°-75°） whereas gradually from the it increased on the shady slopes to the northeast （40°）. The seedling density increased from southwest （20°） to northeast （40°The seedling and sapling densities increased with the stand density （850 trees ha-1 to 1,525 trees ha-1） whereas the sapling density was significantly lower in stands （1,9oo trees ha-O. Principal components analysis showed that the slope aspect and stand density had more important roles in tree regeneration in this study region compared with the other two factors. Therefore, our findings suggest that it will be beneficial to keep stands at a moderate density on shady slopes. Appropriate thinning of higher density stands is also expected to promote the natural regeneration of pine-oak mixed forest.

Stable Carbon Isotopic Composition of Black Carbon in Surface Soil as a Proxy for Reconstructing Vegetation on the Northern Slope of the Qinling Mountains

Because of the unique geographical location and important ecological effect of the Qinling Mountains, reconstruction of its vegetation and climate needs comprehensive research. We need to consider a multiple-proxy approach to gain more information on recovering the paleovegetation and climate in the Qinling Mountains. Black carbon （BC） is produced by the incomplete combustion of vegetation and fossil fuels, and is a good proxy, recording paleoenvironmental information. However, in the Qinling Mountains, what are the characteristics of the BC, and whether BC stable carbon isotope （δ^13CBc） can be used as a new proxy to study ancient vegetation, still need further study. In order to establish a sound basis for studying paleoenvironmental by BC proxy in the Qinling Mountains, we carried out systematic and detailed study on modern process of BC on the northern slope of the mountains. We analyzed stable carbon isotopes and carbon concentration of organic carbon （% SOC, δ^13Csoc） and BC （%BC, δ^13CBc）, and identified the pollen assemblages from systematically sampled surface soil. The results show that the calculated ratio of C4 plants in the vegetation （%C4） based on the δ13Csoc data reflects a similar distribution of C4 plants in the surface vegetation and the pollen assemblage. The δ^13Cac values have a strong positive correlation with δ13Csoc values, and their difference （△13CSOC-BC） is in the low range. These data indicate that δ^13CBC and δ^13CSOC have very similar characteristics. Surface soil δ13BC values can indicate surface vegetation as effectively as δ^13Csoc values, and the δ^13CBC proxy can be used effectively in paleovegetational research in the northern slope of Qinling Mountains.

Tree-ring response of Larix chinensis on regional climate and sea-surface temperature variations in alpine timberline in the Qinling Mountains

Tree-ring width chronologies of Larix chinensis were developed from the northern and southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province,and climatic factors affecting the tree-ring widths of L.chinensis were examined.Correlation analysis showed that similar correlations between tree-ring width chronologies and climatic factors demonstrated that radial growth responded to climate change on both slopes.The radial growth of L.chinensis was mainly limited by temperature,especially the growing season.In contrast,both chronologies were negatively correlated with precipitation in May of the previous year and April of the current year.Spatial climate-correlation analyses with gridded land-surface climate data revealed that our tree-ring width chronologies contained a strong regional temperature signal over much of northcentral and eastern China.Spatial correlation with seasurface temperature fields highlights the influence of the Pacific Ocean,Indian Ocean,and North Atlantic Ocean.Wavelet coherence analysis indicated the existence of some decadal and interannual cycles in the two tree-ring width chronologies.This may suggest the influences of El Nin˜o-Southern Oscillation and solar activity on tree growth in the Qinling Mountains.These findings will help us understand the growth response of L.chinensis to climate change in the Qinling region,and they provide critical information for future climate reconstructions based on this species in semi-humid regions.

Selenium Enrichment in Cambrian Stratabound Gold Deposits in the Western Qinling Mountains

Stratabound gold deposits in the western Qinling Mountains occur in Cambrian chert formation composed of carbonaceous chert and carbonaceous slate. The distinctive chert formation provides important grounds for the mineralization and controls on the formation of gold deposits. Study shows that Se is exceptionally higher in both host rocks and gold orebodies. It may be recovered as a valuable component in ores for total utilization, and in some localities even independent Se orebodies (which are mined exclusively for Se) may be delineated. In gold ore Se mainly occurs as independent minerals or in the isomorphous form in sulphides and there is a positive correlation between Se and Au.

