Conservation Action Plan Research Articles

CONSERVAÇÃO DE PEIXES DE RIACHO: PLANEJAMENTO E POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS

Conservation biology has historically been based on principles to protect terrestrial ecosystems, with marine and freshwater ecosystems left behind. As a result, often, protected areas are defined with bases in forest cover and terrestrial characteristics overseeing important components of connectivity of riverine landscapes, such as the connectivity between rivers, lakes, and streams. It is important to emphasize that forest protection is extremely important, but that alone cannot safeguard the protection of freshwater ecosystems. Therefore, our discussion should lead, not to the disregard of terrestrial efforts but to the complementation of existing efforts for forest protection with the addition of areas that can also protect freshwater ecosystems. Fluvial ecosystems are hierarchical and nested systems, with multidimensional connectivity including longitudinal (upstream-downstream), lateral (floodplains and lakes), temporal (seasons) and vertical (groundwaters) connections. Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP) is the most well accepted and used method for designing conservation plans based on cost-effective scenarios that include ecological and socio-economic values resulting in thematic maps of priority areas for conservation. Recently, methods to consider the connectivity of freshwater ecosystems were incorporated into spatial prioritization tools. Maps produced using spatial prioritization tools can help decision making on species management and conservation actions, such as plans for species’ impact reduction (PRIM) and action plans for threatened species (PAN). PRIM and PAN use information about species ecology to focus conservation actions onto target species. These conservation action plans must be viable not only ecologically but also economically. In this context, using SCP to guide designs of PRIM and PAN can help stakeholders to achieve better conservation actions in Brazil. Thus, the SCP can improve the conservation and management of freshwater ecosystems, through the integration of science, society and stakeholder.

EST-SSR-based landscape genetics of Pseudotaxus chienii, a tertiary relict conifer endemic to China.

Pseudotaxus chienii, belonging to the monotypic genus Pseudotaxus (Taxaceae), is a relict conifer endemic to China. Its populations are usually small and patchily distributed, having a low capacity of natural regeneration. To gain a clearer understanding of how landscape variables affect the local adaptation of P. chienii, we applied EST‐SSR markers in conjunction with landscape genetics methods: (a) to examine the population genetic pattern and spatial genetic structure; (b) to perform genome scan and selection scan to identify outlier loci and the associated landscape variables; and (c) to model the ecological niche under climate change. As a result, P. chienii was found to have a moderate level of genetic variation and a high level of genetic differentiation. Its populations displayed a significant positive relationship between the genetic and geographical distance (i.e., “isolation by distance” pattern) and a strong fine‐scale spatial genetic structure within 2 km. A putatively adaptive locus EMS6 (functionally annotated to cellulose synthase A catalytic subunit 7) was identified, which was found significantly associated with soil Cu, K, and Pb content and the combined effects of temperature and precipitation. Moreover, P. chienii was predicted to experience significant range contractions in future climate change scenarios. Our results highlight the potential of specific soil metal content and climate variables as the driving force of adaptive genetic differentiation in P. chienii. The data would also be useful to develop a conservation action plan for P. chienii.

SNAPSHOT USA 2019: a coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States.

With the accelerating pace of global change, it is imperative that we obtain rapid inventories of the status and distribution of wildlife for ecological inferences and conservation planning. To address this challenge, we launched the SNAPSHOT USA project, a collaborative survey of terrestrial wildlife populations using camera traps across the United States. For our first annual survey, we compiled data across all 50 states during a 14-week period (17 August-24 November of 2019). We sampled wildlife at 1,509 camera trap sites from 110 camera trap arrays covering 12 different ecoregions across four development zones. This effort resulted in 166,036 unique detections of 83 species of mammals and 17 species of birds. All images were processed through the Smithsonian's eMammal camera trap data repository and included an expert review phase to ensure taxonomic accuracy of data, resulting in each picture being reviewed at least twice. The results represent a timely and standardized camera trap survey of the United States. All of the 2019 survey data are made available herein. We are currently repeating surveys in fall 2020, opening up the opportunity to other institutions and cooperators to expand coverage of all the urban-wild gradients and ecophysiographic regions of the country. Future data will be available as the database is updated at eMammal.si.edu/snapshot-usa, as will future data paper submissions. These data will be useful for local and macroecological research including the examination of community assembly, effects of environmental and anthropogenic landscape variables, effects of fragmentation and extinction debt dynamics, as well as species-specific population dynamics and conservation action plans. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this paper when using the data for publication.

