Large And Medium-sized Terrestrial Mammal Assessment Using Cameratraps In Nangunhe Nature Reserve, Yunnan Province & Gaotianyan Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province

Mammal species composition and distribution information throughout protected areas in China remain incomplete, and understanding their patterns and underlying process are essential for conservation action and appropriate management. Camera traps have been proven to be an effective tool for mammal inventories in forest environments. The objectives of my research were threefold 1) Use camera trap methodology to evaluate species composition and species richness for large and medium sized mammals within two nature reserves, one tropical (Nangunhe Nature Reserve, Yunnan province) and one subtropical (GaoTianYan Nature Reserve, Jiangxi province).2) Assessing the abundance and distribution activity patterns of mammals and species of interest.3) Use occupancy modeling from the pilot survey to determine species occupancy, abundance, to provide information that can inform future comprehensive surveys.The southern part of China, including the tropical areas of Yunnan province are recognized as a biodiversity "hotspot", and comprise a large number of large and medium sized mammals which are endemic. The tropical and subtropical forests of Nangunhe Nature Reserve lie within this region. Despite the importance of the area for global mammal biodiversity, little research has been conducted in Nangunhe. I worked with the local community to design a camera trapping research project that provides useful information on mammal species composition, species richness, and abundance. The survey recorded 17 species of mammals in Nangunhe nature reserve in 2640 camera trap days. Also, Jiangxi province, a subtropical area, was explored via rapid assessment of carnivores and pheasants for assessment of biodiversity. The survey in GaoTianYan nature reserve yielded five large and medium-sized mammals and two pheasant species in 1080 camera trap days.Photographs were organized using cameraBASE 1.6.1 software. The photographic capture rate revealed important data regarding species and activity patterns. Species richness was derived using EstimateS 9.1.0. Occupancy modeling was conducted on detection/non-detection data for species of interest in PRESENCE 8.6 software. This study is a preliminary analysis for the two nature reserves to gather baseline data on species richness and species composition, from these data, a more thorough survey design can be implemented for specific species based on GENPRES results.