Acoustic recording units (ARUs) enable geographically extensive surveys of sensitive and elusive species. However, a hidden cost of using ARU data for modeling species occupancy is that prohibitive amounts of human verification may be required to correct species identifications made from automated software. Bat acoustic studies exemplify this challenge because large volumes of echolocation calls could be recorded and automatically classified to species. The standard occupancy model requires aggregating verified recordings to construct confirmed detection/non-detection datasets. The multistep data processing workflow is not necessarily transparent nor consistent among studies. We share a workflow diagramming strategy that could provide coherency among practitioners. A false-positive occupancy model is explored that accounts for misclassification errors and enables potential reduction in the number of confirmed detections. Simulations informed by real data were used to evaluate how much confirmation effort could be reduced without sacrificing site occupancy and detection error estimator bias and precision. We found even under a 50% reduction in total confirmation effort, estimator properties were reasonable for our assumed survey design, species-specific parameter values, and desired precision. For transferability, a fully documented r package, OCacoustic, for implementing a false-positive occupancy model is provided. Practitioners can apply OCacoustic to optimize their own study design (required sample sizes, number of visits, and confirmation scenarios) for properly implementing a false-positive occupancy model with bat or other wildlife acoustic data. Additionally, our work highlights the importance of clearly defining research objectives and data processing strategies at the outset to align the study design with desired statistical inferences.

Anthropogenic noise pollution is increasing and can constrain acoustic communication in animals. Our aim was to investigate if the acoustic parameters of loud calls and their diurnal pattern in the black-fronted titi monkey (Callicebus nigrifrons) are affected by noise produced by mining activity in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in Brazil. We installed two passive acoustic monitoring devices to record sound 24 h/day, 7 days every 2 months, for a year; one unit was close to an opencast mine and the other 2.5 km away from it. Both sites presented similar habitat structures and were inhabited by groups of black-fronted titi monkeys. We quantified the noise at both sites by measuring the equivalent continuous sound level every 2 months for 1 year and quantified the emission of loud calls by titi monkeys through visual inspection of the recordings. The close site presented higher ambient noise levels than the far site. The quantitative comparison of loud calls of black-fronted titi monkeys between the two sites showed less calling activity in the site close to the mine than in the site further away. Approximately 20 % of the calls detected at the site close to the mine were masked by noise from truck traffic. Loud calls were longer at the site far from the mine and the diurnal patterns of vocal activity differed in the amount of calling as well as in the timing of peak calling activity between the two sites. Our results indicate that mining noise may constrain titi monkeys' long-distance vocal communication. Loud calls occupy a similar frequency band to mining noise, and an increase in ambient noise may be triggering black-fronted titi monkeys to adjust their long-distance communication patterns to avoid masking of their calls. Given that vocalizations are an important means of social interaction in this species, there are concerns about the impact of mining noise on populations exposed to this human activity.

Vocal individuality is a prerequisite for individual recognition, especially when visual and chemical cues are not available or effective. Vocalizations encoding information of individual identity have been reported in many social animals and should be particularly adaptive for species living in large and complexly organized societies. Here, we examined the individuality in coo calls of adult male golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) living in a large and multilevel society. Coo calls are one of the most frequently occurring call types in R. roxellana and likely serve as the signals for contact maintenance or advertisement in various contexts including group movement, foraging, and resting. From April to October 2016, April to July 2017, and September to October 2017, we recorded a total of 721 coo calls from six adult males in a provisioned, free-ranging group and one adult male in captivity in Shennongjia National Park, China. We selected 162 high-quality recordings to extract 14 acoustic parameters based on the source-filter theory. Results showed that each of all parameters significantly differed among individuals, while pairwise comparisons failed to detect any parameter that was different between all pairs. Furthermore, a discriminant function analysis indicated that the correct assignment rate was 80.2% (cross-validation: 67.3%), greater than expected by chance (14.3%). In conclusion, we found evidence that coo calls of adult male R. roxellana allowed the reliable accuracy of individual discrimination complementarily enhanced by multiple acoustic parameters. The results of our study point to the selective pressures acting on individual discrimination via vocal signals in a highly gregarious forest-living primate.

