Mammal and bird diversity recorded with camera traps in Gongga Mountain National Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China

doi:10.17520/biods.2020395

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The Gongga Mountain National Nature Reserve lies in the global biodiversity hotspot—the Hengduan Mountains and is a priority area of biodiversity conservation in China. However, surveys of large to medium-sized mammals are insufficient in the reserve. For this reason, we conducted a camera trap survey during 2011-2018.

Methods Camera traps were placed in 97 grid cells (1 km × 1 km per cell) with a minimum distance of over 500 m and at the altitudes of 2,672-4,764 m. Only one camera was placed in a cell during the same period. Seventy grid cells located continuously along the western slope of Mt. Gongga.

Results A total of 20,932 independent photographs were taken over 39,881 camera-days. Thirty wild mammal species and 78 bird species were captured by camera traps. Seven other mammal species were reported by literature or occasional observation. Among them, 12 species are class I, and 28 are class II national protected animals. 11 and 12 species are listed in the CITES Appendix I and II, respectively. According to the IUCN Red List, 3 and 8 species are listed as endangered (EN) and vulnerable (VU) species, respectively. According to Red List of China’s Vertebrates, 5 species are listed as Critically Endangered (CR), 5 are listed as endangered, and 11 are listed as vulnerable. Using a relative abundance index, the three most detected mammal species were the tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus, 147.39), sambar deer (Rusa unicolor, 66.10), and wild boar (Sus scrofa, 36.03); the three most detected avian species were the blood pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus, 14.64), white eared pheasant (Crossoptilon crossoptilon, 10.43), and giant laughingthrush (Garrulax maximus, 8.05).

Conclusion We provided an inventory of large to medium-sized mammals in the reserve. More in-depth investigations should be conducted in broad-leaved forest, coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest, alpine shrub meadow, and alpine scree to survey other undetected mammals.

Key words: Gongga Mountain, camera traps, species inventory, large to medium-sized mammals, species diversity

Jiang Qiao, Guoqing Jia, Huaming Zhou, Lin Gong, Yong Jiang, Nengwen Xiao, Xiaoqi Gao, Anxiang Wen, Jie Wang. Mammal and bird diversity recorded with camera traps in Gongga Mountain National Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2022, 30(2): 20395.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.17520/biods.2020395

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2022/V30/I2/20395

Figures/Tables 3

Fig. 1 Camera traps and mammal species detected in the Gongga Mountain National Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China. A, Locations of camera traps; B, Seventy grid cells (1 km × 1 km) and camera traps were placed continuously in the western slope and treated as a monitoring plot.

Fig. 2 Species accumulative curves based on number of grid cells (A, C) and camera-days (B, D) for the camera traps survey in the Gongga Mountain National Nature Reserve

Fig.3 Species accumulative curves of large and medium-sized mammals based on camera-trapping efforts (camera days) in different habitat types

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