Livelihood strategies and use of forest resources in a protected area in the Brazilian semiarid

Planning conservation strategies in semiarid regions is challenging since local populations are socially vulnerable and highly dependent on natural resources. Consequently, accessing the factors that develop knowledge and determine the use of forest products could aid in planning conservation actions or rethinking past strategies. We use an environmentally protected area in the Brazilian semiarid to describe the livelihood strategies of the local people and assess how socioeconomic variables affect the dependence on forest resources. We tested whether better conserved areas (with greater vegetation cover) have greater concentrations of useful species for local populations than less protected areas. Our findings demonstrate that families with retired or non-farming members have higher incomes. Additionally, men and elder people have greater knowledge about native medicinal plants, while people with lower household income have greater knowledge of native edible plants. Income and the number of residents in households do not explain the demand for wood forest products. Finally, the conservation levels of forest areas did not affect the number of useful species in the landscape. Local populations have a low socioeconomic dynamism, being highly dependent on natural resources, regardless of local variations in socioeconomic profiles. The variable of vegetation cover may not affect the distribution of useful species since it is only a proxy of total tree density and does not affect species composition. Finally, we recommend that creating fully protected areas in semiarid regions should be remodeled while prioritizing conservation units that allow the reconciliation of forest products’ use and biodiversity conservation.

Impact of Forest Management on the Temporal Dynamics of Herbaceous Plant Diversity in the Carpathian Beech Forests over 40 Years.

Simple SummaryVegetation composition and plant diversity of mixed deciduous forests in Europe is strongly linked with the dynamics of the forest stand and/or the regimes of forest management. In this work, we showed the influence of temporal interactions among the changes in the management system—the dominant development stage—the intensity of forest treatments, and herbaceous plant diversity. We argued that different arrangements of these interactions will result in different patterns of change in herbaceous plant diversity. We emphasized the need for careful interpretation of the levels of diversity (α, β) to evaluate the conservation status of forests.In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the complex dependence of herbaceous plant diversity on forest structure and management. However, among the studies presented so far, those in which the chronosequence (approach based on the assumption of space-for-time substitution) was used, dominate. On the other hand, it is rare to find results based on long-term research on permanent or semi-permanent sampling plots. The aim of this study was to recognize the changes in the vegetation composition and dynamics of various indices of herbaceous plant diversity over 40 years of forest development, and their dependence on forest structure and management. Here we analyzed the temporal dynamics of herbaceous plant diversity in Carpathian fertile beech forests, based on datasets recorded on semi-permanent plots in three censuses (the 1970s, 2000s and 2010s). We checked the temporal changes in alpha, beta, and gamma diversity. Analyses of the plant diversity were performed on the background of changes in forest structure and management systems. We found that the within-plot (alfa diversity) and between-plot (beta diversity) herbaceous plant diversity metrics showed inconsistent patterns along with changes in the forest structure, management systems, and intensity of forest management, during the last 40 years. Temporal changes in the gamma diversity followed the changes in alpha diversity. Although the beta diversity after 40 years is greater than in the past, we argue that the conservation status of habitats typical for well-preserved fertile mountain beech forests has deteriorated due to a decline in the sharing of the diagnostic species of these forests. We showed the importance of the different temporal interactions between the forest structure and management for herbaceous plant diversity. We argue that, in view of the complexity of these processes, it would be a mistake to reject or prioritize alpha or beta diversity measurements to determine the real course of long-term changes in herbaceous plant diversity and to properly assess the state of the forest biodiversity, their conservation status, or conservation action plans. In addition, we need far more data from long-term observations to fully understand the possible relationship patterns between the factors controlling the forest structure and plant diversity.