Bottlenose dolphins are unusual among non-human mammals in their ability to learn new sounds. This study investigates the importance of vocal learning in the development of dolphin signature whistles and the influence of social interactions on that process. We used focal animal behavioral follows to observe six calves in Sarasota Bay, Fla., recording their social associations during their first summer, and their signature whistles during their second. The signature whistles of five calves were determined. Using dynamic time warping (DTW) of frequency contours, the calves' signature whistles were compared to the signature whistles of several sets of dolphins: their own associates, the other calves' associates, Tampa Bay dolphins, and captive dolphins. Whistles were considered similar if their DTW similarity score was greater than those of 95% of the whistle comparisons. Association was defined primarily in terms of time within 50 m of the mother/calf pair. On average, there were six dolphins with signature whistles similar to the signature whistles of each of the calves. These were significantly more likely to be Sarasota Bay resident dolphins than non-Sarasota dolphins, and (though not significantly) more likely to be dolphins that were within 50 m of the mother and calf less than 5% of the time. These results suggest that calves may model their signature whistles on the signature whistles of members of their community, possibly community members with whom they associate only rarely.

Passive acoustic methods are increasingly used in biodiversity research and monitoring programs because they are cost-effective and permit the collection of large datasets. However, the accuracy of the results depends on the bioacoustic characteristics of the focal taxa and their habitat use. In particular, this applies to bats which exhibit distinct activity patterns in three-dimensionally structured habitats such as forests. We assessed the performance of 21 acoustic sampling schemes with three temporal sampling patterns and seven sampling designs. Acoustic sampling was performed in 32 forest plots, each containing three microhabitats: forest ground, canopy, and forest gap. We compared bat activity, species richness, and sampling effort using species accumulation curves fitted with the clench equation. In addition, we estimated the sampling costs to undertake the best sampling schemes. We recorded a total of 145,433 echolocation call sequences of 16 bat species. Our results indicated that to generate the best outcome, it was necessary to sample all three microhabitats of a given forest location simultaneously throughout the entire night. Sampling only the forest gaps and the forest ground simultaneously was the second best choice and proved to be a viable alternative when the number of available detectors is limited. When assessing bat species richness at the 1-km(2) scale, the implementation of these sampling schemes at three to four forest locations yielded highest labor cost-benefit ratios but increasing equipment costs. Our study illustrates that multiple passive acoustic sampling schemes require testing based on the target taxa and habitat complexity and should be performed with reference to cost-benefit ratios. Choosing a standardized and replicated sampling scheme is particularly important to optimize the level of precision in inventories, especially when rare or elusive species are expected.

Primate vocalizations convey a variety of information to conspecifics. The acoustic traits of these vocalizations are an effective vocal fingerprint to discriminate between sibling species for taxonomic diagnosis. However, the vocal behavior of nocturnal primates has been poorly studied and there are few studies of their vocal repertoires. We compiled a vocal repertoire for the Endangered Sambirano mouse lemur,, an unstudied nocturnal primate of northwestern Madagascar, and compared the acoustic properties of one of their call types to those of and. We recorded vocalizations from radio-collared individuals using handheld recorders over 3 months. We also conducted an acoustic survey to measure the vocal activity of in four forest habitat types at the study site. We identified and classified five vocalization types in. The vocal repertoires of the three species contain very similar call types but have different acoustic properties, with one loud call type, the whistle, having significantly different acoustic properties between species. Our acoustic survey detected more calls of in secondary forest, riparian forest, and forest edge habitats, suggesting that individuals may prefer these habitat types over primary forest. Our results suggest interspecific differences in the vocal repertoire of mouse lemurs, and that these differences can be used to investigate habitat preference via acoustic surveys.

