Do Giant Pandas Prefer Steeper Habitats? A Case Study on Panda Spatial Utilization in the Qinling Mountains, China.

Animal-trace data from the Third and the Fourth National Giant Panda Survey in the four reserves in the Shaanxi Qinling Mountains (Laoxiancheng, Foping, Changqing, and Huangbaiyuan) suggested that giant pandas unexpectedly have a lower occurrence rate in gentle locations. To explore the cause of this apparently counterintuitive preference, we used spatial and data analysis tools to analyze the spatial composition of the daily activity zones, the relative quantity of traces, the trace density, and the slope supply of the reserves. We found that the slope composition around gentle slopes and steep slopes is similar, with more traces clustered around gentle slopes.

Riparian leaf litter decomposition on pond bottom after a retention on floating vegetation.

Allochthonous (e.g., riparian) plant litter is among the organic matter resources that are important for wetland ecosystems.

Is there coordination of leaf and fine root traits at local scales? A test in temperate forest swamps.

Examining the coordination of leaf and fine root traits not only aids a better understanding of plant ecological strategies from a whole-plant perspective, but also helps improve the prediction of belowground properties from aboveground traits. The relationships between leaf and fine root traits have been extensively explored at global and regional scales, but remain unclear at local scales. Here, we measured six pairs of analogous leaf and fine root traits related to resource economy and organ size for coexisting dominant and subordinate vascular plants at three successional stages of temperate forest swamps in Lingfeng National Nature Reserve in the Greater Hinggan Mountains, NE China.