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The Guizhou snub-nosed monkey, Rhinopithecus brelichi, is a large-bodied colobine confined to the subtropical semideciduous forests of Fanjing Mountain Reserve in Guizhou province, southwest China. Field work beginning in 1979 and including 10 months of intensive study in 1991 has revealed several aspects of the behavior and ecology of this species that are distinct from other colobines, including the closely related species R. roxellana and R. bieti. The Guizhou snub-nosed monkey is arboreal, traveling through the trees by quadrupedal walking, climbing, leaping, semibrachiation and (occasionally) by full brachiation. Terrestrial locomotion is used occasionally. Social organization centers around family groups of 5–10 individuals with a single adult male. Many family groups range and rest together in large, semicohesive bands. These bands may split up or coalesce temporarily to form large aggregations of over 400 animals and perhaps more. All-male groups of 2–5 adult or subadult males are found on the periphery of the bands.

ABSTRACT. The black-crested gibbon, Hylobates concolor, is one of the few species of gibbons that has not yet been the subject of a long term field study. Field observations in the Ai Lao and Wu Liang Mountains of Yunnan Province, China indicate that in this area the habitat and ecology of this species differ markedly from those of other gibbons that have been studied to date. These differences are correlated with some behavioral differences. In particular, these gibbons apparently have greater day ranges than other gibbons. It has also been suggested that this species lives in polygynous groups. To demonstrate this requires observation of groups with two or more females with young. Our own observations and those from other recent studies suggest that there are alternative explanations consistent with available data.

Article impact statementConcurrent effects of different types of human disturbance on wildlife communities need to be considered in conservation planning.

AimOwing to the broad use of camera traps, integration and standardization among camera trap studies has become key to maximizing their utility for local and global biodiversity conservation. Our goal was to introduce the use of a hierarchical modelling framework in the context of coordinated biodiversity monitoring to compare species richness and occupancy by integrating camera trap data from multiple study areas.LocationSouthwest China.MethodsWe used hierarchical occupancy models to integrate camera trap data for elusive mammal and pheasant communities from three study areas representing different habitat types: alpine and subalpine zones, dry‐hot valleys and subtropical montane forests. We evaluate the responses of species occurrence to human influence and habitat parameters based on a Bayesian approach.ResultsWe captured photographs of 23 mammal and 7 pheasant species over 10,095 trap nights. The model revealed that the alpine and subalpine zones supported the highest species richness of the target communities among the three habitat types. Surprisingly, dry‐hot valleys supported similar levels of species richness to subtropical montane forest. Species richness showed a similar bell‐shaped relationship with elevation, with the richness curve peaking at intermediate elevations at about 3500 m above sea level (asl). Posterior distributions for community‐level hyper‐parameters indicated the consistent and negative effects of human disturbance on species occupancy. The community model also revealed a strong quadratic relationship between elevation and occupancy, with the highest occupancy occurring at about 3700 m asl.Main conclusionUsing hierarchical occupancy models for integrating camera trap data from multiple study areas, we show that alpine/subalpine zone and dry‐hot valleys have the highest richness and should be given more priority for conservation of biodiversity in southwest China. We recommend broader application of the hierarchical occupancy modelling approach to camera trap data to obtain more comprehensive insights relevant to regional biodiversity conservation.

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The black-crested gibbon is believed to be endangered throughout its range in China and northern Vietnam, where much of the original forest has been destroyed. The only reserves known to have substantial populations are the Ailao Mountain and Wuliang Mountain Natural Protected Areas in Yunnan Province, China, which together may have 1500 of an estimated total of 3500 black-crested gibbons in protected areas in China. Although they are probably the best protected, the gibbon populations of both reserves have been badly depleted by deforestation and hunting. Recent reports that roads will be constructed through the centres of the reserves, and that gold has been discovered in one of them, increase concern. The Ministry of Forestry has started new conservation measures, but further action is required.

W i l l i a m V. B l e i s c h , P a u l J. B u z z a r d , H u i b i n Z h a n g , D o n g h u a X Ü , Z h i h u L i u W e i d o n g L i and H o w m a n W o n g Abstract Females in most populations of chiru or Tibetan antelope Pantholops hodgsonii migrate each year up to 350 km to summer calving grounds, and these migrations characterize the Tibet/Qinghai Plateau. We studied the migratory chiru population at the Ullughusu calving grounds southwest of the Arjinshan Nature Reserve in Xinjiang, China. The 750-1,000 km 2 of suitable habitat at Ullughusu is at 4,500-5,000 m with sparse vegetation. We used direct methods (block counts, vehicle and walking transects and radial point sampling) and an indirect method (pellet counts) during six summers to assess population density. We also witnessed and stopped two major poaching events, in 1998 and 1999 (103 and 909 carcasses, respectively). Surveys suggested a drop in population density from 1999 to 2000. Poaching was not seen during summer monitoring after 1999, and surveys in 2001 and 2006 suggest that the population density is stable or recovering. We compare the Ullughusu calving grounds with those in the western Kunlun and discuss possible routes for migrating females.