This study examines the relative importance of six variables: area, the mid-domain effect, temperature, precipitation, productivity, and habitat heterogeneity on elevational patterns of species richness for breeding birds along a central Himalaya gradient in the Gyirong Valley, the longest of five canyons in the Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve. We conducted field surveys in each of twelve elevational bands of 300 m between 1,800 and 5,400 m asl four times throughout the entire wet season. A total of 169 breeding bird species were recorded and most of the species (74%) were small-ranged. The species richness patterns of overall, large-ranged and small-ranged birds were all hump-shaped, but with peaks at different elevations. Large-ranged species and small-ranged species contributed equally to the overall richness pattern.Based on the bivariate and multiple regression analyses, area and precipitation were not crucial factors in determining the species richness along this gradient. The mid-domain effect played an important role in shaping the richness pattern of large-ranged species. Temperature was negatively correlated with overall and large-ranged species but positively correlated with small-ranged species. Productivity was a strong explanatory factor among all the bird groups, and habitat heterogeneity played an important role in shaping the elevational richness patterns of overall and small-ranged species. Our results highlight the need to conserve primary forest and intact habitat in this area. Furthermore, we need to increase conservation efforts in this montane biodiversity hotspot in light of increasing anthropogenic activities and land use pressure.

Researchers have proposed a variety of classification schemes for the species in the genus Muntiacus (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) based on morphological, molecular, and other evidence, but disputes remain. The Tibetan Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon National Nature Reserve in the Eastern Himalayas is an area with a rich diversity of muntjac species. The habitats of many species overlap in this area, but systematic research in this area is lacking. To clarify the species, population and habitat size of muntjac species in the study area, we used camera-traps to monitor muntjacs in the nature reserve from 2013 to 2021 and described and compared morphological characteristics of the muntjac species. Subsequently, we used the MaxEnt model to simulate the habitats of the muntjac species and the Random Encounter Model to estimate the population density and numbers of muntjacs. Three muntjac species were found in the area, namely Muntiacus vaginalis (n = 7788 ± 3866), Muntiacus gongshanensis (n = 6673 ± 2121), and Muntiacus feae (n = 3142 ± 942). The red muntjac has the largest habitat area, the highest population density, and largest size, followed by Gongshan muntjac and Fea’s muntjac. This study provides basic data for improving the background knowledge of the animal diversity in the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, as well as detailed information and references required by wildlife workers for species identification.

Understanding flexibility in the social structure and mating strategies of the world’s last remaining population (35 individuals) of wild Hainan gibbons (Nomascus hainanus) is critical for developing effective management plans to aid in their population recovery. Three of the five remaining Hainan gibbon groups (A, B, and C) currently live in a social unit characterized by two or three adult males, two reproducing adult females, and offspring. A fourth group (D) contains one adult male, two adult females, and offspring, and Group E contains a single adult male–adult female pair with a young infant. In this study, we describe observations of copulations between multiple resident males and one of the two resident females in Group C. Group C is best described as a small multi-male/multi-female group. We found that this breeding female (F2) solicited copulations from two resident adult males (M1 and M2) on the same day, and also mated with each of these two males on different days. Resident males were not observed to interrupt the mating pair. Although factors such as a biased adult sex ratio, severe population disruption, and habitat degradation can help explain variation in group composition and mating strategies in Hainan gibbons, we argue that there exists considerable mating system variability across gibbon species, and that this variability offers important insights into male and female Hainan gibbon group structure and reproductive strategies.

With the rapid development of society and the economy, human activities are increasing, which often brings potential threats such as a decline in forest resource quality and ecological function. In order to investigate the change in forest resource quality and human activity intensity, this study constructed a calculation model for a forest resource quality index and a human activity intensity index and conducted a quantitative analysis of the temporal and spatial changes in forest resource quality and human activity intensity in Yulin City based on sub-compartment data in 2017 and 2020. By combining spatial autocorrelation analysis, the changes in human activity intensity and spatial forest resource quality were explored, and key areas such as the prominent contradictions between humans and the land were superimposed and coupled as potential areas of concern. The results show the following: From 2017 to 2020, the forest resource quality in Yulin City improved as a whole, especially in Zizhou County, but there were increases and decreases in other regions. Human activity intensity increased as a whole, and the most obvious increase was in Hengshan District. Both the forest resource quality and human activity intensity indexes had spatial aggregation, the differences in forest resource quality between regions were reduced, and human activity intensity showed a trend towards aggregated development. The high–high cluster area for human activity intensity showed a decreasing trend, but it expanded outward in urban areas and other human-gathering areas, such as the surrounding area of Yulin City, Jingbian County, and Shenmu City. The high–high cluster area for forest resource quality showed a shrinking trend. Four specific regions were identified through a spatial coupled superposition analysis to reveal the dynamic relationship between forest resource quality and human activity intensity. The most obvious region was the Yuyang District, where the forest resource quality improved because of a reduction in the pressure of human activities on the natural environment.

The Asian golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) is the most varied wild cat species in terms of coat color. Understanding coat pattern variation will help to elucidate the mechanisms behind it as well as its relationship with the environment. We conducted long-term (2013–2021) monitoring of Asian golden cats in the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon National Nature Reserve, Tibet, using camera traps at 283 points over 89,991 camera days. A total of 620 cat photos were recorded, including 344 (55.48%) with recognizable color patterns. Vector graphics of the coat patterns were extracted from the field image data, which revealed 10 color types in the ratio common: cinnamon: reddish-brown long hair: ocelot: blackening: melanistic: gray: brown: brown short hair: pure black = 123:76:57:35:22:8:7:7:5:4. The genes for coat pattern variation are widespread in the Asian golden cat population and are relatively stable. The increase in population size intraspecific competition has led to the tail break phenotype in individual cats. The gene encoding for tail breakage in Asian golden cats remains unknown. This study provides basic information for understanding faunal diversity in the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot and serves as a reference for studies on the formation mechanisms for feline color pattern diversity.