Background: Assessing the range and territories of wild mammals traditionally requires years of data collection and often involves directly following individuals or using tracking devices. Indirect and non-invasive methods of monitoring wildlife have therefore emerged as attractive alternatives due to their ability to collect data at large spatiotemporal scales using standardized remote sensing technologies. Here, we investigate the use of two novel passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) systems used to capture long-distance sounds produced by the same species, wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), living in two different habitats: forest (Tai, Cote d'Ivoire) and savanna-woodland (Issa valley, Tanzania). Results: Using data collected independently at two field sites, we show that detections of chimpanzee sounds on autonomous recording devices were predicted by direct and indirect indices of chimpanzee presence. At Tai, the number of chimpanzee buttress drums detected on recording devices was positively influenced by the number of hours chimpanzees were seen ranging within a 1 km radius of a device. We observed a similar but weaker relationship within a 500 m radius. At Issa, the number of indirect chimpanzee observations positively predicted detections of chimpanzee loud calls on a recording device within a 500 m but not a 1 km radius. Moreover, using just seven months of PAM data, we could locate two known chimpanzee communities in Tai and observed monthly spatial variation in the center of activity for each group. Conclusions: Our work shows PAM is a promising new tool for gathering information about the ranging behavior and habitat use of chimpanzees and can be easily adopted for other large territorial mammals, provided they produce long-distance acoustic signals that can be captured by autonomous recording devices (e.g., lions and wolves). With this study we hope to promote more interdisciplinary research in PAM to help overcome its challenges, particularly in data processing, to improve its wider application.

Context: Estimating the population size of large and medium-sized mammals is a fundamental issue in animal ecology, attracting great attention from researchers, managers, and the public. However, despite the fact that it has been explored from the mid-20th century to now, the population sizes of numerous species worldwide are unknown. In China, the research targeting large and medium-sized mammals have been explored since 1980s. Although it has made great progress, the population size of many species in China are still unknown. Aims: We aim to establish a framework to categorize existing estimation methods and further summarize the research development of population size estimation in China while highlighting strengths and trends under this framework. Results & Conclusions: First, we establish a concise hierarchical framework according to the estimation theory, data resources, and models used. This framework indicates that there are four classes of methods including distance sampling method, capture-recapture method, encounter-based method, and direct count method from remotely sensed imagery according to estimation theory. Then for each of the four methods, we illustrate the basic model and its assumptions, explaining how existing data resources (including insight, camera trap, DNA microsatellite, satellite tracking, acoustic monitor, and remote sensing data) realize each theory respectively. We summarize unique features, advantages, and disadvantages of each method and compare size or density estimation resulted from different methods. Secondly, we summarize the development of population size estimation methods in China in the context of this framework while highlighting trends and strengths. Numerous data obtained from infrared cameras in many study areas during the last decade can be used to estimate the population size by employing distance sampling, capture-recapture models, and encounter-based methods. Meanwhile, the pellet distance sampling method, fecal-DNA capture-recapture method and direct count method from remotely sensed imagery are suggested to be developed. Finally, a guide to select the estimation methods appropriate for their studies is provided as a reference for future researchers.

