Spatial distribution, activity patterns, and influence of roads on mammals in the Qinling Mountains of China.

This article focuses on the spatial distribution and activity patterns of mammals in Niubeiliang National Nature Reserve, located in the Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi Province, China. Using 57 infrared cameras from 2017 to 2019, researchers recorded 16 mammal species, with Reeves's Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), Pere David's Rock Squirrel (Sciurotamias davidianus), and Golden Takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) being the most frequently detected. The study found species-specific daily and seasonal activity patterns, elevational preferences—such as Reeves's Muntjacs favoring lower elevations and Golden Takins higher elevations—and differing responses to proximity to National Highway 210, with Golden Takins avoiding areas within 300 meters of the road while Reeves's Muntjacs were more abundant near it. These findings provide baseline biological data to inform conservation strategies and highlight the influence of roads on wildlife distribution in this biodiversity-rich reserve.