| This study was carried out during the snowy seasons from 2011 to 2015 in the northeastern part of China including six local sites,i.e.,Mohe(MH),Nanwenhe(NWH),Zhanhe(ZH),Shuanghe(SH),Hanma(HM)and Meitian(MT),which are located in different geographic gradients.Using line transect survey methods and snow tracking footprint methods,the field work of moose(Alces alces cameloide)was conducted.The line transects were applied with intervals of 3 km as well as each one longer than 3 km in study sites,covered an area of 845.1 square kilometers.The total number of line transects were 96 ones and the number of survey plots(10 m × 10 m)were 1316 plots.What is more,five subplots(2 m × 2 m)were laid out in each 10m2 plot and 7435 small plots were plotted in six sites.84 snow tracks of moose have been followed,including 35 female ones and 49 male ones.A total of 257 fecal samples were collected on six local sites in snowy seasons,involving 45 female individuals and 52 male individuals.Based on the knowledge of nutritional ecology as well as field study,the results show that:1.The fecal cortisol concentration varied in different local sites and SH had the lowest concentration of cortisol,which means that SH had the lowest stress from the environment.However,there were no significant differences between sexes in cortisol concentration.On the other hand,high percentage of fiber in males would lead to low concentration of cortisol(P = 0.002),nevertheless,high percentage of carbohydrate in males would lead to high concentration of cortisol(P = 0.016)at the regional scale.2.According to the forage availability in six local sites,MH had the significantly lowest one while ZH had the highest one,and it varied gradually from ZH to MH.3.ZH had the best nutritional quality of food.MT had the lowest species richness as well as low food nutritional content(the plant percentage of protein < 16%).MH was the place that had the worst nutritional quality of food.This is because,it had the lowest indices of Shannon-wiener as well as evenness,smallest niche width and the plant had a low percentage of p rotein(< 16%).4.The relative percentage of ingested macronutrients in right-angled mixture triangle(RMT)demonstrated that protein was significantly high in females at ZH and the ratio of Female / Male on protein was also significantly higher than those of others.As to female and male moose in MT,their protein as well as the ratio of Female / Male on protein were significantly lower than those of other sites.However,their nonprotein energy was remarkably high.Female moose at MH had the highest fiber and lowest nonprotein energy,the ratio of Female / Male was observably low on nonprotein energy and high on fiber.5.The results suggested that there really was a narrow species-intake protein(P): nonprotein intake(fat + carbohydrate + fiber)(NPI)range in moose and it ranged from 0.06 to 0.08,but as a factor of protein deficiency,MT hasn't reached this better nutritional requirements.The results also showed that females had a higher P/NPI ratio than males,except for MH and MT where nutrients in deficit. |
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