大中型兽类种群数量的估算是动物生态学中重要的基本问题, 受到研究者、管理者和公众的共同关注。国际上从20世纪中期开始研究该问题, 已出现了多种研究方法和相应案例, 且还在快速发展, 但世界各地仍有很多物种的种群数量尚未知晓。在我国, 从20世纪80年代开始调查大中型兽类种群数量, 取得了重要进展, 也还有很多物种的种群数量尚不清楚。因此, 有必要归纳国际上种群数量估算的研究进展, 同时, 总结国内研究的现状、优势和趋势, 供研究者参考。本文首先选择估算大中型兽类种群数量的原理、数据来源和模型这3个要素归纳出简明的研究框架, 将现有的多种方法置于其中予以阐述。在该框架下, 根据估算原理分为4大类方法, 为距离取样法、标志重捕法、基于遇见率法和遥感影像直接计数法。针对每一大类方法, 论述其基本原理模型和模型假设, 说明能实现该原理的相应数据来源(视觉观测、红外相机拍摄、DNA微卫星识别、卫星定位跟踪、声音监测或遥感影像)的特点及如何实现该原理, 评价其适用性及优缺点, 并选择其中具有可比性的方法予以比较评价。其次, 参照该研究框架, 总结我国的研究现状, 分析未来发展的优势和趋势: 我国的红外相机数据积累充分, 可以发展以此为数据源的距离取样法、标志重捕法和基于遇见率法; 发展以粪便样品为数据来源的距离取样法和粪便DNA标志重捕法; 相比地面调查数据, 获取高分辨率遥感影像数据更容易, 尽量以此估算符合适用条件的大中型兽类的种群数量。最后, 本文提出了适用于我国大中型兽类种群数量的估算方法的选择流程, 供研究者参考。

Wildlife population is low and most of them are very sensitive to human disturbing, which makes traditional survey difficult. As known, infra-red camera technology has many advantages in wildlife study. However, with its wide application and increased data amount, researchers are facing some problems concerning infra-red camera monitoring and later data processing and analyzing. This paper describes in details three key problems on infra-red camera data management and use, such as lacking standardization, integration and normalization. The present paper also lists and analyzes eight aspects about photo data mining, based on researches carried out in the Qinling Mountains, Wolong Nature Reserve, etc. It involves individual recognition, temporal/spatial activity pattern, information-extracting of occasional species, behavior and reproduction, disease situation and interference by humans. If all this information can be used effectively, we hope to provide scientific support at some extent on wildlife and biodiversity conservation and management in future.

由于濒危物种数量稀少以及大多数野生动物对人类活动敏感, 增加了传统调查的难度。众所周知,红外相机在野生动物调查研究中具有天然优势; 然而随着红外相机技术的广泛推广应用及数据采集量的不断加大, 科研人员也面临了一系列关于红外相机监测及后续数据处理中出现的问题。本文详细阐述了红外相机数据管理和利用方面存在的3个关键问题: 数据管理缺乏规范化、数据网络缺乏一体化、数据获取缺乏标准化。同时以秦岭、卧龙等地的一些研究为主体, 列举分析了红外相机照片后续数据挖掘中8个方面的内容, 即兽类的个体识别、物种时间活动格局、物种空间活动格局、偶见物种信息利用、物种行为活动、繁殖信息、疾病情况、人为干扰。这些信息的有效利用可为野生动物及生物多样性的保护、管理提供一定科学支撑。

Audio recordings made from free-ranging animals can be used to investigate aspects of physiology, behavior, and ecology through acoustic signal processing. On-animal acoustical monitoring applications allow continuous remote data collection, and can serve to address questions across temporal and spatial scales. We report on the design of an inexpensive collar-mounted recording device and present data on the activity budget of wild mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) derived from these devices applied for a 2-week period. Over 3300 h of acoustical recordings were collected from 10 deer on their winter range in a natural gas extraction field in northwestern Colorado. Analysis of a subset of the data indicated deer spent approximately 33.5% of their time browsing, 20.8% of their time processing food through mastication, and nearly 38.3% of their time digesting through rumination, with marked differences in diel patterning of these activities. Systematic auditory vigilance was a salient activity when masticating, and these data offer options for quantifying wildlife responses to varying listening conditions and predation risk. These results (validated using direct observation) demonstrate that acoustical monitoring is a viable and accurate method for characterizing individual time budgets and behaviors of ungulates, and may provide new insight into the ways external forces affect wildlife behavior.