Recent Climate Warming of Central China Reflected by Temperature-sensitive Tree Growth in the Eastern Qinling Mountains and its Linkages to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans

We have developed a 202-year tree-ring width chronology of Shensi fir(Abies chensiensis) growing in an open canopy forest at the treeline of the eastern Qinling Mountains. Climate response analyses revealed that the ring width of Shensi fir trees is primarily controlled by the range of temperature from February–June. The regression model that we used for statistical temperature reconstruction passed the leave-one-out cross-validation used in dendroclimatology, resulting in a quality-controlled February–June reconstruction for the eastern Qinling Mountains. The model accounts for 36.7% of the instrumental temperature variance during the period of 1960–2012. Warm springs and early summers occurred during AD 1870–1873, 1909–1914, 1927–1958 and 1997–2012, while the periods of AD 1874–1908, 1915–1926 and 1959–1996 were relatively cold. Spatial climate correlation analyses with gridded land surface data revealed that our temperature reconstruction contains a strong regional temperature signal for central China. The linkages of ourtemperature reconstruction with sea surface temperature in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans suggest the connection of regional temperature variations to large-scale ocean–atmosphere–land circulation. Preliminary analysis of links between large-scale climatic variation and the temperature reconstruction also shows that there is a relationship between extremes in spring and early summer temperature and anomalous atmospheric circulation in the Qinling Mountains. Overall, our study provides reliable information for the research of past temperature variability in the Qinling Mountains, China.

A Comparison about Metamorphism among the Oldest-Rock Units from Orogenic Belts of Dabie,Eastern Qinling and Eastern Kunlun of Central Mountain Ranges,China

The Dabie orogen, Eastern Qinling orogen and Eastern Kunlun orogen are the major components of the Central Mountain Ranges of China and each has distinctively metamorphic processes in their oldest rock units. The Dabie orogen oldest rock units had experienced an intermediate-higher pressure, upper amphibolite to lower granulite facies metamorphism in the Indosinian intracontinental subduction collision event. The clockwise pt path, synchronous attainment of t max and p max and a segment of high slope retrograde path suggest a tectono driven rapid exhumation of the oldest rock units to upper middle crustal level following the end of the subduction collision process. The oldest rock units, also called Qinling Group, of Eastern Qinling Mountains suffered intensively collisional metamorphism at an immature plate tectonic framework during Jinningian movement about 1 000 Ma ago. The clockwise pt path with reach of t max following several hundreds of MPa decreasing from p max suggests that the denudation of the deeply burial rock units was due essentially to isostatic relaxation. During the Caledonian stage, the highly metamorphosed oldest rock units suffered from a high t thermal event in arc environment and superimposed by contact metamorphism. After thermal peaks, the rock units were exhumed in a short distance and cooled down isobarically. No regional metamorphism higher than upper greenschist facies condition since 300 Ma has been traced within exposed rocks in the eastern portion of Northern Qinling orogen. The oldest rock units in the Eastern Kunlun orogen were metamorphosed to upper amphibolite facies to lower granulite facies rocks early or during the Luliang movement (some 1 800 Ma ago). The high grade metamorphic rock units had a long resident time at the deep crustal level, and were exhumed to middle upper crustal level during the Caledonian to Hercynian tectonometamorphic events. Shallow erosion of the orogenic belt led to good preservation of the low pressure metamorphic belt.

The value of vegetation ecosystem services:a case of Qinling-Daba Mountains

According to differences in vegetation types and their coverage, combining the latest research, using theory and method on the value of vegetation ecosystem services, this paper not only calculated goods produced by different types of vegetation but also estimated the value of various vegetation ecosystem services and set up database, GIS and eco-account of vegetation ecosystem. The result was as follows: the value of vegetation's primary productivity, soil and fertility conservation, water conservation, CO 2 fixation and O 2 release was 199.6 billion yuan/a, 22.64 billion yuan/a, 22.66 billion yuan/a, 352.24 billion yuan/a and 374.19 billion yuan/a, respectively. The total value of ecosystem services was 968.33 billion yuan/a. The temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest had the highest contribution rate, accounting for 16.42%. The result of value can reflect regional reality more exactly.

Fine-scale activity patterns of large-and medium-sized mammals in a deciduous broadleaf forest in the Qinling Mountains,China

The composition of animal species and interactions among them are widely known to shape ecological communities and fine-scale(e.g.,<1 km)monitoring of animal communities is essential for understanding the relationships among animals and plants.Although the co-existence of large-and medium-sized species has been studied across different scales,research on fine-scale interactions of herbivores in deciduous broadleaf forests is limited.Camera trapping of large-and medium-sized mammals was carried out over a 1 year period within a 25 ha deciduous broadleaf forest dynamics plot in the Qinling Mountains,China.Fourteen species of large-and medium-sized mammals,including six carnivores,six ungulates,one primate and one rodent species were found.Kernel density estimations were used to analyse the diel or 24 h activity patterns of all species with more than 40 independent detections and general linear models were developed to explore the spatial relationships among the species.The combination of overlapping diel activity patterns and spatial associations showed obvious niche separation among six species:giant panda(Ailuropoda melanoleuca David),takin(Budorcas taxicolor Hodgson),Reeves’s muntjac(Muntiacus reevesi Ogilby),tufted deer(Elaphodus cephalophus Milne-Edwards),Chinese serow(Capricornis milneedwardsii David)and wild boar(Sus scrofa Linnaeus).Long-term fine-scale monitoring is useful for providing information about the co-existence of species and their interactions.The results demonstrate the importance for fine-scale monitoring of animals and plants for improving understanding of species interactions and community dynamics.

