Habitat Change Trend and Activity Rhythm of Three Mammals in Liandu Fengyuran Provincial Nature Reserve of Zhejiang Province

one of the regions with the richest biodiversity in Zhejiang Province is Liandu Fengyuan Provincial Nature Reserve of Zhejiang Province, where a variety of key protected animals inhabits. However, relatively limited research has been conducted on the living conditions, activity patterns, and habitat utilization of Carnivora mammals in the reserve. Therefore, three near-threatened species with similar feeding habits and relatively high population densities Paguma larvata, Melogale moschata and Arctonyx collaris were selected as research objects. On the basis of image data of the three species obtained through infrared camera monitoring, the characteristics and change trends of habitat were analyzed. Combined with climatic factors, the MaxEnt model was used to assess the distribution of suitable habitats for the species. Finally, the results of the two models were integrated to predict the future habitat change of the three species. The result revealed that the activity ranges of the three mammal species overlapped with no significant difference in daily activity rhythms (P>0.05), and all were nocturnal. The expansion directions of future suitable habitat were consistent and overlapped, which might intensify interspecific habitat competition. To effectively protect these species and mitigate interspecific conflicts, it is recommended that the northwestern part of the reserves should be designated as a core protection area, where the planting area of surrounding suitable vegetation should be expanded to optimize the species distribution pattern, and that the reserve management authority should formulate scientific conservation policies based on the species distribution patterns.