| Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis) is one of small sized ungulates of subfamily Hydropotinae genus Hydropotes (Artiodactyla, Cervidae). Blue sheep is listed in the second grade nationally protected animals of China, and listed on the IUCN red lists as Lower Risk /near threatened. It is distributed in the Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, and Anhui Provinces of China, as well as in Korean Peninsula. As a consequence of habitat loss and human development, this species is rapidly declining, mostly in distribution range and abundance. Yancheng coastal wetland of Jiangsu Province is one of four central areas of Chinese water deer's distribution, and is the northern boundary of the deer's distribution of China. With population increasing, wetland reclamation, and development of industry and agriculture, original habitat and concealment of the water deer were destroyed. Therefore, the range and size of the water deer's habitat is increasingly shrinking. Chinese water deer is umbrella species in Yancheng coastal wetland, hence it is important to conserve and use the flora and fauna resources. The further understanding of blue sheep is essential in ecosystem's stability and biodiversity's conservation.We have been carrying out a project in Chinese water deer of Yancheng coastal wetland in Jiangsu Provinces from November to December, 2006. We also compared the data from this study with those from 1999 to 2000. This report aims to describe distribution range and variation, population density and abundance, habitat use and selection, habitat use with different periods and their mechanics, endangered factors, and preliminary analysis on feasibility of reintroducing Chinese water deer to Shanghai. The conclusion will provide for the conservation and management of this species in Yancheng coastal wetland.There are some results as follow:1. Chinese water deer is distributed in core area of Yancheng Nature Reserve, Reed Company of Sheyang, the second and third core areas of Dafeng Milu Natrue Reserve, and wilderness around two core areas of Dafeng Milu Reserve. In the early nineties, the main distribution areas of the deer are seven patches. In our study, the main distribution areas have only three small patches.2. Distance sampling methods were used to estimate the density of Chinese water deer in Yancheng coastal wetland by walking along 30 transect lines in winter 2006. In all, 41 Chinese water deer were observed in 23 groups during the surveys. Mean group size is 1.82 individuals, and encounter rate is 0.06 deer km-1. Half-normal together with simple polynomial models was the best fitting models based on the lowest AIC value. Density estimates were 4.167 deer km-2, with abundance estimates of 782 deer in Yancheng coastal wetland.3. Sixty-five habitats used by the water deer and forty random plots were located and measured crossing the entire study area. The water deer preferred habitats dominated by Suaeda salsa, and avoided habitats dominated by Phragmites autralis, Spartina alterniflora and others. Chinese water deer preferred vegetation height from 50 to 69 cm and from 90 to 110 cm, and avoided the height less than 49 cm and above 110 cm. The deer showed a strong preference for habitats closer to water resource (<400 m), and farther away from human disturbance (>500 m).4. There were significant differences in vegetation height, distance to water resource, and distance to human disturbance between habitat and random plots. The deer habitats were characterized by higher vegetation, more coverage, closer to water resource, and farther away from human disturbance.5. From 1999 to 2000, vegetation types selected by the water deer included Imperata cylindrical, Phragmites autralis, Aleuropus littoralis, Suaeda glaura, and Suaeda salsa. In our study, the deer only preferred Suaeda salsa. The water deer both showed a strong preference for vegetation height from 90-100 cm, more coverage (> 90%), closer to water resource, and farther away from human disturbance in a study from 1999 to 2000 and this study.6. We analyzed the requirements for food and habitat, reproductive ability, and genetic diversity of Chinese water deer, summarized the endangered factors of the deer in Yancheng coastal wetland, and outlined the floral resources and main vegetation communities. Chong Dongtan Reserve has basic biology condition for reintroducing the water deer to Shanghai. Reintroduction has some non-biological consideration, i.e. attitudes towards reintroduction, value trend, behaviour, and organization and management.
|
PDF Full Text Request