Primary Study On Molecular Ecology Of Red Deer In Wandashan Mountains, Heilongjiang Province, Northeastern China

Two hundred and ten feces samples of the red deer( Cervus elaphus xanthopygus), which distributed in eastern Wandashan Mountains,Heilongjiang Prov., northeastern China were collected in the two winter seasons in 2006 and 2007. Out of them, the total DNA of 167 feces samples, assigned to 66 individuals, was extracted. Based on 167 sequences of microsatelite DNA, the methods, such as sex determination by SRY gene, correlation of fecal pellet's shape with sex, genetic diversity of the population, capture-mark-recapture and home range analysis, were used to study a)identifying sex by feces samples; b)constructing the correlation of fecal pellet's shape with sex, which had been determined; c)analyzing population genetic diversity; d)estimating the population size; and d)analyzing the home range of the red deer. We were obtained the following results.1. There is a high genetic diversity in the wild red deer populations (A=9.0±2.77, Ho=0.694±0.078, He=0.738±0.076). Many rare alleles in the low frequencies maybe lose in great probability. It would be very important to protect those alleles.2. The red deer density in Wupao forestry farm is 0.302 individual/km~2, differing from 0.2616 individual /km~2 investigated in 2002, using capture-mark-recapture method. This result is caused by different methods used in two studies or gene typing error being not rejected.3. The sex ratio (female: male) is 1.00: 2.55 among 39 individuals (female 11, male 28) in 2006, while 1.00: 1.40 among 36 individuals(female 15, male 21) in 2007. When the data in the two years were combined together, the ratio changed to 1.00: 2.00 (female 22, male 44), biased the theoretic ratio 1. We considered that the main reasons, which our result differed from the previous one in the polyandrous mating system, were the disturbance of human activity (such as illegal hunting) and sampling error.4. The probability of sex identification in correct is 79.71 % by the length-width ratio of fecal pellets, while 90.56% by the shape of fecal pellets (bullet-like pellets and shuttle-like pellets corresponding to male and female respectively). The length-width ratio of fecal pellets in captive breeding populations differs from the one in wild populations significantly. And we found that the shape between the male and female individuals is alterable. We think that the diet differentiation between the two populations is the main reason.5. The home ranges of 7 individuals (5 males and 2 females) were investigated using the least protruding polygon method. For males, their territories are 169.26～1085.61hm~2, while 43.72hm~2 and 14.71hm~2 for two females respectively. The male territories are larger than the female. There are significant overlaps among different individuals.