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Reviews by Bill Bleisch
Bleisch, Bill. 2018. Review: Tibetan Environmentalists in China. Asian Highlands Perspectives 51:... more Bleisch, Bill. 2018. Review: Tibetan Environmentalists in China. Asian Highlands Perspectives 51:351-359.
Liu Jianqiang (Ian Rowen, Cyrus K Hui, and Emily T Yeh, translators) 2015. Tibetan Environmentalists in China: The King of Dzi. Lanham, Boulder, New York, London: Lexington Books. xxi + 327 pp, index. ISBN 978-0-7391-9973-2 (hardback 105USD) - ISBN 978-0-7391-9974-9 (electronic 103.35USD).
This translation is an edited and updated version of Sky Beads - Tibetan Legends by Chinese journalist Liu Jianqiang, an accomplished investigative reporter (Fowler and Dean 2006; Shapiro 2016:126). The author began work on the book in 2006 when he was a visiting scholar at Peking University. He subsequently conducted a series of lengthy in-depth interviews with several remarkable individuals from various regions of Tibet - Tashi Dorje Hashi (Tador); Rukai Karma Samdrup (Karma) and his older brother, Rinchen Samdrup (Rinchen); Tsewang Gendun Denba (Gendun), Musuo Lobsang Tsundru (Musuo), and others. What may have begun for the author as an investigation of local Tibetan environmental activism soon became something very different and more interesting: an exploration of the "remarkable lives" of individuals who had chosen to play a vibrant part in shaping the present and future of their home. The book explores not only their activities and thoughts on environmental and cultural conservation, but how these were shaped by their pasts and their current beliefs. The narrative digs unabashedly into all aspects of their lives, successes and mistakes, commitments and doubts. There is even an entire chapter devoted to the most intimate details of their complicated love lives, remarkable for the honesty and openness of the interviews.
...
Modern descriptions of Tibetan border regions often construct a simple binary opposition between ... more Modern descriptions of Tibetan border regions often construct a simple binary opposition between the Chinese state and Tibetan institutions. Those supporting Beijing's version of history usually sketch a description of the steady and ineluctable expansion of Chinese civilization and sovereignty. Others, critical of Chinese governmental policies in the region, use the same opposition to contrast the modern reality with a romantic vision of a past in which Tibetans lived in harmony with nature.
Jack Patrick Hayes has taken a closer look at the history of the Songpan region, and his analysis reveals something entirely different from either of these over-simplistic visions. Relying on provincial archives, local histories, journals written by both Chinese and foreign travelers, technical studies by geographers and scientists, and his own interviews with local state actors, Hayes undertakes "a kind of Geertzian thick description" (xviii) to "analyze the array of local, national, individual, and collective interests that shaped the struggle for control of the land and its resources" (xix).
This sublime documentary was filmed by a Tibetan team in 2014, the Year of the Horse. The film fe... more This sublime documentary was filmed by a Tibetan team in 2014, the Year of the Horse. The film features stunning visual images of sacred Amnye Machen presented with an ethereal soundtrack of Tibetan-electronica fusion. It also includes a large amount of information about the practices of pilgrimage, illustrated with valuable footage of pilgrims at prayer, or walking and prostrating along the kora route; interviews with pilgrims; and extended explanations by Tibetan scholar, Gonpo Lhachen, and Tibetan environmentalist, Tsering Bum.
The stated purpose of the filmmakers is to preserve knowledge of traditional pilgrimage practices that many young Tibetans are no longer familiar with, such as circumambulation, prostration, and prayer. A second, but no less central, purpose is to raise environmental awareness among young Tibetans, pilgrims, and government officials. As such, the film, narrated in Tibetan, is clearly aimed at a Tibetan audience, although other audiences may also enjoy the film, as subtitles in Chinese and English have been provided in different on-line versions.
