Education
2002 - 2009 Ph.D. in Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing
1998 - 2002 B. S. in Plant Molecular & Developmental Biology, College of Life Science, Peking University, Beijing
Professional Experience
2022 - present Associate Professor, PI. School of Life Sciences, Peking University, China
2015 - 2022 Assistant Professor, PI. School of Life Sciences, Peking University, China
2011 - 2014 Research Associate. Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, USA
2011 - 2013 Post-doctoral Research Fellow. Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
2009 - 2011 Visiting Scientist. Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, USA
Social Services
IUCN Species Survival Commission. Member and species assessment specialist.
Bear Specialist Group (2018-present)
Deer Specialist Group (2013-present)
Cat Specialist Group (2009-present)
Dhole Working Group (2014-present)
We are living in an era of rapid and dramatic changes in land use and climate. The enormous economic growth and rapid increase of human demands on natural resources has deeply shaped the environment humans share with other living beings, and this is especially true in China. In order to achieve a more sustainable future, it is important and urgent to understand the changes of ecosystems and the mechanisms underlying those ecosystem processes through sound scientific research and management.
I focus on long-term ecological research to address the questions of how biophysical parameters and human activities structure the large animal communities in a changing landscape, how wildlife populations and communities respond to human disturbance, and how to develop effective conservation strategies accordingly. I am motivated by questions about population dynamics, distribution patterns, and habitat needs of vertebrate species (particularly large mammals and forest birds). I have recently extended my study to include permanent large forest dynamics plots to obtain a more holistic understanding of how mammals and birds interact with their forest habitats. My present and future research will address two main questions:
At the local scale, what are the driving mechanisms shaping the structure and pattern of large animal communities, the ecological function of large fauna (particularly ungulates and carnivores) in temperate forests, and the impact of defaunation on forest structure and composition?
At the regional scale and beyond, what are the mechanisms determining the pattern and process of large animal communities (particularly large mammals and birds), and how will they be impacted by predicted changes in climate, human activities and land use?
Accordingly, my research will take a hierarchical approach ranging from field-based studies to macroecological analyses. The results obtained from fine-scale studies will provide valuable insights to better understanding of both the observed and the predicted patterns at broader spatial and temporal scales. The main research topics include:
Local scale study: Identifying the underlying mechanisms shaping the structure and pattern of large animal communities in the targeted temperate forest ecosystems, and exploring the interactions between large fauna (particularly ungulates and carnivores) and their forest habitats and their ecological function ;
Regional scale study: Examining the spatial distribution patterns of large fauna in China and exploring the potential drivers and mechanisms and the linkage between local and regional patterns;
Strategic study: Providing pragmatic solutions to promote wildlife conservation and the management effectiveness of protected areas in China.
2021
Wang F., Winkler J., Vina A., McShea WJ., Li S., Connor T., Zhao Z., Wang D., Yang H., Tang Y. & Liu J. The hidden risk of using umbrella species as conservation surrogates: A spatio-temporal approach. Biological Conservation 253: 108913.
Shao X., Lu Q., Liu M., Xiong M., Bu H., Wang D., Liu S., Zhao J., Li S.* & Yao M.* Generalist carnivores as effective biodiversity samplers of terrestrial vertebrates. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. In press.
2020
Li S., McShea W., Wang D., Gu X., Zhang X., Zhang L. & Shen X. Retreat of large carnivores across the giant panda distribution range. Nature Ecology & Evolution 4: 1327-1331.
Shen X.﹟, Li S.﹟, McShea W.J., Wang D., Yu J., Shi X., Dong W., Mi X. & Ma K. Effectiveness of management zoning designed for flagship species in protecting sympatric species. Conservation Biology 34(1): 158-167.
Fan F., Bu H., McShea W., Shen X., Li B. & Li S.* Seasonal habitat use and activity patterns of blood pheasant Ithaginis cruentusbe in the presence of free-ranging livestock. Global Ecology & Conservation 23: e01155.