BIM Supported Surveying and Imaging Combination for Heritage Conservation

As the basis for analysis and management of heritage assets, 3D laser scanning and photogrammetric 3D reconstruction have been probed as adequate techniques for point cloud data acquisition. The European Directive 2014/24/EU imposes BIM Level 2 for government centrally procured projects as a collaborative process of producing federated discipline-specific models. Although BIM software resources are intensified and increasingly growing, distinct specifications for heritage (H-BIM) are essential to driving particular processes and tools to efficiency shifting from point clouds to meaningful information ready to be exchanged using non-proprietary formats, such as Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). This paper details a procedure for processing enriched 3D point clouds into the REVIT software package due to its worldwide popularity and how closely it integrates with the BIM concept. The procedure will be additionally supported by a tailored plug-in to make high-quality 3D digital survey datasets usable together with 2D imaging, enhancing the capability to depict contextualized important graphical data to properly planning conservation actions. As a practical example, a 2D/3D enhanced combination is worked to accurately include into a BIM project, the length, orientation, and width of a big crack on the walls of the Castle of Torrelobatón (Spain) as a representative heritage building.

Feeding ecology of capped langur (Trachypithecus pileatus) in Sri Surya Pahar, a disturbed habitat in Goalpara District, Assam, India

A group of capped langurs, Trachypithecus pileatus comprising eight individuals was observed for feeding behavior in Sri Surya Pahar, an archaeological site of religious importance and degraded habitat, located about 12 km southeast of Goalpara town in Assam. The feeding ecology of the species was studied by recording the time spent feeding on different food plants and food categories during different seasons of the year. Scan sampling method was followed from dawn to dusk to record data on various aspects of feeding. Capped langurs spent 37.87% of their total active time in feeding during winter season, 34.12% in pre-monsoon, 26.60% in retreating monsoon, and 26.08% in monsoon season. Altogether 41 species of plants belonging to 24 families were utilized for feeding throughout the year. Capped langurs spent maximum time feeding on leaves. The time spent on feeding new leaves was highest during pre-monsoon season (63.70%) and lowest in winter (7.82%). While the time spent on feeding mature leaves was highest in winter (67.48%) and lowest in pre-monsoon season (2.31%). The time spent feeding flowers (20.78%) was maximum in winter and that on unripe fruits (20.79%) and petioles (9.24%) was maximum in pre-monsoon season. Flower buds, leaf buds, latex and insects were placed in ‘others’ category and were consumed in low quantity. From this study, a significant change was observed in the diet composition of Capped langurs during different seasons. Habitat degradation due to encroachment is the major threat to this endangered species in Sri Surya Pahar and its neighbouring areas. The study focused on the feeding ecology of capped langur in a degraded habitat. Therefore, the information generated from this study could be useful for evaluation and improving the quality of the habitat and formulating conservation and management action plan for capped langur.

The Presence of Pangolin through Camera Trap Assessment in Ratnagiri District of Northern Western Ghat of Maharashtra, India

Manis crassicaudata (Indian Pangolin), distribution and natural history are poorly known in India. There is much worry regarding the regarding the conservation status of this species across the nation and globe. Pangolins are threatened due to habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade and are highly trafficked mammals in the world. It is essential to understand ecology and distribution of the species and streamline specific species conservation action plan. Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra (SNM) with the support of the forest department and local bodies carried out camera trap assessment to study the presence of the species in Northern Western Ghat of Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, India. The baseline data derived through local interviews, Traditional knowledge of indigenous communities was used to track species burrows and conduct transect survey. In the present study 36 Camera trap were deployed to document the presence of the species across the region. Camera traps resulted in 1.7% success rate and documented 192 photos and 49 videos of Pangolin activity.

Assessment of farmers' knowledge and perceptions towards farmland birds show the need of conservation interventions

Farmland birds are facing a gradual decline in their population globally due to various anthropogenic threats. Understanding farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and perception towards the conservation of farmland birds is crucial to understand distribution and threats, as farmers often come across the birds year-round. We interviewed 743 farmers in four districts (Kapilvastu, Chitwan, Sarlahi, and Sunsari) of lowland Nepal. The majority of the interviewed farmers were male (72%), formally educated (66%), and 16–78 years old. Around 62% of the farmers reported having seen at least one of the 15 birds that we showed them in the interview, of which 57% recognized them correctly. Farmers from protected areas identified more birds than those from non-protected areas. However, the study revealed farmers' poor understanding of birds' names at the species level, nesting, conservation status, ecosystem services provided, and bird hunting as an illegal practice. The majority of the farmers (63%) liked all 15 birds, mainly for their beautiful appearance and sounds. Bird identification ability was correlated with birds' abundance and influenced by the respondent's gender and knowledge on birds' ecological importance. Most farmers perceived that farmland birds decline was mainly due to hunting and trade, pesticides, and lack of nesting trees in the farmlands. The baseline data of this study can be used by policymakers to develop site-specific conservation action plans for farmland birds. We emphasize the pressing need of conservation interventions by government and conservation organizations to increase farmers' knowledge on birds and their ecology and their importance in ecosystems through community outreach programs and school curriculum for farmland bird conservation.

