Photo credit: Wang Lang Nature Reserve

Background

Little information is available about mammalian carnivore populations in China. I worked with collaborators from Peking University and The Nature Conservancy China to establish a research program studying the effects of the changing environment on the ecology and behavior of carnivores in Southwest China. We began our investigations in Laohegou Nature Reserve, a new protected area in Sichuan Province.

Hongliang Bu is a recent Ph.D. graduate and current Postdoctoral Scholar at Peking University in Beijing.

Main question

How are carnivores distributed across the landscape in Southwest China?

Objectives

• Evaluate noninvasive methods for sampling mesocarnivores (masked palm civets & Siberian weasels). PDF
• Estimate the occupancy and activity patterns of mesocarnivores LINK
• Quantify the seasonal diets of carnivores using scat and stable isotope analysis
• Examine the home ranges, activity patterns, and habitat use of carnivores using radio-telemetry and GPS data