Animals produce a wide array of sounds with highly variable acoustic structures. It is possible to understand the causes and consequences of this variation across taxa with phylogenetic comparative analyses. Acoustic and evolutionary analyses are rapidly increasing in sophistication such that choosing appropriate acoustic and evolutionary approaches is increasingly difficult. However, the correct choice of analysis can have profound effects on output and evolutionary inferences. Here, we identify and address some of the challenges for this growing field by providing a roadmap for quantifying and comparing sound in a phylogenetic context for researchers with a broad range of scientific backgrounds. Sound, as a continuous, multidimensional trait can be particularly challenging to measure because it can be hard to identify variables that can be compared across taxa and it is also no small feat to process and analyse the resulting high-dimensional acoustic data using approaches that are appropriate for subsequent evolutionary analysis. Additionally, terminological inconsistencies and the role of learning in the development of acoustic traits need to be considered. Phylogenetic comparative analyses also have their own sets of caveats to consider. We provide a set of recommendations for delimiting acoustic signals into discrete, comparable acoustic units. We also present a three-stage workflow for extracting relevant acoustic data, including options for multivariate analyses and dimensionality reduction that is compatible with phylogenetic comparative analysis. We then summarize available phylogenetic comparative approaches and how they have been used in comparative bioacoustics, and address the limitations of comparative analyses with behavioural data. Lastly, we recommend how to apply these methods to acoustic data across a range of study systems. In this way, we provide an integrated framework to aid in quantitative analysis of cross-taxa variation in animal sounds for comparative phylogenetic analysis. In addition, we advocate the standardization of acoustic terminology across disciplines and taxa, adoption of automated methods for acoustic feature extraction, and establishment of strong data archival practices for acoustic recordings and data analyses. Combining such practices with our proposed workflow will greatly advance the reproducibility, biological interpretation, and longevity of comparative bioacoustic studies.© 2021 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Much is known about chimpanzee diurnal call patterns, but far less about night-time vocal behavior. I deployed a passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) system to assess 24-hr temporal acoustic activity of wild, unhabituated chimpanzees that live in a woodland mosaic habitat similar to hominin landscapes from the Plio-Pleistocene. A primary aim was to apply findings to our broader understanding to chimpanzee 24-hr activity patterns, and what implications this may have for reconstructing hominin adaptations to similarly hot, dry, and open landscapes. I also tested whether chimpanzees conform to the acoustic adaptation hypothesis, and produce loud calls during periods of optimal sound transmission.Nine custom-made solar-powered acoustic transmission units (SPATUs) recorded continuously for 250 days over 11 months in the Issa Valley, western Tanzania. I complemented acoustic data with environmental data from weather stations as well as behavioral data collected on chimpanzee nest group sizes to assess the relationship between party size and calling.Chimpanzees called at all hours of the day and night in both wet and dry seasons, and night and day calls exhibited parallel rates/month, although twilight calls were produced significantly more in the dry, compared to the wet season. Calls were more likely during warmer temperatures and lower humidity. Call rate was positively associated with (nest) party size and counter-calls exhibited no temporal variation in their origins (similar vs. adjacent valleys).Chimpanzees were acoustically active throughout the 24-hr cycle, although at low rates compared to diurnal activity, revealing night-time activity in an ape otherwise described as diurnal. Chimpanzee loud calls partially, and weakly, conformed to the acoustic adaptation hypothesis and likely responded to social, rather than environmental factors. Call rates accurately reflect grouping patterns and PAM is demonstrated to be an effective means of remotely assessing activity, especially at times and from places that are difficult to access for researchers.© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Bird song is a sexual trait important in mate choice and known to be shaped by environmental selection. Here we investigate the ecological factors shaping song variation across a rainforest gradient in central Africa. We show that the little greenbul (Andropadus virens), previously shown to vary morphologically across the gradient in fitness-related characters, also varies with respect to song characteristics. Acoustic features, including minimum and maximum frequency, and delivery rate of song notes showed significant differences between habitats. In contrast, we found dialectal variation independent of habitat in population-typical songtype sequences. This pattern is consistent with ongoing gene flow across habitats and in line with the view that song variation in the order in which songtypes are produced is not dependent on habitat characteristics in the same way physical song characteristics are. Sound transmission characteristics of the two habitats did not vary significantly, but analyses of ambient noise spectra revealed dramatic and consistent habitat-dependent differences. Matching between low ambient noise levels for low frequencies in the rainforest and lower minimal frequencies in greenbul songs in this habitat suggests that part of the song divergence may be driven by habitat-dependent ambient noise patterns. These results suggest that habitat-dependent selection may act simultaneously on traits of ecological importance and those important in prezygotic isolation, leading to an association between morphological and acoustic divergence. Such an association may promote assortative mating and may be a mechanism driving reproductive divergence across ecological gradients.

