Abstract:

From January 2015 to December 2017, 130 camera traps were installed on 57 transects to investigate mammals and avian diversity in the Foping National Nature Reserve, Shaanxi Province. After an extensive survey effort of 101,220 camera-days, we recorded 36,100 independent images including 30,563 of mammals and 3,244 of birds. We recorded 29 wild mammal species belonging to 15 families and 6 orders. The 5 most detected mammal species were Budorcas bedfordi (RAI = 11.53), Sus scrofa (RAI = 4.80), Muntiacus reevesi (RAI = 4.35), Ailuropoda melanoleuca (RAI = 1.81) and Hystrix hodgsoni (RAI = 1.13). A total of 54 wild bird species belonging to 14 families and 8 orders were identified, and the 5 most detected birds were Chrysolophus pictus (RAI = 0.97), Tragopan temminckii (RAI = 0.74), Myophonus caeruleus (RAI = 0.51), Urocissa erythrorhyncha (RAI = 0.13) and Garrulax pectoralis (RAI = 0.12). We recorded four new bird and one new mammal species in the Foping National Nature Reserve, including Geokichla sibirica, Turdus obscurus, Zoothera dixoni, Butastur indicus and Meles leucurus. Our results provide basic information on the community structure, spatial distribution and relative abundance of terrestrial wild mammals and birds in the Foping National Nature Reserve, with guidelines for reserve management and long-term monitoring of Foping.

Key words: Foping National Nature Reserve, camera-trapping, mammal, bird, biodiversity