Papers by Bill Bleisch
Judith Shapiro's latest ambitious work picks up the story of modern China's checkered relationshi... more Judith Shapiro's latest ambitious work picks up the story of modern China's checkered relationship with the environment at approximately the point where her previous study, Mao's War Against Nature (2001), left off. This latest book sets out to address questions of grave importance to China and to the world. The litany of challenges-poisonous water and toxic air, scarcity of water and other resources, deforestation, soil erosion, loss of biodiversityseem nearly insurmountable, despite evidence of considerable attention from the Chinese government and from China's public, and despite the rocket-like rise of China's economic power and political influence in the world. Shapiro adds to this list the growing problems with lapses in environmental justice, both within China and passed on to its neighbours and to the countries with which it trades. 1 Not only do growing environmental problems affect China's ability to achieve the government's stated goals of a 'harmonious society' with 'moderate prosperity for all,' but these problems, and the ways that
The body of work assembled in this volume makes it clear that gibbons play an important ecologica... more The body of work assembled in this volume makes it clear that gibbons play an important ecological role in their environment, but unfortunately both gibbons and their habitats are in decline throughout their distribution range. Under-standing the threats to wild populations is an important first step in conserva-tion planning. In September 2006, several gibbon researchers were invited to participate in the Asian Primate Red List Workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Thomas Geissmann has prepared an excellent report of the results of this workshop as it pertains to gibbons (Geissmann 2007), and I will only summarize the overall conclusions of the workshop in this chapter. The researchers who assessed the status of gibbons at theWorkshop included
The snow leopard Panthera uncia is the flagship species of the high mountains of the Himalayas. T... more The snow leopard Panthera uncia is the flagship species of the high mountains of the Himalayas. There is potentially continuous habitat for the snow leopard along the northern border of Nepal, but there is a gap in information about the snow leopard in Gaurishankar Conservation Area. Previous spatial analysis has suggested that the Lamabagar area in this Conservation Area could serve as a transboundary corridor for snow leopards, and that the area may connect local populations, creating a metapopulation. However, there has been no visual confirmation of the species in Lamabagar. We set 11 infrared camera traps for 7 months in Lapchi Village of Gaurishankar Conservation Area, where blue sheep Pseudois nayaur, musk deer Moschus leucogaster and Himalayan tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus, all snow leopard prey species, had been observed. In November 2018 at 4,100 m, 5 km south-west of Lapchi Village, one camera recorded three images of a snow leopard, the first photographic evidence of the sp...
Gibbon Journal, 2007
The status of East Asian primate taxa was reassessed for the IUCN Red List at a workshop held fro... more The status of East Asian primate taxa was reassessed for the IUCN Red List at a workshop held from September 8-12, 2006, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This paper presents the results for the gibbons or small apes, and summarizes the resulting new information on their taxonomy, geographic range, population size, major threats, conservation measures, and conservation status using IUCN Red List categories and criteria. A comparison of the new assessment with the previous ones of 2000 (or 2003 for two gibbon species) reveals that 10 of 16 species and 9 of 12 subspecies-i.e. 86% of all gibbon taxa-have become more endangered within the last three to six years by at least one category of threat, and 39% of all gibbon taxa by two categories.
Nepalese Journal of Zoology
The Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is one of the world’s critically endangered species, an... more The Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is one of the world’s critically endangered species, and its distribution is little known in Nepal. This study aimed at understanding the distribution of Chinese pangolin in Nagarjun forest of Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park, Nepal from September 2017 to May 2018. A total of 15 infrared cameras were used, these were installed randomly in the forest. Only three cameras at three different locations were able to capture photographs of Chinese pangolin. Altogether, three events, comprising 21 still photos of pangolin, their sign and other mammal species in the area were recorded. In addition, 94 pangolin burrows were noticed in the study area. The distribution of Chinese pangolin is influenced by the food, tree canopy and aspect of the area. Majority of the active burrows were found near to feeding burrows where ants and termite’s nest were found abundantly. In addition to Chinese pangolin, the study was able to capture twelve mammalian species...
