Preliminary Monitoring Of Damage Caused By Wildlife In Beijing Nature Reserves Using Infrared Cameras

This study monitored wildlife in Beijing Songshan National Nature Reserve and Baihuashan National Nature Reserve using infrared cameras, analyzing the activity features of conflicts-caused animals, i.e. wild boar (Sus scrofa)and dog badger (Meles meles) etc, and then put forward reasonable suggestions for conflicts prevention and control.Infrared camera line transect method was used. Thirty and twenty cameras were emplaced in Songshan Nature Reserve and Baihua Mountain conservation area for wildlife activity monitoring during the year between January,2015 to January,2016 and the period between July,2015 and December,2015, respectively. Activity features of potential conflicts-caused wildlife were anylized using shooting rate, biological diversity indexes and variable relationship between wildlife and their environment. The results are as follows.(1)We took 2796 photographs in Songshan Nature Reserve,2301 of which contain mammals, belonging to 13 species of 9 families,4 orders.28 recognizable photograths of Chinese goral valid (Naemorhedus caudatus), a kind of second class national protect animal. No Panther a pardus, which is a kind of first class national protected animal that has been recorded in this area, has been shot in this study.447 photographs contain birds, belonging to 38 species of 15 families,6 orders. Four kinds of second class protected animal were found including Accipiter gentilis, Accipiter nisus, Strix aluco, and Pucrasia macrolopha.48 photographs of human and livestock activities were shot. Activity rythms of conflicts caused animals including Sus scrofa, Meles meles, Arctonyx collaris, and Prionailurus bengalensis were analyzed, and the results suggest no correlation between Sus scrofa and human activities. Relavant control methods were proposed according to the biological and activity features of conflicts caused wild animals.(2)We took 2098 photographs in Baihua Mountain tourist area,83.1% of which cotain mammals, belonging to 12 species of 7 families,3 orders.9.10% of the photograths contain birds, belonging to 26species of 12 families and 4 orders.7.39% of the photograths contain human and livestock acitivities. One recognizable photo of 3 brown-eared pheasants (Crossoptilon mantchuricum), the first class national protected animal, was shot at relative high altitude around the tourist line. Pucrasia macrolopha and Capreolus capreolus have relatively high abundance. A total of 8 recognizable photographs of wild boar activity were shot.5 cameras recorded 9 individual-time of wild boar, with 2 individual-time of adult boar, and 1 indivitual of boar cub. The activity rhythm and amounts of wild boar pose no threat to tourists.14 snakes were shot in the may to september of 2015, including 7 Pallas pit viper,2 Dione rat snakes (Elaphe dione),4 Korean rat snakes (Elaphe anomala), and 1 tiger keelback (Rhabdophis tigrinus). Poisonous snakes contain 50% of monitored snakes. Tourists are suggested to (1).be caution with these dangerous wild animals; (2). keep away from sites with frequent viper activities; (3). not provoke these animals; (4). get downhill before dawn along tourist route, not camp over night in the mountains.