The long call is an important vocal communication signal in the widely dispersed, semi-solitary orangutan. Long calls affect individuals' ranging behavior and mediate social relationships and regulate encounters between dispersed individuals in a dense rainforest. The aim of this study was to test the utility of an Acoustic Location System (ALS) for recording and triangulating the loud calls of free-living primates. We developed and validated a data extraction protocol for an ALS used to record wild orangutan males' long calls at the Tuanan field site (Central Kalimantan). We installed an ALS in a grid of 300 ha, containing 20 SM2+ recorders placed in a regular lattice at 500 m intervals, to monitor the distribution of calling males in the area. The validated system had the following main features: (i) a user-trained software algorithm (Song Scope) that reliably recognized orangutan long calls from sound files at distances up to 700 m from the nearest recorder, resulting in a total area of approximately 900 ha that could be monitored continuously; (ii) acoustic location of calling males up to 200 m outside the microphone grid, which meant that within an area of approximately 450 ha, call locations could be calculated through triangulation. The mean accuracy was 58 m, an error that is modest relative to orangutan mobility and average inter-individual distances. We conclude that an ALS is a highly effective method for detecting long-distance calls of wild primates and triangulating their position. In combination with conventional individual focal follow data, an ALS can greatly improve our knowledge of orangutans' social organization, and is readily adaptable for studying other highly vocal animals.© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

As human and automated sensor networks collect increasingly massive volumes of animal observations, new opportunities have arisen to use these data to infer or track species movements. Sources of broad scale occurrence datasets include crowdsourced databases, such as eBird and iNaturalist, weather surveillance radars, and passive automated sensors including acoustic monitoring units and camera trap networks. Such data resources represent static observations, typically at the species level, at a given location. Nonetheless, by combining multiple observations across many locations and times it is possible to infer spatially continuous population-level movements. Population-level movement characterizes the aggregated movement of individuals comprising a population, such as range contractions, expansions, climate tracking, or migration, that can result from physical, behavioral, or demographic processes. A desire to model population movements from such forms of occurrence data has led to an evolving field that has created new analytical and statistical approaches that can account for spatial and temporal sampling bias in the observations. The insights generated from the growth of population-level movement research can complement the insights from focal tracking studies, and elucidate mechanisms driving changes in population distributions at potentially larger spatial and temporal scales. This review will summarize current broad-scale occurrence datasets, discuss the latest approaches for utilizing them in population-level movement analyses, and highlight studies where such analyses have provided ecological insights. We outline the conceptual approaches and common methodological steps to infer movements from spatially distributed occurrence data that currently exist for terrestrial animals, though similar approaches may be applicable to plants, freshwater, or marine organisms.© 2021. The Author(s).