Yang R., Cao Y., Hou S., Peng Q., Wang X., Wang F., Tseng T-H., Yu L., Carver S., Convery I., Zhao Z., Shen X., Li S., Zheng Y., Liu H., Gong P. & Ma K. Cost-effective priorities for the expansion of global terrestrial protected areas: setting post-2020 global and national targets. Science Advances 6: eabc3436.
Li J., Weckworth B., McCarthy T., Liang X., Liu Y., Xing R., Li D., Zhang Y., Xue Y., Jackson R., Xiao L., Cheng C., Li S., Xu F., Ma M., Yang X., Diao K., Gao Y., Song D., Nowell K., He B., Li Y., McCarthy K., Paltsyn M., Sharma K., Mishra C., Schaller G., Lu Z., Beissinger S. Defining priorities for global snow leopard conservation landscapes. Biological Conservation 241: 108387.
2019
Bu H., Shen X. & Li S.* Predation patterns on artificial nests of ground nesting pheasants in the montane forest, Southwest China. Acta Ornithologica 54(1): 35-43.
2018
Zhang L., Wang Q., Yang L., Li F., Chan B., Xiao Z., Li S., Song D., Piao Z. & Fan P. The neglected otters in China: distribution change in the past 400 years and current conservation status. Biological Conservation 228: 259-267.
Fang G., Li M., Liu X., Guo W., Jiang Y., Huang Z., Tang S., Li D., Yu J., Jin T., Liu X., Wang J., Li S., Qi X. & Li B. Preliminary report on Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana roxellana) at Laohegou Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China. Scientific Reports 8: 16183.
Wang F., McShea W.J., Li S. & Wang D. Does one size fit all? A multispecies approach to regional landscape corridor planning. Diversity and Distributions 24(3): 415-425 (Cover story).
2017
Li B., Pimm S.L., Li S., Zhao L. & Luo C. Free-ranging Livestock Threaten the Long-term Survival of Giant Pandas. Biological Conservation 216: 18-25.
Wang W., Qiao Y., Li S., Pan W. &Yao M. Low Genetic Diversity and Strong Population Structure Shaped by Anthropogenic Habitat Fragmentation in a Critically Endangered Primate, Trachypithecus leucocephalus. Heredity 118: 542-553.
Xiong M., Wang D., Bu H., Shao X., Zhang D., Li S., Wang R. & Yao M. Molecular Dietary Analysis of Two Sympatric Felids in the Mountains of Southwest China Biodiversity Hotspot and Conservation Implications. Scientific Reports 7: 41909.
Laguardia A., Kamler J.F., Li S., Zhang C., Zhou Z. & Shi K. The Current Distribution and Status of Leopards Panthera pardus in China. Oryx 51(1): 153-159.
2016
Bu H., Wang F., McShea W.J., Lu Z., Wang D.* &, Li S.* Spatial Co-occurrence and Activity Patterns of Mesocarnivores in the Temperate Forest of SW China. PLoS One 11(10): e0164271.
Bu H., Hopkins III J.B., Zhang D., Li S., Wang R., Yao M. & Wang D. An Evaluation of Hair-snaring Devices for Small-bodied Carnivores in Southwest China. Journal of Mammalogy 97: 589-598.
Xiong M., Shao X., Long Y., Bu H., Zhang D., Wang D., Li S., Wang R. & Yao M. Molecular Analysis of Vertebrates and Plants in Scats of Leopard Cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) in Southwest China. Journal of Mammalogy 97: 1054-1064.
2015
Shen X., Li S.*, Wang D. & Lu Z. Viable Contribution of Tibetan Sacred Mountains in Southwestern China to Forest Conservation. Conservation Biology. In Press.
Wang F., McShea W.J., Wang D. & Li S.* Shared Resources between Giant Panda and Sympatric Wild and Domestic Mammals. Biological Conservation 186: 319-325.
Guan T., Wang F., Li S.* & McShea W. J. Nature Reserve Requirements for Landscape-dependent Ungulates: the Case of Endangered Takin (Budorcas taxicolor) in Southwestern China. Biological Conservation 182: 63-71.