Prioritizing key biodiversity areas for conservation based on threats and ecosystem services using participatory and GIS-based modeling in Chindwin River Basin, Myanmar

The varied ecosystems within the Chindwin River Basin (CRB) and its natural biodiversity make it one of the most critical hotspots in the Indo-Burma region. Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) in the CRB are increasingly facing threats from development activities, such as commercial logging, mining, and agriculture. This study applies a mixed approach to assess the level of threat and to quantify key ecosystem services at the basin and KBA levels. A GIS-based Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach was used to assess threats from key economic sectors via stakeholder participation. The InVEST model was applied to assess ecosystem services including water yield, sediment retention, nutrient retention, and carbon storage. The most significant threats to biodiversity in the basin were found to be mining, logging, dam construction, and agriculture. The highest degree of ecosystem services was found in the northern CRB, which is almost completely covered by forest. Overall, 87% of KBAs provide a high degree of ecosystem services. The KBAs were prioritized for conservation based on the threat level and degree of ecosystems provided, as well as in consultation with stakeholders. The results of this study provide a strategic focus for preparing an environment conservation strategy and action plan for the CRB in Myanmar.

Geological and Pleistocene glaciations explain the demography and disjunct distribution of red panda (A. fulgens) in eastern Himalayas

Pleistocene glaciations facilitated climatic oscillations that caused for enormous heterogeneity in landscapes, and consequently affected demography and distribution patterns of the mountain endemic species. In this context, we investigated demographic history and population genetic structure of red panda, distributed along the geographical proximity in the southern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Bayesian based phylogeny demonstrated that red panda diverged about 0.30 million years ago (CI 0.23–0.39) into two phylogenetic (sub) species, that correspond to the middle-late Pleistocene transition. The observed intraspecific clades with respect to Himalayan and Chinese red panda indicated restricted gene flow resulting from the Pleistocene glaciations in the eastern and southern Tibetan Plateau. We found Himalayan red panda population at least in KL-India declined abruptly in last 5–10 thousand years after being under demographic equilibrium. We suggest revisiting the ongoing conservation activities through cross border collaboration by developing multi-nationals, and multi-lateral species-oriented conservation action plans to support the red panda populations in transboundary landscapes.

Bees and crops in Spain: an update for melon, watermelon and almond

Summary Pollinators of most of the plants cultivated in the Mediterranean regions of Europe are still unknown. We provide new data and we review previously available information on bees (Apoidea) associated with three economically important crops in Spain: melon (Cucumis melo L.), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) and almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A.Webb). We found that, overall, 98 bee species spanning four families visit flowers of the studied crop species, and 46 additional species were sampled within the crops with pan-traps. The bee assemblages visiting melon include 7–33 species, with moderate to high importance of small Lasioglossum (Halictidae) and of honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758: Apidae), and in one case of small Ceratina: Apidae. Watermelon flowers are visited by 11–14 species of bees, with highest abundance of honey bees or of small Lasioglossum, depending on the locality. Bees collected on almond trees included 12–37 species, with the honey bee and medium-size to large Andrena (Andrenidae) and Osmia (Megachilidae) being predominant. The new samples expanded the geographical distributions of nearly one-fourth of the collected species. Diversity estimators slightly varied even within fields of the same crop, and a cluster analysis suggested both a certain overlap between melon and watermelon and a role of geographical distance on similarity among bee assemblages, though these patterns were much clearer using presence data rather than abundances. Below-ground-nesting and solitary species were more frequently collected than above-ground-nesting and eusocial species, but for melon and watermelon the highest abundances were recorded for eusocial species. Almost exclusively polylectic species visited the flowers of the three studied crops. The results of this study could help in planning conservation actions to maintain this important diversity of potential pollinators in Spanish areas covered by these crops.

