02451nas a2200349   4500000000100000008004100001653002100042653002000063653001100083653001400094653001400108653001600122653001400138653001100152653001300163653001700176653002800193653002200221653001300243653001000256653001700266653001300283653001000296100001500306700001600321245005400337856015300391300001000544490000800554520151900562022002002081                                       d10aAfrican elephant10aBeijing [China]10aDemand10aGuangdong10aGuangzhou10aIvory trade10aLoxodonta10amarket10aShanghai10ablack market10aconservation management10acultural heritage10aelephant10aivory10alegal system10apoaching10aTrade1 aYufang Gao1 aSusan Clark00aElephant ivory trade in China: Trends and drivers  uhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84908118497&doi=10.1016%2fj.biocon.2014.09.020&partnerID=40&md5=2ca56dd1d0c48ede3dbe2a59c86ee8e8  a23-300 v1803 aPoaching of African elephants is threatening the species viability. International non-governmental organizations and media often attribute the basic problem to China s domestic ivory market. We present quantitative and qualitative information on trends and drivers of the ivory trade in China. Results show that ivory is traded in "white" legally licensed retail outlets, "black" illegal shops and online trade forums, and "gray" live auctions of uncertain legality. White markets are primarily in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. The numbers of legal factories and retail outlets increased from 9 and 31 in 2004 to 37 and 145 in 2013. Black markets thrive in online trading platforms, such as Baidu Post Bar. Gray markets auction ivory items surging around 2006, mushrooming after 2009, peaking in 2011, and plummeting over 97\% following government intervention. During 2002 to 2011, the ivory auction in China and elephant poaching in Africa are strongly positively correlated. Drivers of the ivory trade are multiple and complex, including Chinese consumers  motivation stemming from the socially-constructed economic, social, cultural, aesthetic, religious, and medical values of ivory. We highlight China s intangible cultural heritage preservation, the boom of arts investment, and the auction ban in changing ivory values and influencing markets. We argue that elephant conservation can be more effective if it is based on a more comprehensive and contextual understanding of China s domestic ivory trade.  a00063207 (ISSN)