Oryx
Medog County lies within the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, but biodiversity in the regio... more Medog County lies within the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, but biodiversity in the region remains largely unexplored as there was no permanent road access until 2014. Here we present data from camera-trap surveys in five areas of Medog County, to ascertain the occurrence and occupancy of threatened wildlife species. With a total survey effort of 4,570 trap days we detected 23 medium and large terrestrial mammal species and six pheasant species, 13 of which are categorized as Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List and 19 of which are categorized as regionally threatened on the China Species Red List. Carnivora was the most diverse order, with 15 species recorded. Our study produced the first camera-trap photographic evidence of the Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris in China. In addition, we detected the dhole Cuon alpinus, golden cat Catopuma temminckii, marbled cat Pardofelis marmorata and mainland clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa, highlighting th...
Diversity and Distributions
Aim: Owing to the broad use of camera traps, integration and standardization among camera trap st... more Aim: Owing 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. Location: Southwest China. Methods: We 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. Results: We 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 conclusion: Using 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. | 1561 LI et aL.
European Journal of Wildlife Research
Mammalia
In southwest China, three major rivers, the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween, flow down from the Tibet... more In southwest China, three major rivers, the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween, flow down from the Tibetan plateau, creating a complex topography with a diverse, little-known ungulate community. We used camera traps and multi-species occupancy modeling to determine presence/absence, habitat use and estimate species richness/occupancy. At Langdu, east of the Yangtze, we had 23 camera sites in four habitats from 4000 to 4815 m asl; at Gehuaqing in the south of Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve (BNR) between Mekong and Yangtze we had 14 sites in two habitats from 3050 to 3600 m asl. At Langdu, we photographed tufted deer Elaphodus cephalophus (Milne-Edwards 1872) most often followed by serow Capricornis milneedwardsii (David 1869) and alpine musk deer Moschus chrysogaster (Hodgson 1839). At Gehuaqing, we photographed serow most often followed by tufted deer and forest musk deer Moschus berezovskii (Flerov 1929). Tufted deer were in the most habitats, and alpine musk deer were at an elevation higher...
Oryx
The Endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia is a flagship species of mountainous Asia and a conser... more The Endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia is a flagship species of mountainous Asia and a conservation priority. China is the most important country for the species’ conservation because it has the most potential habitat and the largest population of snow leopards. North-west Yunnan province in south-west China is at the edge of the snow leopard's range, and a biodiversity hotspot, where three major Asian rivers, the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween, flow off the Tibetan plateau and cut deep valleys through the Hengduan Mountains. The snow leopard's status in north-west Yunnan is uncertain. We conducted interviews and camera-trapping surveys to assess the species’ status at multiple sites: two east of the Yangtze River and two between the Yangtze and Mekong Rivers. Thirty-eight herders/nature reserve officials interviewed claimed that snow leopards were present, but in 6,300 camera-trap days we did not obtain any photographs of snow leopards, so if the species is present, it is ...
Oryx, 1990
The black-crested gibbon is believed to be endangered throughout its range in China and northern ... more 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.
The Natural History of the Doucs and Snub-Nosed Monkeys, 1998
The Natural History of the Doucs and Snub-Nosed Monkeys, 1998
Bleisch, Bill. 2018. Review: Tibetan Environmentalists in China. Asian Highlands Perspectives 51:... more Bleisch, Bill. 2018. Review: Tibetan Environmentalists in China. Asian Highlands Perspectives 51:351-359.
Liu Jianqiang (Ian Rowen, Cyrus K Hui, and Emily T Yeh, translators) 2015. Tibetan Environmentalists in China: The King of Dzi. Lanham, Boulder, New York, London: Lexington Books. xxi + 327 pp, index. ISBN 978-0-7391-9973-2 (hardback 105USD) - ISBN 978-0-7391-9974-9 (electronic 103.35USD).