An Ecological Assessment of Critically Endangered Chinese Pangolin <i>Manis pentadactyla</i> (Mammalia: Pholidota: Manidae) in the Midhills Region of Nepal

The Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is a “Critically Endangered” insectivorous mammal. There is a lack of information on the ecology, distribution and behavior of this species in Nepal, even though community forests in the Midhills Region of Nepal are considered to be prime habitats for the species. We conducted an ecological assessment of the habitat use of this species in nine community forests covering an area of 170.69 ha in Balthali village in Kavrepalanchok district, Nepal. We divided each forest into 50 × 50 m grids and searched for Chinese Pangolin burrows along 50 m transects in each grid. We categorized burrows into two types, new and old burrows, and recorded 10 environmental variables for each burrow. We found a total of 542 burrows, including 323 old burrows and 219 new burrows. The average width and height of a burrow opening was 21.66 ± 3.94 cm (n = 542) and 22.42 ± 5.02 cm (n = 542). The total density of burrows in the study area was 3.1 ha−1, with new burrows density of 1.2 ha−1 and old burrows density of 1.8 ha−1. We found most burrows in sites with an elevation range of 1400 - 1500 m above sea level, gentle slopes, brown colored soil, high density of tree crown cover and undergrowth vegetation, southern exposure, within 150 m from a water source and less than 200 m from a human settlement. Our study has generated baseline data on the habitat use of Chinese Pangolin, which we hope will help in designing site-specific action plans for Chinese Pangolin conservation in Kavrepalanchok district, Nepal.

Distribution, Population trend and Threats of three critically endangered Gyps vulture in Indian subcontinent: a review

Indian subcontinent hosts three critically endangered Gyps vultures, namely; Gyps bengalensis, Gyps indicus, and Gyps tenuirostris. In the present review, we analyzed all previously published articles on geographic distribution, population trend and threats related to these three gyps vultures. In our analysis, we found that, these three species are reported mostly from India, Nepal and Bangladesh. These species are under a lot of environmental pressure, such as poisoning, habitat destruction, food shortages, electrocution and so on. These mentioned environmental factors are causing shrinkage of their distribution range as well decrease of individual numbers in last few decades. Their population is currently declining, with varying rate in different countries indicating that the three species of resident Gyps vultures in the Indian Subcontinent are still in great peril and require continuous conservation and appropriate management action plans to bring the population back to stable trend and to save these species from possible extinction.

Tigers at higher elevations outside their range: What does it mean for conservation?

Nepal’s population of endangered Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris) is on the rise. In recent years, the presence of tigers has been documented at higher elevations. The objective of this study is to explore the possible reasons for the tigers’ presence at the higher elevations. It is critical that these high-altitude habitats for tigers be further explored and protected. The study points out the importance of the Mahabharat range and a longitudinal conservation gradient approach in Nepal. Apart from this, it is imperative to assess the density of tigers and tiger prey in the area. Even though high-altitude ecology may be suitable for tiger growth, the formulation of a high-altitude tiger conservation action plan with effective coordination between stakeholder organizations and concerned departments is of great importance.

New management unit for conservation of the Endangered green turtle Chelonia mydas at the Xisha (Paracel) Islands, South China Sea

The Qilianyu cluster of the Xisha (Paracel) Islands has one of the few remaining green turtle Chelonia mydas rookeries in the China region. Genetic samples were obtained from dead green turtle embryos and hatchlings salvaged from post-hatched nests at Middle Island (n = 3), North Island (n = 9) and South Sand (n = 1) of the Qilianyu cluster in 2017-2019. The ~800 bp mitochondrial DNA control region was sequenced from the samples, and 5 haplotypes were identified belonging to 2 documented clades (clades III and VIII), including 2 new haplotypes (CmP243.1 and CmP244.1) and 3 previously reported haplotypes (CmP18.1, CmP19.1, CmP20.1). These results were combined with previously published mtDNA data for the Qilianyu cluster and nearby (~93 km) Yongle Islands indicating a lack of differentiation based on truncated 384 bp control region sequences (exact test, p = 0.0997; FST = 0.015, p = 0.2760), to represent a single Xisha Islands rookery. The rookery at the Xisha Islands was significantly differentiated (p < 0.01) from all 19 management units (MUs) documented in the Indo-Pacific and Japan regions, supporting recognition of the Xisha Islands rookery as a new independent MU. The results will help inform national and international conservation action plans by China and the countries around the South China Sea to protect green turtles in the West Pacific Ocean.

