Pangquangou National Nature Reserve is well known as ‘the distribution centre of Prince Rupprecht's larch (Larix principis-rupprechtii)' in China. Community variation in Prince Rupprecht's larch forest provides habitat heterogeneity for animals, especially for the endemic and endangered brown-eared pheasant (Crossoptlon mantchuricum). In this study a total of 120 quadrats (each 10×10m) were established to measure and record species composition and six environmental variables to examine the underlying variables that control community variation. We applied a multivariate regression tree analysis to detect community variation, and used redundancy analysis-based variation partitioning to separate the effects of environmental variables on community variation. The results show that Prince Rupprecht's larch forest in the Pangquangou National Nature Reserve can be represented by eight community types. The amount of total species variability captured by all environmental variables was 20.6%, and the cumulative percentage variance of species–environment relationships was 95.8%. However, analyses with a conditional effect approach revealed that elevation, aspect and litter thickness contribute the most to community variation. The pure and joint effects of these three explanatory variables were separated with variation partitioning analyses. The results highlight that the effect of elevation accounts for the largest fraction of community variation in Prince Rupprecht's larch forest.

Initially conceived as human-exclusion zones (the segregative model), protected areas are more and more often established within a management framework that integrates conservation and development projects with multiple partnerships and encourages engagement with local stakeholders (the integrative model). In this study, we investigated the conservation attitudes and practices of management staff in the network of nature reserves (NRs) in France. We found that conservation practices, such as law enforcement, habitat management, environmental education and partnerships, and the socio–cultural and psychological profiles of their managers show a wide distribution along a segregative to integrative gradient. Our results indicate that while the policy of these protected areas is still structured by a segregative cliché, in practice, many managers implement a more integrated approach. This coexistence of the two approaches reflects a general pattern of evolution of nature protection thought and the institutionalization of NRs, as well as demonstrating the adaptation of NRs to their local contexts and how they function, within the surrounding landscape, as a single but complex social–ecological system.

There were 2,541 nature reserves accounting for c. 15% of China's land territory by 2009. As nature reserves hold the majority of the country's wildlife they play a fundamental role in protecting the country's biodiversity. National policies relevant to nature reserves have had a positive effect on biodiversity although these policies are now facing increasing challenges. We reviewed the development of relevant policy and legislation and identify and assess challenges, using a questionnaire survey and personal interviews. The main challenges identified and assessed included lack of harmonization between government departments, between nature reserves and other protected area designations, and between nature reserves and local communities. In addition, recent transfers of responsibilities between government entities, potential impacts of forest tenure reforms, and issues surrounding natural resource use and ecotourism were identified. These obstacles could undermine the achievements of biodiversity conservation in China if they are not addressed soon. Given these findings, we make recommendations to guide future policy formulation in relation to nature reserve management and development.