| [Objective]The detrimental increase in human activities in the important habitats of the wild camel (Camelus ferus) is the main problem facing the survival of the wild camels. The population is decreasing, due to the clash between human economic activities and the protection of the habitat. The surviving conditions in the last refuge of wild camels and the habitat suitability need to be studied one by one. Because of the large range of the wild camels, by relying on traditional methods alone it is not easy to observe characteristics of the special ecological habit and the subsequent behavior of wild camels. They can be observed in their breeding area, but it is not possible in their total natural environment. In order to protect and maintain the wild camel population’s reproduction, it is necessary to fully understand the ecological habit and behavioral characteristics of wild camels. By using modern technology to research the wild camels’ home range, ecological habits and migration patterns, this will help to put forward appropriate protective measures and formulate feasible protection action for the protection of wild camels.[Methods]In this paper, studies were done on wild camel population structure, wild camels’ home range, utilization of water points, distribution and the area of the suitable habitat of wild camels. Studies were also made on analysis of threats to wild camels breeding, by using traditional methods of field survey, line transect survey, combined with short species population analysis software, GPS satellite tracking collar, camera traps and wild camels suitable habitat analysis based on NDVI. Putting forward some protection plans of scientific and reasonable, though comprehensive, analysis of the wild camels’ home range, nature reserve planning, the effectiveness of nature reserve management, wild camel population, distribution, behavior characteristics and threatening factors of analysis. As a result of these surveys scientific and reasonable protection countermeasures can be set up for wild camels.[Results](1)During 2010-2013,94 clusters of wild camels and 376 individual were recorded on the surveys. In Lop Nur, Xinjiang, China, the wild camels’mean of population was 645.75±95.55.(2) From May,2012 to July,2013,8 wild camels were given GPS collars. A study on the wild camels’ home range using GPS collars’ technology was undertaken with the knowledge that the north of the Arjin Mountain was the most important habitat of the wild camel. A total 8 wild camels’ 100% minimum convex polygons(MCPs) home range were from 1,775 to 17,768km2 and the mean was 7,349.14±1,322.88 km2, total 8 wild camel’s home range was 32,821km2. Most of the wild camels’home ranges overlapped and the largest 100% MCP home range was in the autumn and the minimum was in the spring. There were no significant differences between different months on individual camels, but there were some differences and some of these were not between different individuals in different months. Wild camels had a seasonal migration through the Kum Tag Desert, but there were significance differences between different individuals.(3)Correlation analysis between years of average maximum NDVI from 2002 to 2013 and the use of wild camels GPS satellite tracking sites in Lop Nur, Xinjiang, China show that the wild camel activity site has no significant negative correlation with vegetation coverage. Vegetation coverage was decreasing at a further distance from the wild camels’site. There was a significant positive correlation between activity waypoints of wild camels and many years’average NDVI maximum value. Wild camels potential distribution area between suitable habitat and the appropriate habitat in Lop Nur, Xinjiang, China was as NDVI equal to 780 as bounded. The suitable area was 36km2. And the next, low and unsuitable areas were 121km2, 29,490km2, and 112,350km2 respectively.(4) From Apr,2013 to Nov,2014,25 camera traps were set near 7 water points along the north piedmont of the Arjin Mountain. A study on wild camel’s utilization of water resources by using these camera traps, showed a significant positive correlation between utilization of water resources for wild camels and the distance between the water point and the place of human activity. Seasonal differences on the use of water source were autumn> spring> summer> winter. In a day with 24 hours, utilization of water source by wild camels showed significance differences. There were two peaks at 8:00am and at 12:00am-2:00pm. The lowest utilization of water source was 8:00pm-7:00am. Wild camel clusters were different between breeding seasonand anestrous seasons. In different months there were also variations with the max clusterin May and min clusterin Jan. There were differences on density in the seasons with max 2.90±0.20 in spring and min 2.22±0.08 in autumn.[Conclusion]By taking advantage of research methods such as camera traps, GPS collars and line transect survey, scientific conclusions have been discovered on the migration behavior of wild camels, time and space distribution of the wild camels the population and and utilization of water resources. The wild camels’ main habitat was in the south of the Aqik valley, the Aqk valley, and the Arjin Mountains. These were the most important habitat for the wild camel. Through a science-based protection strategy using a blueprint which adjusts the Reserve’s functional divisions, increasing checkpoints at entrances to the Reserve, enhancing ranger management skills, obtaining scientific research cooperation, and working together with different departments to carry out law enforcement, establishing a contact mechanism, for information exchange, communication and cooperation between nature reserves, seeking finance for protection works, and implementing suitable ecological restoration,-the critically endangered wild camels in Xingjiang, China-can be protected. |
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