This translation is an edited and updated version of Sky Beads - Tibetan Legends by Chinese journalist Liu Jianqiang, an accomplished investigative reporter (Fowler and Dean 2006; Shapiro 2016:126). The author began work on the book in 2006 when he was a visiting scholar at Peking University. He subsequently conducted a series of lengthy in-depth interviews with several remarkable individuals from various regions of Tibet - Tashi Dorje Hashi (Tador); Rukai Karma Samdrup (Karma) and his older brother, Rinchen Samdrup (Rinchen); Tsewang Gendun Denba (Gendun), Musuo Lobsang Tsundru (Musuo), and others. What may have begun for the author as an investigation of local Tibetan environmental activism soon became something very different and more interesting: an exploration of the "remarkable lives" of individuals who had chosen to play a vibrant part in shaping the present and future of their home. The book explores not only their activities and thoughts on environmental and cultural conservation, but how these were shaped by their pasts and their current beliefs. The narrative digs unabashedly into all aspects of their lives, successes and mistakes, commitments and doubts. There is even an entire chapter devoted to the most intimate details of their complicated love lives, remarkable for the honesty and openness of the interviews.
...
Modern descriptions of Tibetan border regions often construct a simple binary opposition between ... more Modern descriptions of Tibetan border regions often construct a simple binary opposition between the Chinese state and Tibetan institutions. Those supporting Beijing's version of history usually sketch a description of the steady and ineluctable expansion of Chinese civilization and sovereignty. Others, critical of Chinese governmental policies in the region, use the same opposition to contrast the modern reality with a romantic vision of a past in which Tibetans lived in harmony with nature.
Jack Patrick Hayes has taken a closer look at the history of the Songpan region, and his analysis reveals something entirely different from either of these over-simplistic visions. Relying on provincial archives, local histories, journals written by both Chinese and foreign travelers, technical studies by geographers and scientists, and his own interviews with local state actors, Hayes undertakes "a kind of Geertzian thick description" (xviii) to "analyze the array of local, national, individual, and collective interests that shaped the struggle for control of the land and its resources" (xix).
This sublime documentary was filmed by a Tibetan team in 2014, the Year of the Horse. The film fe... more This sublime documentary was filmed by a Tibetan team in 2014, the Year of the Horse. The film features stunning visual images of sacred Amnye Machen presented with an ethereal soundtrack of Tibetan-electronica fusion. It also includes a large amount of information about the practices of pilgrimage, illustrated with valuable footage of pilgrims at prayer, or walking and prostrating along the kora route; interviews with pilgrims; and extended explanations by Tibetan scholar, Gonpo Lhachen, and Tibetan environmentalist, Tsering Bum.
The stated purpose of the filmmakers is to preserve knowledge of traditional pilgrimage practices that many young Tibetans are no longer familiar with, such as circumambulation, prostration, and prayer. A second, but no less central, purpose is to raise environmental awareness among young Tibetans, pilgrims, and government officials. As such, the film, narrated in Tibetan, is clearly aimed at a Tibetan audience, although other audiences may also enjoy the film, as subtitles in Chinese and English have been provided in different on-line versions.