通过声学指数量化声音的特征反映生物的组成和生境信息, 是一种高效率、低干扰的监测方式。该研究领域在近十多年来得到了快速的发展, 不断有新的声学指数被提出, 同时也有大量的实证研究。声学指数可分为反映录音内信息的alpha声学指数和比较不同录音之间差异的beta声学指数, 其中alpha声学指数的实证研究较多。本文在汇总已有研究数据的基础上进行meta分析, 关注alpha声学指数与动物多样性、生境质量、动物活跃性之间关联的方向和程度。基于文献调研, 本文对8个常用的声学指数进行了总结分析: 声学复杂度指数(acoustic complexity index,ACI)、声学熵指数(acoustic entropy index, H)、生物声学指数(bioacoustic index, BI)、标准化声景差异指数(normalized differencesoundscape index, NDSI)、声学多样性指数(acoustic diversity index,ADI)、声学均匀度指数(acoustic evenness index,AEI)、声学丰富度指数(acoustic richness index,AR)和频峰数(number of peaks, NP)。其中, ACI是使用频次最高的声学指数, 与动物多样性、生境质量和动物活跃性均存在正相关的关系。ACI与陆地动物活跃性之间的联系最为密切, 总效应量的均值达到0.53。然而, 其他声学指数与动物多样性、生境质量和动物活跃性之间的关联程度普遍不高, 平均解释力不足10%。此外, AEI与生境质量呈显著负相关的关系(相关系数的均值为–0.18, 符号检验P = 0.001), 是本研究发现的唯一显著负相关的联系。本研究结果可为常用alpha声学指数的选用提供参考依据。

Research progress achieved by Chinese scientists in conservation biology of endangered mammals (e.g. Carnivores, primates, ungulates and cetaceans) from 2010-2015 was reviewed. These researches are mainly related to different branches of the conservation biology, such as evolutionary biology, ecology, behavior, physiology, genetics, genomics and meta-genomics, as well as policy and practices. The remarkable research achievements have been made in Conservation Biology of endangered mammals in China, especially for giant pandas and golden monkeys. Evidence from multidisciplinary researches indicated that the giant panda is not an evolutionary cul-de-sac, remaining evolutionary potential. Although the panda is facing environmental problems such as habitat fragmentations, its population is growing and available habitat is expanding. It turned out that its Red List Category could be downlisted from

本文简要论述了2010-1015年间，我国濒危哺乳动物（主要是食肉类、灵长类、有蹄类和鲸类) 保护生物学的研究进展，涉及进化保护生物学、保护生态学、保护行为学、保护生理学、保护遗传学、保护基因组学与宏基因组学和保护政策建议与实践等诸多领域。以大熊猫和金丝猴为代表的濒危动物保护生物学研究成绩显著。各项研究结果表明，大熊猫并非是一个已走到“进化尽头”的物种，仍具进化潜力。虽然大熊猫仍然面临栖息地破碎等环境问题，总的来看其种群数量在逐渐增长，栖息地面积在逐渐扩大，已走出困境并脱离“濒危”的状态，可降为“易危”。我国大熊猫的保护为世界生物多样性保护树立了成功的范例。根据国内研究进展和国际发展动态，该文还对未来保护生物学的研究提出了一些建议，包括加强长期定点监测与系统性的研究工作，加强新理论、新方法和新技术的研发及应用，加强宏微观研究手段的结合从机制上揭示科学问题，加强动物对食物、高原极端环境和水生生态环境的适应性进化分子机制的揭示，加强理论与实践相结合积极推动研究成果的应用，为濒危动物的有效保护保驾护航。

China is one of the world's mega-diverse countries. There are diverse terrestrial and marine mammals in China, including endemic and flagship species like the giant panda, snub-nosed monkey, South China tiger, Milu, and Baiji. However, habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, pollution, and climate change imposed direct threats to mammals' survival, which resulted in the genetic diversity loss of species. Genetic diversity is the basic component of biodiversity and affects the long-term survival of species and populations. Therefore, conservation genetics was established as an important branch subject of conservation biology, aiming to investigate the population genetic variation and genetic mechanisms of species endangerment and extinction. With rapid development in research techniques and methods, great progress has been made in China in the past 40 years in the evaluation of genetic diversity and inbreeding, landscape genetics, ecological genetics, and genetic management on threatened mammals. Meanwhile, the threats to mammals' survival caused by human activities still exist. The further development of new techniques, such as high-throughput sequencing, could deepen our understanding of the genetic adaptation and endangerment processes of threatened mammals, and lead to more effective management and conservation.

