The complete chloroplast genome sequences of Cornus elliptica (Cornaceae)

Cornus elliptica is a species of the Cornus, an evergreen tree endemic to China. Here, we report a complete chloroplast genome sequence of C. elliptica. The chloroplast genome was found to be 157,400bp in length, and G-C contents were 38.1%. The sequence contained 115 unique genes, including 31 tRNA, 4 rRNA, and 80 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic framework of Cornus is consistent with previous studies

Potential habitat corridors and restoration areas for the black-and-white snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus bieti in Yunnan, China

International audienceThe black-and-white snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus bieti is endemic to China, where its population is fragmented into 15 isolated groups and threatened despite efforts to protect the species.Herewe analyse possible habitat connectivity between the groups reported in Yunnan, using genetic, least-cost path and Euclidean distances. We detect genetic isolation between the northern and southern groups but not among the northern groups. We show that genetic distance is better explained by human disturbance and land-cover least-cost paths than by Euclidian distance. High-quality habitats were found to be more fragmented in the southern part of the study area and interspersed with human-influenced areas unsuitable for black-andwhite snub-nosed monkeys, which may explain the genetic isolation of the southern groups. Potential corridors are identified based on the least-cost path analysis, and seven sensitive areas are proposed for restoration. We recommend (1) that restoration is focused on the current range of the monkeys, with efforts to reduce human disturbance and human population pressure and increase public awareness, and (2) the development of a long-term plan for habitat restoration and corridor design in the areas between groups

Why Is the Income Effect of Farmland Transfer Inconsistent between Transferred-Out and Transferred-In Households?

Based on the 2013–2017 Chinese Family Database and China Household Finance Survey, this study examines the effect of farmland transfer on the income structure of agricultural households. We observe a significant rise in the income of transferred-out households, while that of transferred-in households is unchanged. A further empirical decomposition of income shows a significant increase in both the wage- and asset-generated incomes of transferred-out households. Although the income generated by transferred-in households through agricultural production and management increases significantly, the decrease in wage income is larger. The study’s empirical designs are robustly tested with propensity score matching and instrumental variables. Moreover, we conduct a comparative analysis of the external constraints faced by the two groups to explore the reasons for the divergence of the income effect. The results show that transferred-in households face highly pronounced external constraints in terms of capital, technology, and farmland size, while transferred-out households face relatively fewer impediments to non-agricultural employment. Our empirical results imply that external constraints can limit the social welfare improvements of agricultural land reform, suggesting that other complementary measures would be required for future policy improvements to function better

Spatial-temporal patterns of human-wildlife conflicts under coupled impact of natural and anthropogenic factors in Mt. Gaoligong, western Yunnan, China

Human-wildlife conflicts (HWC) are major conservation concerns that threaten both wildlife and rural livelihoods, and can vary spatially and temporally in diverse environments. A better understanding of HWC enhances mitigation strategies and promotes human-wildlife coexistence. We gathered HWC incidents from 2012 to 2021 in Longyang District, Yunnan Province, China, to assess their spatial-temporal patterns and determinants. We found that HWC were distributed unevenly, with more occurring near the protected area and away from densely populated areas. Poisson regression indicated that forests and croplands were the key factors influencing the spatial patterns of HWC for Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), but shrubs for rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). Furthermore, the HWC occurrences fluctuated across time, peaking in August-October. These conflicts intensified between 2012 and 2021, mainly involving wild boars (Sus scrofa) and rhesus monkeys, while HWC involving Asiatic black bears declined slightly. We suggest a multi-faceted strategy with compensation, prevention, and conservation awareness to mitigate HWC in this region

Spatial co-occurrence and temporal activity patterns of sympatric mesocarnivores guild in Qinling Mountains

Mesocarnivores play important roles in shaping the ecosystems they inhabit, but are often overlooked in comparison to larger-bodied apex predators. Sympatric mesocarnivore species can minimise interspecific competition by spatial avoidance or by altering temporal activity to reduce encounter rates. Here, we used camera traps to investigate the spatial and temporal co-occurrence of mesocarnivores in the Qinling Mountains of China. We obtained 1312 independent detections of target mesocarnivore species with an effort of 93,606 camera-trap days from April 2014 to October 2017. Our results showed that: (1) the relative activity indices (RAI) differed among mesocarnivores species, with the RAI of hog badger being significantly higher than that of other species; (2) the probability of occupancy varied among species, with yellow-throated marten (ᴪ = 0.338) having the highest occupancy estimates; overall, occupancy by yellow-throated marten correlated positively with vegetation type (β = 0.31 ± 0.13); (3) Asiatic golden cat, Siberian weasel and ferret badger tended to segregate themselves spatially, while spatial overlap indices of any two given pairs of leopard cat, masked palm civet, hog badger and yellow-throated marten were relatively high; (4) leopard cat was nocturnal and crepuscular, while masked palm civet and ferret badger were primarily nocturnal, and yellow-throated marten was diurnal and crepuscular. Hog badger had no clear daily pattern; (5) all species except the yellow-throated marten showed moderate to high temporal overlap. Our results show that spatial and temporal segregation of mesocarnivores may serve as the mechanism to reduce competition and facilitate coexistence

Evaluation of Genetic Variation among Sorghum Varieties from Southwest China via Genome Resequencing

Little is known regarding genomic variation among glutinous sorghum [ (L.) Moench] varieties grown in southwest China, which are primarily used to brew the popular Jiang-flavor liquor. This study evaluated genomic variation among six representative sorghum accessions via whole-genome resequencing. The evaluation revealed 2365,363 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 394,365 insertions and deletions, and 47,567 copy number variations among the six genomes. Chromosomes 5 and 10 showed relatively high SNP densities, whereas whole-genome diversity in this population was low. In addition, some chromosomal loci exhibited obvious selection during the breeding process. Sorghum accessions from southwest China formed an elite germplasm population compared with the findings of other geographic populations, and the elite variety ‘Hongyingzi’ contained 79 unique genes primarily involved in basic metabolism. The six sorghum lines contained a large number of high-confidence genes, with Hongyingzi in particular possessing 104 unique genes. These findings advance our understanding of domestication of the sorghum genome, and Chinese sorghum accessions will be valuable resources for further research and breeding improvements

A framework for assessing variations in ecological networks to support wildlife conservation and management

Habitat fragmentation poses a considerable threat to global biodiversity loss, making the study of landscape connectivity and ecological networks essential in an ever-changing environment. Of particular importance is the assessment of network dynamics, as it can provide invaluable specific insights for conservation and management strategies. This research proposes a framework to assess variations in ecological networks and identify conservation priorities. In this framework, we applied multi-methods to collect species occurrence and create resistance surfaces based on habitat suitability from the MaxEnt model. By using diverse approaches such as the least-cost model, circuit model, and centrality mapper, we identified ecological corridors between core areas and determined their centrality. Furthermore, we employed multi-level metrics to measure changes within ecological networks. Additionally, we introduced two indices to evaluate human disturbance faced by core habitats. We proposed a novel method that considers core habitats’ centrality and human disturbance to identify conservation priorities. Specifically, using the Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus) as a case species, we examined the variations in ecological network and human disturbance across 2000–2020 in Western Yunnan, China. Our study revealed overall improvement with local losses in the availability and connectivity of black bear habitats in Western Yunnan from 2000 to 2020. However, the core habitats have been facing an escalating human disturbance. Our approach provides a framework for assessing dynamic ecological networks that can be applied to diverse species, landscapes, and scenarios. Furthermore, this approach helps guide conservation and management to promote human-wildlife coexistence in a changing environment