Diurnal and seasonal variation of the elevation gradient of air temperature in the northern flank of the western Qinling Mountain range,China

The typically sparse or lacking distribution of meteorological stations in mountainous areas inadequately resolves temperature elevation variability. This study presented the diurnal and seasonal variations of the elevation gradient of air temperature in the northern flank of the western Qinling Mountain range,which has not been thoroughly evaluated. The measurements were conducted at 9 different elevations between 1710 and 2500 m from August 2014 to August 2015 with HOBO Data loggers. The results showed that the annual temperature lapse rates(TLRs) for Tmean,Tmin and Tmax were 0.45?C/100 m,0.44?C/100 m and 0.40?C/100 m,respectively,which are substantially smaller than the often used value of 0.60°C/100 m to 0.65°C/100 m. The TLRs showed no obvious seasonal variations,except for the maximum temperature lapse rate,which was steeper in winter and shallower in spring. Additionally,the TLRs showed significant diurnal variations,with the steepest TLR in forenoon and the shallowest in early morning or late-afternoon,and the TLRs changed more severely during the daytime than night time. The accumulated temperature above 0°C,5°C and 10°C(AT0,AT5 and AT10) decreased at a lapse rate of 112.8?C days/100 m,104.5?C days/100 m and 137.0?C days/100 m,respectively. The monthly and annual mean diurnal range of temperatures(MDRT and ADRT) demonstrated unimodal curves along the elevation gradients,while the annual range of temperature(ART) showed no significant elevation differences. Our results strongly suggest that the extrapolated regional TLR may not be a good representative for an individual mountainside,in particular,where there are only sparse meteorological stations at high elevations.

Cosmogenic ^(26)Al/^(10)Be Burial Dating of the Uplift Rate of Southern Qinling Mountains since the Middle Pleistocene

Objective The Qinling Mountains （QM） in Central China is a natural harrier that corresponds to the boundary between the southern and northern climate and environment （Gong Hujun et al., 2017）. Northern QM is relatively steep, and southern QM is in contrast relatively low and gentle. Investigations have shown that the average uplift rate of northern QM since 17.8 Ma is approximately 0.19 mm/a （Yin Gongming et al., 2001）, whereas that of central QM since 0.36 Ma is approximately 0.32 mm/a （Wang Fei et al., 2004）. To date, however, few investigations have yet been conducted on the uplift rate of southern QM. Accordingly, we aim to obtain the uplift rate of southern QM by using the cosmogenic ^26A1/^10 Be burial dating method to determine the age of the highest river terrace on the southern slope of QM.

Nitrous oxide emissions from three temperate forest types in the Qinling Mountains,China

To understand soil N2O fluxes from temperate forests in a climate-sensitive transitional zone,N2O emissions from three temperate forest types(Pinus tabulaeformis,PTT;Pinus armandii,PAT;and Quercus aliena var.acuteserrata,QAT)were monitored using the static closed-chamber method from June 2013 to May 2015 in the Huoditang Forest region of the Qinling Mountains,China.The results showed that these three forest types acted as N2O sources,releasing a mean combined level of 1.35±0.56 kg N2O ha^-1 a^-1,ranging from0.98±0.37 kg N2O ha^-1 a^-1 in PAT to 1.67±0.41 kg N2O ha^-1 a^-1 in QAT.N2O emission fluctuated seasonally,with highest levels during the summer for all three forest types.N2O flux had a significantly positive correlation with soil temperature at a depth of 5 cm or in the water-filled pore space,where the correlation was stronger for temperature than for the water-filled pore space.N2O flux was positively correlated with available soil nitrogen in QAT and PAT.Our results indicate that N2O flux is mainly controlled by soil temperature in the temperate forest in the Qinling Mountains.

Legislation Characteristics and Implementation Recommendations for Ecological and Environmental Protection Regulations on Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province

This paper analyzed status and significance of Ecological and Environmental Protection Regulations on Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province in structure of Shaanxi local environmental laws.Theses Regulations have two outstanding characteristics:firstly,integrated protection and development,accurately regulating and guiding relation coordination;secondly,attaching great importance to using economic means to protect ecological environment and provide basis for administration according to law.It came up with specific methods for speeding up formulation of Regulations,making effort to explore implementation cases for development of Guanzhong economic zone and Qinling Mountains ecological protection,establishing methods and systems for ecological and environmental protection follow-up monitoring and evaluation of Qinling Mountains,and raising these Regulations to national laws of Ecological and Environmental Protection for Qinling Mountains.