Judith Shapiro's latest ambitious work picks up the story of modern China's checkered relationshi... more Judith Shapiro's latest ambitious work picks up the story of modern China's checkered relationship with the environment at approximately the point where her previous study, Mao's War Against Nature (2001), left off. This latest book sets out to address questions of grave importance to China and to the world. The litany of challenges-poisonous water and toxic air, scarcity of water and other resources, deforestation, soil erosion, loss of biodiversityseem nearly insurmountable, despite evidence of considerable attention from the Chinese government and from China's public, and despite the rocket-like rise of China's economic power and political influence in the world. Shapiro adds to this list the growing problems with lapses in environmental justice, both within China and passed on to its neighbours and to the countries with which it trades. 1 Not only do growing environmental problems affect China's ability to achieve the government's stated goals of a 'harmonious society' with 'moderate prosperity for all,' but these problems, and the ways that
The body of work assembled in this volume makes it clear that gibbons play an important ecologica... more The body of work assembled in this volume makes it clear that gibbons play an important ecological role in their environment, but unfortunately both gibbons and their habitats are in decline throughout their distribution range. Under-standing the threats to wild populations is an important first step in conserva-tion planning. In September 2006, several gibbon researchers were invited to participate in the Asian Primate Red List Workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Thomas Geissmann has prepared an excellent report of the results of this workshop as it pertains to gibbons (Geissmann 2007), and I will only summarize the overall conclusions of the workshop in this chapter. The researchers who assessed the status of gibbons at theWorkshop included
The snow leopard Panthera uncia is the flagship species of the high mountains of the Himalayas. T... more The snow leopard Panthera uncia is the flagship species of the high mountains of the Himalayas. There is potentially continuous habitat for the snow leopard along the northern border of Nepal, but there is a gap in information about the snow leopard in Gaurishankar Conservation Area. Previous spatial analysis has suggested that the Lamabagar area in this Conservation Area could serve as a transboundary corridor for snow leopards, and that the area may connect local populations, creating a metapopulation. However, there has been no visual confirmation of the species in Lamabagar. We set 11 infrared camera traps for 7 months in Lapchi Village of Gaurishankar Conservation Area, where blue sheep Pseudois nayaur, musk deer Moschus leucogaster and Himalayan tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus, all snow leopard prey species, had been observed. In November 2018 at 4,100 m, 5 km south-west of Lapchi Village, one camera recorded three images of a snow leopard, the first photographic evidence of the sp...
Gibbon Journal, 2007
The status of East Asian primate taxa was reassessed for the IUCN Red List at a workshop held fro... more The status of East Asian primate taxa was reassessed for the IUCN Red List at a workshop held from September 8-12, 2006, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This paper presents the results for the gibbons or small apes, and summarizes the resulting new information on their taxonomy, geographic range, population size, major threats, conservation measures, and conservation status using IUCN Red List categories and criteria. A comparison of the new assessment with the previous ones of 2000 (or 2003 for two gibbon species) reveals that 10 of 16 species and 9 of 12 subspecies-i.e. 86% of all gibbon taxa-have become more endangered within the last three to six years by at least one category of threat, and 39% of all gibbon taxa by two categories.
Nepalese Journal of Zoology
The Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is one of the world’s critically endangered species, an... more The Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is one of the world’s critically endangered species, and its distribution is little known in Nepal. This study aimed at understanding the distribution of Chinese pangolin in Nagarjun forest of Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park, Nepal from September 2017 to May 2018. A total of 15 infrared cameras were used, these were installed randomly in the forest. Only three cameras at three different locations were able to capture photographs of Chinese pangolin. Altogether, three events, comprising 21 still photos of pangolin, their sign and other mammal species in the area were recorded. In addition, 94 pangolin burrows were noticed in the study area. The distribution of Chinese pangolin is influenced by the food, tree canopy and aspect of the area. Majority of the active burrows were found near to feeding burrows where ants and termite’s nest were found abundantly. In addition to Chinese pangolin, the study was able to capture twelve mammalian species...
Oryx
Medog County lies within the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, but biodiversity in the regio... more Medog County lies within the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, but biodiversity in the region remains largely unexplored as there was no permanent road access until 2014. Here we present data from camera-trap surveys in five areas of Medog County, to ascertain the occurrence and occupancy of threatened wildlife species. With a total survey effort of 4,570 trap days we detected 23 medium and large terrestrial mammal species and six pheasant species, 13 of which are categorized as Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List and 19 of which are categorized as regionally threatened on the China Species Red List. Carnivora was the most diverse order, with 15 species recorded. Our study produced the first camera-trap photographic evidence of the Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris in China. In addition, we detected the dhole Cuon alpinus, golden cat Catopuma temminckii, marbled cat Pardofelis marmorata and mainland clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa, highlighting th...
Diversity and Distributions
Aim: Owing to the broad use of camera traps, integration and standardization among camera trap st... more Aim: Owing 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. Location: Southwest China. Methods: We 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. Results: We 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 conclusion: Using 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. | 1561 LI et aL.
