The Diet Composition And Seasonal Change Of The Siberian Musk Deer In Large Xing'an Mountains

We collect Siberian Musk Deer feces and consultative plant in Huzhong Nature Reserve and western valley forest farm in Huzhong forestry bureau between 2005～2007,then analysis the food composition of the Siberian Musk Deer by microhistological analysis of feces.The results showed that the Siberian Musk Deer mainly browsed on Larix gmelini 31.59%,Rhododendron dahuricum 26.8%,Cladonia spp.9.14%,Populus davidiana 4.97%,Vaccinium vitis-idaea 3.95%,Bryophyta 3.75%,Peltigera spp.1.93%,Rosa davurica 1.64 %,Carex tristachya 1.29%,Carex callitrichos 1.05%,Usnea spp.1.03%and so on,it sum to 51 species。Larix gmelini,Rhododendron dahuricum,Cladonia spp.compose the 68%of the whole diet,and are the main food of Siberian Musk Deer.According to the Ivlev index(E),the Siberian Musk Deer select Heteropappus altaicus, Rhododendron dahuricum,Rosa davurica,Fragaria orientalis,Sorbaria sorbifolia,Peltigera spp.,Cladonia spp.,Carex tristachya,Artemisia sacrorum,Adenophora stenophylla,Geranium dahuricum,Potentilla chinensis and Polygatum odoratum,but avoid select Iris ensata,Vicia chinensis,Carex meyeriana,Spiraea spp.,Betula platyphylla,Vaccinium vitis-idaea,Galium verum,Bryophyta,Achnatherum splendens,Chenopodium glaucum,Ulmus japonica, Thalictrum aquilegifolium,Saposhnikovia divaricata and Pteridum aquilinum.Contrast the Siberian Musk deer diet in winter and summer,the result showed that the Siberian Musk Deer breed on more food species in summer than in winter;the Siberian Musk Deer browse more woody plants in winter than summer;on the contrary,browse more herbaceous plants,moss,lichen and fern in summer than winter.Analysis the diversity index and niche index of the Siberian Musk Deer diet,the result showed that the Siberian Musk Deer averagely breed few plant species in winter and breed more plant species in summer,but only several plant species are absolutely preponderant,the others have very small percent.The niche index indicate the winter is the nutritional bottleneck,make sure the Siberian Musk Deer breed the winter is very important to conservation.The results of correlation analysis of plants' nutrition and diet composition percent showed that the correlation between diet composition and food plants nutrition was not significant.But the PC and heat quantity of the Siberian Musk Deer's main food plant is higher that mean of the plants that the Siberian Musk Deer can browse,but the ADF is lower, especially Cladonia spp.which is the main food.Because of the different latitude,climate and vegetation between Large Xing'an Mountains and Small Xing'an Mountains,the diet items of Siberian Musk Deer is also different.Only same items include Rhododendron dahuricum and Carex callitrichos.The food species in Large Xing'an Mountains is more that Small Xing'an Mountains.But both browse more woody plant in Winter,on the contrary,browse more herbaceous plants in Summer.The Siberian Musk Deer browse more Pteridophyta in Small Xing'an Mountains than Large Xing'an Mountains.