我国是全球生物多样性大国，拥有包括大熊猫、金丝猴、华南虎、麋鹿、白鱀豚等特有物种和旗舰物种在内的丰富兽类资源。近几十年来，土地利用模式转变、盗猎、环境污染、气候变化等因素使许多兽类物种面临生存威胁，导致物种遗传多样性丧失。而遗传多样性是生物多样性的基本组成部分，决定了物种和种群能否长期生存。保护遗传学作为保护生物学的一大分支学科，旨在通过遗传学分析探明种群遗传变异和物种濒危的遗传学机制。近40年来，随着研究手段和技术的不断发展，我国兽类保护遗传学在遗传多样性和近交水平评估、景观遗传学、生态遗传学和圈养种群遗传管理等方面都取得了重要成果。然而，未来人类社会发展可能为濒危兽类带来的威胁依然存在，高通量测序等新技术的进一步发展则能够帮助我们更加深入地了解濒危物种和种群遗传适应与濒危机制，从而实现对濒危兽类的有效管理与保护。

Most evaluations of the effects of human activities on wild animals have focused on estimating changes in abundance and distribution of threatened species; however, ecosystem disturbances also affect aspects of animal behavior such as short-term movement, activity budgets, and reproduction. It may take a long time for changes in behavior to manifest as changes in abundance or distribution. Therefore, it is important to have methods with which to detect short-term behavioral responses to human activity. We used continuous acoustic and seismic monitoring to evaluate the short-term effects of seismic prospecting for oil on forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) in Gabon, Central Africa. We monitored changes in elephant abundance and activity as a function of the frequency and intensity of acoustic and seismic signals from dynamite detonation and human activity. Elephants did not flee the area being explored; the relative number of elephants increased in a seasonal pattern typical of elsewhere in the ecosystem. In the exploration area, however, they became more nocturnal. Neither the intensity nor the frequency of dynamite blasts affected the frequency of calling or the daily pattern of elephant activity. Nevertheless, the shift of activity to nocturnal hours became more pronounced as human activity neared each monitored area of forest. This change in activity pattern and its likely causes would not have been detected through standard monitoring methods, which are not sensitive to behavioral changes over short time scales (e.g., dung transects, point counts) or cover a limited area (e.g., camera traps). Simultaneous acoustic monitoring of animal communication, human, and environmental sounds allows the documentation of short-term behavioral changes in response to human disturbance.© 2010 Society for Conservation Biology.

Soundscape ecology studies the patterns of sounds across a variety of spatial and temporal scales, which reflects coupled natural-human dynamics in a changing landscape. We reviewed peer-reviewed studies on soundscape ecology, and summarized the conceptual framework of soundscape ecology, the methodology used and acoustic indices developed in these studies. Current studies primarily focus on the following aspects: 1) acoustic composition of soundscape; 2) acoustic interactions between soundscape components; 3) temporal patterns and spatial variability in the soundscapes; 4) acoustic indices developed for biodiversity monitoring and their efficacy. For future studies on soundscape ecology and biodiversity conservation, we suggest: 1) establishing systematic acoustic monitoring network and data management platform; 2) developing new methods for data collection and analysis (e.g., recording matrix and machine learning algorithm); and 3) treating soundscape as an important resource in future research and conservation.

声景生态学以景观中的声音为研究对象，探讨其在不同时空维度上的分布和变化模式，从而揭示自然环境、野生动物和人类活动的相互作用关系。通过系统检索声景生态学研究的相关文献，本文回顾了该学科的研究框架、研究方法，总结了目前常用的声学指标，重点归纳了声景生态学的研究内容，包括声景组成和各组分间的相互作用，声景的时空格局，以及声景生态学在生物多样性监测中的应用。目前，声景监测中存在的问题主要包括监测的生态系统类型和物种类群有限、声学指标效力有待提高等。建议未来着重推进建立系统性的声景监测网络和数据管理平台；开发和完善音频数据采集、分析方法和评估指标；并重视声景数据的采集，将声景视作一种资源进行研究和保护。