Habitat Selection Of Feral And Semi-free Northeastern Sika Deer Population In Winter

The habitat sites selection by Northeastern Sika Deer (Cervus nippon hortulorum Swinhoe) were studied with transect line methods in three regions of Hei Longjiang Province from February to March of2011and January of2012.109sites were measured in BaiQuan Natural Reserve of XianDong Mountain, among which68sites were used by feral population. In Deer Farm pertain to PingShan of Hei Longjiang Academy of Forestry,66sites were measured, and49were used by semi-free population.46sites were measured in forestry area of LongKou, among which24sites were used by feral population. In forestry area of LongKou100sites were measured, and54were used by semi-free population.Through Two-Independent samples Test, Chi-square statistic analysis and Principal component analysis, we found:In forestry area of LongKou, feral population prefered to the broadleaved forest and selected middle slope location. Compared with random plots, used sites are characterized by higher elevation,shallower snow depth, less disturbance and better food abundance. There are no selection to slope grade and direction. Result of principal component analysis showed that disturbance factor, space factor, surface factor, food factor are the factors of habitat sites selection of feral population in winter.In forestry area of LongKou, semi-free population preferred to the broadleaved forest and selected shady and half sunny half shady slope. Compared with random plots, used sites are characterized by higher elevation, less disturbance, less slope grade. There are no selection to sheltering class, snow depth, food abundance and slope location. Result of principal component analysis showed that space factor, disturbance factor, food factor are the factors of habitat sites selection of semi-free-freepopulation in winter.In BaiQuan Natural Reserve of XianDong Mountain, feral population preferred to the coniferous forest, and used farmland and broadleaved forest less. They often select sunny and half sunny half shady slope with upper and middle slope location. Compared with random plots, used sites are characterized by higher sheltering class, shallower snow depth, far from farmland, less slope grade, less disturbance. There are no selection to elevation and food abundance. Result of principal component analysis showed that disturbance factor, space factor, food factor, farmland factor are the factors of habitat sites selection in winter of feral population.In Deer Farm pertain to PingShan of Hei Longjiang Academy of Forestry, semi-free population preferred to the broadleaved forest and selected flat slope. Compared with random plots, used sites are characterized by shallower snow depth, far from human disturbance, lower elevation, less animals disturbance. There are no selection to sheltering class, food abundance, slope location and direction. Result of principal component analysis showed that human disturbance factor, space factor, slope direction factor and sheltering class factor are the factors of habitat sites selection of semi-free population in winter.The main difference between habitat selection of feral and semi-free population are sheltering class, food abundance, elevation, slope direction and location, human disturbance, animals disturbance. feral population like to select the place of higher altitude, better food abundance, higher sheltering class, mild animals disturbance and far away from human disturbance distance(>1000m), and sunny and shady slope with middle location. semi-free population lean to less slope grade, lower sheltering class, lower elevation, sunny and half sunny half shady slope with upper and middle location. There is no difference in human disturbance between the feral and semi-free population.