Welcome to the 31st IUBS General Assembly and Conference on ...

questionnaire surveys in Xiangxi Au<strong>to</strong>nomous Prefecture
of Tujia <strong>and</strong> Miao Nationalities. The results showed that
35 <strong>to</strong> 55 year old indigenous people are <strong>the</strong> main bearers
of <strong>the</strong> traditional knowledge of indigenous lives<strong>to</strong>ck <strong>and</strong>
poultry species, <strong>and</strong> are also <strong>the</strong> main perpetra<strong>to</strong>rs of <strong>the</strong>
lives<strong>to</strong>ck <strong>and</strong> poultry crossbreeding. However, <strong>the</strong>y lack
<strong>the</strong> knowledge of protecting or sharing <strong>the</strong> benefits
arising from <strong>the</strong> use of traditional knowledge of lives<strong>to</strong>ck.
Thus, it is urgent <strong>to</strong> preserve <strong>the</strong> genetic resources of
domestic animals <strong>and</strong> traditional knowledge of domestic
animals in Miao <strong>and</strong> Tujia ethnic areas of western Hunan.
The pure effect of climate on species
distribution
Raimundo REAL<strong>and</strong> Ana Luz MARQUEZ
Diversity, <strong>and</strong> Conservation Research Team, Department of
Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga
ES‐29071, Malaga. Email: rrgimenez@uma.es
Climate is one of <strong>the</strong> main drivers of species distribution.
However, as different environmental fac<strong>to</strong>rs tend <strong>to</strong>
covary, <strong>the</strong> effect of climate cannot be taken at face value,
as it may be ei<strong>the</strong>r inflated or obscured by o<strong>the</strong>r
correlated fac<strong>to</strong>rs. We used <strong>the</strong> favourability models of 4
species inhabiting Spanish mountains (Alytes dickhilleni,
Vipera latasti, Aquila fasciata <strong>and</strong> Capra pyrenaica) as a
case study <strong>to</strong> evaluate <strong>the</strong> relative contribution of climate
in <strong>the</strong>ir forecasted favourability by using variation
partitioning <strong>and</strong> weighting <strong>the</strong> effect of climate in relation
<strong>to</strong> non‐climatic fac<strong>to</strong>rs.Calculating <strong>the</strong> pure effect of <strong>the</strong>
climatic fac<strong>to</strong>r (PCF), <strong>the</strong> pure effects of non‐climatic
fac<strong>to</strong>rs (PNCF), <strong>the</strong> shared climatic effect (SCF) <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>
proportion of <strong>the</strong> pure effect of <strong>the</strong> climatic fac<strong>to</strong>r in
relation <strong>to</strong> its apparent effect ( ), we assessed <strong>the</strong>
apparent effect <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> pure independent effect of
climate <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>n projected both types of effects when
modelling <strong>the</strong> future favourability for each species <strong>and</strong>
combination of different Atmosphere–Ocean <strong>General</strong>
Circulation Models <strong>and</strong> Emission Scenarios. The results
show that <strong>the</strong> apparent effect of climate can be ei<strong>the</strong>r
inflated (overrated) or obscured (underrated) by o<strong>the</strong>r
correlated fac<strong>to</strong>rs. Transferring <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> future <strong>the</strong> pure
climatic effect <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> apparent climatic effect delimits
<strong>the</strong> maximum <strong>and</strong> minimumfavourable areas forecasted
for each species in each climate change scenario.
The recovery of Eurasian lynx at
Saihanwula Biosphere Reserve in Inner
Mongolia
Weidong BAO
Beijing Forestry University, Qinghua East Road, Haidian,
Beijing, China. Email: wdbao@bjfu.edu.cn
To verify <strong>the</strong> living status of wild felids <strong>and</strong> population
development, in 2006, we started a field‐moni<strong>to</strong>ring
program on Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) recovery at <strong>the</strong>
Saihanwula Biosphere Reserve. Line transacts <strong>and</strong>
active traces were used <strong>to</strong> capture lynx activities during
winter, <strong>and</strong> camera traps were used <strong>to</strong> identify
individuals throughout <strong>the</strong> years of this study. We found
an increasing trend of this lynx population with <strong>the</strong>
following main results.
In November 2006, we found tracks of a mo<strong>the</strong>r lynx
with her cubs at a core area of <strong>the</strong> reserve. It was <strong>the</strong>
first time <strong>to</strong> obtain breeding information since 1988
when 2 one‐month old lynx cubs were found in a rock
den in <strong>the</strong> same area. A poached adult male was found
in December 2008 <strong>and</strong> a terri<strong>to</strong>rial individual was
pho<strong>to</strong>graphed in Oc<strong>to</strong>ber 2011. The winter line transect
moni<strong>to</strong>ring confirmed that <strong>the</strong>re were at least 3
terri<strong>to</strong>rial lynx active at this area of 110km 2 .
In December 2006, a single line of lynx tracks was
recorded at ano<strong>the</strong>r core area of <strong>the</strong> reserve. Since <strong>the</strong>n
more active traces were found <strong>and</strong> one lynx entered our
capture cage, but unfortunately <strong>the</strong> cage release
mechanism didnot work well <strong>and</strong> this individual walked
out <strong>the</strong> cage. A mo<strong>the</strong>r lynx with her 2 sub‐adult cubs
were pictured at <strong>the</strong> prey remains of our radio‐tracked
roe deer in November 2011. According <strong>to</strong> body shape
<strong>and</strong> patterns of <strong>the</strong> camera pho<strong>to</strong>s <strong>the</strong>re were 5–7 lynx
living in <strong>the</strong> core area of 150km 2 by 2011.
Based on field surveys of <strong>the</strong> main prey of lynx, <strong>the</strong>
roe deer population is beginning <strong>to</strong> grow as a result of
<strong>the</strong> provision of salt <strong>and</strong> hay for deer during <strong>the</strong> winter
months by <strong>the</strong> reserve administration. Thus, <strong>the</strong> lynx
population is increasing with that of <strong>the</strong> roe deer.
However, poaching is still <strong>the</strong> major threat <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>
recovery of Eurasian lynx, <strong>and</strong> more action <strong>to</strong> prevent
this disturbance is needed at <strong>the</strong> reserve.
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