Winter bed-site selection by red deer Cervus elaphus xanthopygus and roe deer Capreolus capreolus bedfordi in forests of northeastern China

Chen, H.; Li, F.; Luo, Li; Wang, H.; Ma, Jingyun

doi:10.4098/at.arch.99-17

Cited by 16 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Winter is considered to be a critical period of low availability and quality of vegetation, whereas spring is regarded as a period with gradually increasing vegetation resources to the higher points in the northern regions (Chen and Gao, 1992). Accordingly, ungulate foraging tactics will vary with food resources in order to compensate for increased energy demands in winter (Mautz, 1978;Parker and Robbins, 1984;Schmitz, 1991;Chen et al, 1999). Having grasped the mechanism of the shift in foraging tactics, especially feeding habitat selection, we can understand how animals can adapt to their surrounding environment (Jiang, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Feeding habitats of blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) during winter and spring in Helan Mountains, China

et al. 2007

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The feeding habitat selection of blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) was studied by direct observation method in the Helan Mountains, China during winter (from Novembe r to December) and spring (from April to June) from 2003 to 2004. We established 25 line transects to collect information on feeding habitats used by blue sheep. Blue sheep in the study area preferred mountain savanna forests, a habitat dominated by Ulmus glaucescens, with medium tree density (<4 individuals / 400 m 2 ), moderate tree height (4-6 m), higher shrub density (>5 individuals / 100 m 2 ), higher shrub (>1.3 m), higher food abundance (>50 g), moderate distance to human disturbance (<500 m), and mild distance to bare rock (<2 m). Such habitats characterized by 12 ecological factors were preferred as feeding areas by blue sheep during winter. Similar to habitat selection by the species during winter, blue sheep also showed a preference for mountain savanna with tree dominated by Ulmus glaucescens and medium tree density (<4 individuals / 400 m 2 ) during spring. Nevertheless, blue sheep preferred medium tree height (<6 m), moderate tree density (5-10 individuals / 100 m 2 ), medium shrub height (1.3-1.7 m), higher food abundance (>100 g), moderate altitude (<2 000 m), moderate distance to water resource (<500 m), and medium hiding cover (50%-75%) during spring. Selection of the feeding habitats by sheep showed a significant difference in vegetation type, landform feature, dominant tree, tree height, shrub density, distance to the nearest shrub, food abundance, slope direction, slope degree, distance to water resource, and hiding cover between winter and spring. Results of principal components analysis indicated that the first principal component accounted for 24.493% of the total variance among feeding habitat variance during winter, with higher loadings for vegetation type, dominant tree, tree height, distance to the nearest tree, shrub density, shrub height, altitude, distance to water resource, and distance to human disturbance. In spring, the first principal components explained 28.777% of the variance, with higher loadings for vegetation type, distance to the nearest tree, shrub height, distance to the nearest shrub, food abundance, altitude, and distance to human disturbance.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Feeding habitats of blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) during winter and spring in Helan Mountains, China

et al. 2007

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Winter at higher latitudes provides an opportunity to indirectly record animal locations and behaviours such as traveling, foraging, bedding, defaecating, or urinating, by using signs left in snow (Gao et al 1995;Chen et al 1999;Jiang et al 2007). The information is particularly useful because negative energy balances during winter make this period critical for survival of many terrestrial mammals (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing microhabitat use by roe deer and moose in China