European Journal of Wildlife Research
Mammalia
In southwest China, three major rivers, the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween, flow down from the Tibet... more In southwest China, three major rivers, the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween, flow down from the Tibetan plateau, creating a complex topography with a diverse, little-known ungulate community. We used camera traps and multi-species occupancy modeling to determine presence/absence, habitat use and estimate species richness/occupancy. At Langdu, east of the Yangtze, we had 23 camera sites in four habitats from 4000 to 4815 m asl; at Gehuaqing in the south of Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve (BNR) between Mekong and Yangtze we had 14 sites in two habitats from 3050 to 3600 m asl. At Langdu, we photographed tufted deer Elaphodus cephalophus (Milne-Edwards 1872) most often followed by serow Capricornis milneedwardsii (David 1869) and alpine musk deer Moschus chrysogaster (Hodgson 1839). At Gehuaqing, we photographed serow most often followed by tufted deer and forest musk deer Moschus berezovskii (Flerov 1929). Tufted deer were in the most habitats, and alpine musk deer were at an elevation higher...
Oryx
The Endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia is a flagship species of mountainous Asia and a conser... more The Endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia is a flagship species of mountainous Asia and a conservation priority. China is the most important country for the species’ conservation because it has the most potential habitat and the largest population of snow leopards. North-west Yunnan province in south-west China is at the edge of the snow leopard's range, and a biodiversity hotspot, where three major Asian rivers, the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween, flow off the Tibetan plateau and cut deep valleys through the Hengduan Mountains. The snow leopard's status in north-west Yunnan is uncertain. We conducted interviews and camera-trapping surveys to assess the species’ status at multiple sites: two east of the Yangtze River and two between the Yangtze and Mekong Rivers. Thirty-eight herders/nature reserve officials interviewed claimed that snow leopards were present, but in 6,300 camera-trap days we did not obtain any photographs of snow leopards, so if the species is present, it is ...
Oryx, 1990
The black-crested gibbon is believed to be endangered throughout its range in China and northern ... more 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.
The Natural History of the Doucs and Snub-Nosed Monkeys, 1998
The Natural History of the Doucs and Snub-Nosed Monkeys, 1998
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1989
Many adult avian muscles contain two types of muscle fiber: those that receive innervation at sin... more Many adult avian muscles contain two types of muscle fiber: those that receive innervation at single focal terminals and those with multiple terminals. The muscles of the syrinx, the vocal organ of birds, are such mixed muscles. To study this heterogeneity of fiber type and innervation, we combined immunocytochemistry to classify muscle fibers with techniques to visualize neuromuscular junctions. One monoclonal antibody, S58, directed against a slow class of myosin, labels only fibers that have multiple terminals. We also examined the distribution of immunoreactivity for neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM), which has been suggested to play a role in innervation of muscle and formation of neuromuscular junctions. S58-positive fibers have elevated N-CAM staining, indicating that multiple innervation of a fiber is correlated with the fiber's expression of high levels of N-CAM immunoreactivity. Most, and perhaps all, fibers that have multiple terminals also contain abundant N-CAM immunoreactivity. This suggests that N-CAM may play a role in the maintenance of multiterminal innervation in adult innervated muscle.
Oryx, 2009
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... more 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.
Journal of Neurochemistry, 1983
We measured the distribution of molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in muscles of a so... more We measured the distribution of molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in muscles of a song bird, the zebra finch, and found a pattern similar to those reported in other vertebrates. As in other species, the most rapidly sedirnenting form of the enzyme decreases to barely detectable levels following denervation. In the muscles of the syrinx, castration causes a large decrease in AChE activity, but has little or no effect on the relative abundance of AChE forms. This suggests that the number of AChE catalytic sites is changing without affecting the distribution of catalytic sites among the molecular forms. This is in marked contrast with the effect of denervation in the syrinx, which causes changes in the distribution of activity, as well as in total activity. Key Words: Acetylcholinesterase-Molecular forms-Songbird-Muscle-Testosterone-Denervation. Bleisch W. V. et al. Molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase: Regulation in a testosterone-sensitive nerve-muscle axis.