Genetic Diversity In And Conservation Strategy Considerations For The Chinese Water Deer (Hydropotes Inermis)

Chinese water deer is classified in the order ARTIODACTYLA, family CERVIDAE. It was thought to have two known subspecies: Hydropotes inermis inermis Swinhoe, 1870, which is native to China; H. inermis argyropus Heude, 1884, which is only found in Korea. Early in the 20th century, the water deer were introduced to Britain and France from China and established several local populations there. The distribution of the water deer in China used to extend Liaodong Peninsular North China plain and the shores of the lower reaches of Yangtze River and adjacent lake areas, with a region from the latitude 28° to 42° N and the east limit, the longitude 110°E. However, the population of the water deer has declined rapidly and its distribution is now limited and fragmented only to the coastal areas of Jiangsu Province, Zhoushan Archipelagoes in Zhejiang Province and Poyang Lake areas in Jiangxi Province. In Korea, the water deer appears abundant and lives along the lower reaches of most rivers and its north distribution is limited to 43°N. Both subspecies are now isolated. Chinese water deer is classified as the second class of protected animals in China, and ranked as LR/nt in IUCN red data book. This species need more attention and conservation. It is necessary to clarify genetic constitutions and phylogeny of populations in making strategy on conservation and management.This study was trying to answer how the genetic variances are among different populations of the water deer in China and Korea and to assess the factors.likely to lead these populations to decline and give conservation recommendations to the government.Muscles, blood, fur, hairs , bone and scats samples were collected nondestructively and noninvasively from Zhoushan Archipelagoes (in Zhejiang province), Yancheng coastal areas (in Jiangsu province), Jishan Island (in Jiangxi province )and South Korea. We got the full sequences of mtDNA cytochrome b and D-loop(CR) and fragments of 12SrRNA of the deer from those samples by PCR amplification and sequence analysis. In addition, the genetic diversity of the deer from Yancheng and Zhoushan was compared by RAPD. Simultaneously, we collected literature records, archaeological discoveries to clarify vicissitude of the deer, and conducted questionnaire investigations on poaching and reintroduction, and also with...