Jiang

Zhang

et al. 2009

Wildl. Res.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Potential conflicts between forestry production practices and wildlife habitat requirements are increasing globally with rapid socioeconomic development. Moose (Alces alces cameloides) and roe deer (Capreolus pygargus bedfordi) populations are in decline in north-eastern China, an area managed for forestry production. We obtained detailed information about these species' use of habitat by following their movement paths in snow and recording behaviours exhibited along their paths. We used fractal analysis, Mann-Whitney U-tests and linear mixed models to analyse the paths and the relationships between tortuousity, habitat, and the expressed behaviours at different spatial scales. This analysis showed a natural break in the fractal dimension of moose movement paths at a scale of~10 m, suggesting that moose exhibited different responses to their microhabitat and behavioural requirements at scales above and below this threshold. However, we detected no differences in the responses of roe deer over a scale range of 3-20 m. Moose paths tended to pass through areas with higher basal areas of tree stems and those with deeper snow. Roe deer showed positive associations between tortuousity and the number of bedding sites and feeding sites, and a negative association between tortuousity and the total basal area of tree stems. There was a positive relationship between the numbers of bedding and defaecating sites, and a negative association between the number of bedding sites and snow depth. For moose, we found positive associations between tortuousity and the number of defaecating sites, the basal areas of both broadleaf stands and mixed conifer and broadleaf stands, and a negative association between tortuousity and the number of feeding sites. We concluded that roe deer foraged in accordance with patch-use theory, whereas moose foraged in accordance with diet-selection theory. We concluded that modifications to forestry practices to foster the populations of both species of deer will require forestry operations to be conducted on a much finer scale, and that one species can be promoted over the other by selective fine-scale habitat management.

show abstract

“…Former research on red deer in China have shown that vegetation, slope, aspect, snow depth, other ungulate disturbances and human disturbances were important factors for feeding and bedding habitat selection of red deer (Zhang and Xiao 1990). Furthermore, selection of bed sites by red deer may reflect the energy requirements of their large bodies (Chen et al 1999). As winter can be a critical time for minimization of energy expenditure by deer, optimization of day and night bedding locations should increase survival and recruitment (Kucera 1976, Verme 1978.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of human disturbance on movement, foraging and bed selection in red deerCervus elaphus xanthopygus from the Wandashan Mountains, northeastern China

Jiang

Zhang

2007

Acta Theriol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Z. 2007. Effects of human disturbance on movement, foraging and bed selection in red deer Cervus elaphus xanthopygus from the Wandashan Mountains, northeastern China. Acta Theriologica 52: 435-446.We characterized 716 sites (including 22 beds, 60 foraging and 604 movement sites) used by red deer Cervus elaphus xanthopygus Milne-Edwards, 1867 in the Wandashan Mountains, northeastern China in the winter period. We used covariates for vegetation, topography, disturbances by other ungulates, and disturbance by humans to develop movement, forage and bed site resource-selection models. We used an information-theoretic approach to select the top 5 models for movement, forage and bed site occurrences respectively. The three most parsimonious autologistic models were good predictors of movement, forage and bed occurrence of this species. Vegetation covariates were important components of all models. We recorded avoidance responses by the behaviours of species to each disturbance type (ie, villages, forest roads and abandoned roads); bed site occurrences were most sensitive to all human disturbances for their lowest odds encountered. Across all parsimonious models, villages have the largest negative effect on movement, foraging and bed occurrences. Movement and bedding behaviours were also affected by other ungulate disturbances. Altitude had slightly negative effect on movement and foraging behaviours. Ridges, topographic aspect and shrub stands were all correlated with bed-site selection. Although different behaviours may be associated with different microhabitat features, behaviours of red deer responded similarly to the same human disturbance on a broad scale. Based on the observations above, we believe that red deer are avoiding human-altered habitat for movement, bedding and foraging because of disturbances during the critical late winter period. Furthermore, various behavioural resource selection models and corresponding graphs of important habitat disturbances can be used to guide and evaluate future development proposals.

show abstract

Winter bed-site selection by red deer Cervus elaphus xanthopygus and roe deer Capreolus capreolus bedfordi in forests of northeastern China

Cited by 16 publications

References 24 publications

Feeding habitats of blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) during winter and spring in Helan Mountains, China

Feeding habitats of blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) during winter and spring in Helan Mountains, China

Assessing microhabitat use by roe deer and moose in China

Effects of human disturbance on movement, foraging and bed selection in red deerCervus elaphus xanthopygus from the Wandashan Mountains, northeastern China

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About