| The habitat and bed sites selection by musk deer (Moschus moschiferus) were studied with transect line methods in the Lesser Khingan Mountains from August to September of 2004 and March of 2004 and January of 2005. 235 sites were measured in summer, among which fifty-five sites were used by musk deer. In winter 220 sites were measured, and 89 were used by musk deer. Through Independent-samples T Test, Chi-square statistic analysis and Discrimination functional analysis, we found:In summer, musk deer preferred to the coniferous broadleaved forests and avoided shaw forests. They often select upper slope location of near the water source(<1000m) and far away from human disturbance(>2000m) that full of cliff big stone. Compared with random plots, used sites are characterized by higher elevation, smaller canopy, better food abundance and steepest slope. There are no selection to slope direction, sheltering class, shrub canopy, herbage density and fallen logs. Result of principal component analysis showed that the first 6 principal components explained 73.297% of the total variance among all habitat variables. According to absolute value of coefficient, the 6 components were classified separately as food factor, vegetation factor, disturbance factor, sheltering class factor, geography factor and fallen logs factor. Food factor is the chief factor in summer.In winter, musk deer preferred to the coniferous broadleaved forests and used broadleaf forests very little. They often select shady and half sunny half shady slope direction with steeper slope, which in upper slope location with cliff big stone. The distance from water source and human disturbance are within 1000m and far away 2000m respectively. Compared with random plots, used sites are characterized by higher elevation, smaller tree density, smaller shrub canopy, shallower snow depth, higher sheltering class, better food abundance and steepest slope. But there is no selection to fallen logs. Result of principal component analysis showed that the first 6 principal components explained 71.351% of the total variance among all habitat variables. According to absolute value of coefficient, the 6 components were classified separately as surface factor, vegetation factor, food factor, space factor, disturbance factor and snow depth factor. Surface factor is the chief factor in winter.The main difference between summer and winter in musk deer habitat selection are altitude, slope direction and distance from water factor. In summer, musk deer like to select the place of higher altitude and smaller water distance(<1000m), but has no selectio to slope direction. In winter, musk deer lean to shady and half sunny half shady slope direction, the distance from water is within 2000m. And there are no difference in shrub canopy, sheltering class, food abundance and fallen logs.Twenty-four bed sites were analyzed, among which thirteen were on the snow and eleven were under big stone or down pine trees. Compared with its habitat, musk deer often select the place of shallower snow depth and plat slope to rest, where the tree density and food aboundance is lower. During the day, musk deer is mainly rest under big stone or down pine trees. The depth of its bed sitesis 57.27cm on the average. The width is 90.91cm, and the hight is 54.64cm. The width has the largest change range, and the smallest is the hight. Musk deer often select sunny slope direction with high sheltering class and flat slope. Mostly in the coniferous broadleabed forests, and the food aboundance is lower. While during winter, musk deer often rest under pine trees, and the length, the width and the depth of bed sites are 49.15cm, 37.77cm and 7.46cm on the average separately. Compared with the diurnal, the bed sites in night are characterized by steeper slope, shallower snow depth and better food aboundance, but the sheltering class is lower. And the coniferous broadleaved forests in half sunny and half shady slope direction were used most by musk deer but avoided broadleaf forests. |
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