The Relationship Between The Reproductive Success And Habitat Quality Of The Great Tit In Artificial Nests

The author studied the Great Tit reproduction situation and the habitat in Zuo Jia mountainous secondary forest natural reserve in Jilin Province during March to June in 2005 and 2006. We use SPSS13.0 software to analysis the relationship between the Great Tit's reproduction successive and the habitat quality in detailed. The research was carried on the fragment habitat which the total area is 134.5ha. We draw the following conclusion on comparing different patches and two year's Great Tit's reproduction parameter and the environmental factors:We study the relations between the habitat condition and Great Tit successful reproduction through the law of population responded and site characteristic. In 2005 and 2006, the research indicated that the total nest is 89 and 86 and the community density is 0.42 nest /ha and 0.38 nest/ha respectively. In studying Great Tit population condition and the reproduction parameter, in 2005 and 2006, the hatching rate is 87.04% and 80.51% respectively and the means hatching number of days is 13.81 days in 2006, which is higher than 12.77 days in 2005; the average days of broods is 15.06 days in 2006 is lower than 15.31 days in 2005. The difference of egg parameter is remarkable in 2005 and 2006. The growth of Great Tit in 2006 is slower than that in 2005. The hatching rate in A and E patch is lower, is 75.01% and 82.47% respectively.The different egg sizes and the clutch sizes are not remarkable during the two years. The annual means egg size is 12.26 (n=68) in 2006 which is higher than 11.81 (n=53) in 2005. The means clutch size is 9.87 (n=68) in 2006 which is lower than 10.28 (n=53) in 2005. The density in B patch (0.32 nest /ha) and the average egg size (11.34, n=26) are lower. The average clutch size (10.60, n=26) is higher. In A and B patch, the egg volume are lowest, are 1.42±0.06 and 1.41±0.07 respectively. E patch is 1.50±0.01. The egg parameter is increasing according to the laying order in each patch. The increasing trend is not obvious in C and D patch. The egg parameter increases remarkably with the laying order in A, B and E patch. The first egg volume in E patch is higher. The relevance analysis in environment factor and the Great Tit's first egg parameter indicated that the egg weight, the egg length and the egg volume are remarkably advert related with the herb coverage(P<0.05). The herb higher (58.95%) in A patch and the egg volume in E patch is higher (1.50±0.01).In the vegetation factor components analysis, the first principal component is tree number and tree density; the second principal component is the standard tree diameter at chest height, the bush average height and the bush coverage; the third principal component are the tree coverage; the fourth principal components are the bush density. The tree number, the tree density, the tree coverage, the tree average tree diameter at chest height, the bush density, the bush coverage, the bush average height is similar in C and D patch. In E patch, the bush average height (100cm), bush density (12.35 /m~2), the herb coverage 39.29% with other patch differences is remarkable. The A and B patch's habitat factor is quite the same. The tree average tree diameter at chest height is 25.56cm and 24.47cm respectively. In the A and B patch, bush density is 6.97, 8.38 respectively. The herb coverage is 66.5% and 60% respectively. Great Tit choice the tree coverage (64.01±18.89%), the tree number (22.61±8.082 /m~2), the bush highly (94.70±68.22cm) and the bush coverage (57.95±23.88%) as the nest site habitat factor. Great tit's best habitat herb coverage should be 45.52±22.76%.