Impact of invasive alien plant species on aquatic biodiversity of Koshi Tappu Wetlands : Ramsar Site, Nepal

Koshi Tappu Wetlands play a significant role in the conservation of many rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. However, this wetland is threatened by several natural and anthropogenic stressors; among others, invasion by invasive species is the most serious problem. The objective of this study was to prepare an inventory list of wetlands, categorize the wetlands based on the coverage of alien species, identify the problematic aquatic invasive plant species, and assess their impact on water quality and aquatic biodiversity (fish and macroinvertebrates). This study was conducted in winter and spring seasons of 2018. Composite water samples were collected from the wetlands with different covers of invasive species. Macroinvertebrate samples were collected using hand net of 500µm mesh following the habitat specific sampling approach, and fishes were sampled using Cast Net. The analysis of water quality parameters, macroinvertebrates and fishes were performed for different levels of invasion. Altogether, 66 wetlands were documented in the Buffer Zone located in the east of eastern embankment of the KTWR. Out of the total 66 wetlands, 33.33% were found to be non-invaded while 66.67% were found to be invaded by the invasive macrophytes. The invaded wetlands were further subdivided into abundant 'A' (>75% coverage), common 'C' (50-75% coverage) frequent 'F' (25-50%coverage), occasional 'O' (5-25% coverage), and rare 'R' (1-5% coverage) which were found to have occupied 19.69%, 16.67%, 12.12%, 13.63% and 4.50%, respectively, of the invaded wetlands (66.61%). The most problematic invasive species were found to be Eichhornia crassipes and Ipomoea carnea. The dissolved oxygen (DO) decreased while the total alkalinity and free CO2 increased significantly with the increased coverage of invasive macrophytes. The macroinvertebrate diversity was observed high in common and abundant coverage, but the fish diversity was high in the frequent coverage of invasive species. The taxa compositions shifted from “Decapoda” and “Ephemeroptera” to “Odonata” and “Mollusca” in none to abundant coverage of invasive species. The findings of this research are expected to help wetland managers and related stakeholders to understand the level of impact of different coverage of invasive species on wetlands, help to develop the conservation strategy and action plans to mitigate the spread of these invasive species, and wise use of wetlands.

Developing Conservation Horticulture and Conserving Threatened Hibiscus Species in the Asia-Pacific Islands Region

The objective of this study is to ensure the conservation of iconic Hibiscus species in the Asia-Pacific Islands region though collaborative action. Almost all of the 23 species of Hibiscus in section Lilibiscus are rare and restricted or critically endangered in nature. The study focussed on establishing the status of horticulturally important and newly discovered Hibiscus species in Indonesian New Guinea and Vanuatu through field surveys. The species have been conserved in ex situ conservation collections and capacity has been built within local partners to collect, propagate and conserve Hibiscus species. Field surveys and ex situ conservation activities will inform the development of conservation action plans for Indonesian and Pacific Islands Hibiscus species by regional stakeholders.

Basic principles of the national strategy and action plan for biodiversity conservation

Basic principles of the national strategy and action plan for biodiversity conservation

Spatial and temporal activity patterns of Golden takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) recorded by camera trapping.

Understanding animals’ migration, distribution and activity patterns is vital for the development of effective conservation action plans; however, such data for many species are lacking. In this study, we used camera trapping to document the spatial and temporal activity patterns of golden takins (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) in Changqing National Nature Reserve in the Qinling mountains, China, from April 2014 to October 2017. Our study obtained 3,323 independent detections (from a total of 12,351 detections) during a total camera trapping effort of 93,606 effective camera trap days at 573 sites. Results showed that: (1) the golden takin’s utilization distributions showed seasonal variation, with larger utilization distributions during spring and autumn compared to summer and winter; (2) the species was recorded at the highest elevations in July, and lowest elevations in December, with the species moving to higher-elevations in summer, lower-elevations in spring and autumn; (3) during all four seasons, golden takins showed bimodal activity peaks at dawn and dusk, with activity intensity higher in the second peak than the first, and overall low levels of activity recorded from 20:00–06:00; and (4) there were two annual activity peaks, the first being in April and the second in November, with camera capture rate during these two months higher than in other months, and activity levels in spring and autumn higher than in summer and winter. This study is the first application of camera traps to assess the spatial and temporal activity patterns of golden takins at a population level. Our findings suggest that the proposed national park should be designed to include golden takin habitat and that ongoing consistent monitoring efforts will be crucial to mitigating novel and ongoing threats to the species.