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Wang, D.; Wan, Y.; Wang, S.; Chen, J.; Wu, T.; Li, J.; Lian, X.
Camera-trapping survey of the diversity of mammals and birds in the Tuotuo River basin of the source region of the Yangtze River
2020  Biodiversity Science (28): 1132-1140

The Tuotuo River is a tributary to the Yangtze River, and ecologically important because it supports diverse habitat including many endemic species of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The Tuotuo River basin is especially unique and includes many different and fragile habitats, but bird and mammal diversity remain unclear. From September 2017 to December 2018, 60 infrared cameras were placed evenly in a grid (60 1-km 2 grids) across three sample plots, Bande Mountains, Daerzong Mountains and the mouth of Tongtian River. A total of 4,288 camera-days, and 2,353 independent photos were obtained. Based on these data, we identified a total of 38 species. We identified 16 species of mammals which could be divided into 5 orders, 10 families, 16 genera and 22 species of birds which could be divided into 8 orders, 15 families, 19 genera. Among 38 species, 26 are classified as falling under either first or second class animal protections in China or have important economic or research value. Four species that belong under Class-I National Key Protected Species include the snow leopard (_Panthera uncia_), white-lipped deer (_Gervus albirostris_), kiang (_Equus kiang_) and lammergeier (_Gypaetus barbatus_); 11 species are classified as Class-II National Key Protected Species and 11 species which are beneficial or have important economic value or research value. The saker falcon (_Falco cherrug_), a IUCN red list threatened and endangered species was detected, and two other vulnerable species and five species as near threatened were identified in images. The five most detected mammals in the Tuotuo River basin were blue sheep (_Pseudois nayaur_, RAI= 11.17), plateau pika (_Ochotona curzoniae_, RAI= 6.48), woolly hare (_Lepus oiostolus_, RAI= 4.99), Tibetan fox (_Vulpes ferrilata_, RAI= 3.36) and Tibetan gazelle _(Procapra picticaudata_, RAI= 2.87). The five most abundant avian species were red-billed chough (_Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax_, RAI= 3.08), black redstart (_Phoenicurus ochruros_, RAI= 1.26), rufous-necked snowfinch (_Pyrgilauda ruficollis_, RAI= 1.26), upland buzzard (_Buteo hemilasius_, RAI= 0.82) and white-rumped snowfinch (_Pyrgilauda taczanowskii_, RAI= 0.61). Meanwhile, livestock and human activities were also commonly recorded by infrared cameras (RAI= 8.72). The results provide an important basis for further investigating the biodiversity of the Tuotuo River basin of the Yangtze River and formulating conservation and management measures in the future.

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