| To study winter wolverine’s movement behavior, food compositions, habitat utilization and habitat suitability under the influence of human disturbance and food resources, from December 2011 to January 2015, we used wildlife ecology research techniques and methods, combined with data processing and ecological modeling method, investigated 56 2-km transects, followed 36 snow tracks in total length of 71.1km, collected 26 scats samples. The main results were revealed as followings:1. Difference of the gaits of wolverine on snowfield:Wolverine winter gaits on snowfield including jogging gait, running gait and jumping gait. Wolverine’s three gaits have different time and the energy consumption:gait time consumption for jogging gait 0.54s, running gait 0.49s, and jumping gait 1.08s; Single step net energy consumption values for jogging gait 12 MG/100J, running gait 16 MG/100J, and jumping gait 30MG/100J. To cover the same distance, running gait has 77% time consumption and 113% net energy consumption of jogging gait; jumping gait has 154% time consumption and 191% net energy consumption of jogging gait. For the same distance, jogging gait is corresponding with appropriate time consumption and slightly low energy consumption, its comprehensive time-energy consumption index as 1; running gait is slightly higher than jogging gait on energy consumption corresponding lower time consumption, its comprehensive time-energy consumption index as 0.87; jumping gait has higher time and energy consumption, its comprehensive time-energy consumption index as 2.94. Jogging gait means more time investing, running gait shows wolverine pursuit of efficiency of movement, and jumping gait is the special case of the movement behavior for regardless of costs at time-energy consumption. Wolverine’s time-energy consumption strategies of movement behavior are varying in different vegetation types and environmental factors such as altitude, aspect and slope. Wolverine’s winter time-energy consumption of movement behavior mainly at the altitude of 200-200m and 301-350m, gentle slope, the south slope, north slope and eastern slope habitat. Movement behaviors in low altitude and in the north slope of habitat have less time consumption and more energy consumption, with rapid transfer behavior in space.2. Winter food compositions of wolverine:Winter food composition of wolverine is relatively single, only Roe Deer, Mountain Hare and rats were detected in wolverine’s scats. Roe deer is the most important winter food source for wolverine, Mountain Hare is one of the main food sources for wolverine, rats and mice is one of the available food resources.3. The relationship between the wolverine winter movement behavior and habitat:Based on maximum entropy model to predict the animal space distribution probability could turn animals’ information into the environmental impact factors, played a perfect role to analyze the relationship between wolverines’ winter movement behavior and habitat. Elevation, distance from residential areas, distance from the river, and vegetation types have significant influence on wolverine’s winter movement behavior, jogging gait is associated with high altitude, mixed forests, broad-leaved forest, running gait is associated with low altitude, rivers, mixed forests, broad-leaved forest, and jumping gait is associated with low altitude, high altitude, residential areas and aspect. And states of the spatial probabilistic distribution of the sympatric distribution animals have significant influence on wolverine’s winter movement behavior. Jogging gait is associated with high spatial probabilistic distribution of Hazel Grouse, Yellow Weasel, Mountain Hare, Sable, Wild Boar, Moose and middle spatial probabilistic distribution of Lynx. All gaits are associated with very high spatial probabilistic distribution of Roe Deer and Mountain Hare. Running gait is associated with higher spatial probabilistic distribution of Yellow Weasel, Wild Boar and low spatial probabilistic distribution of Lynx, Hazel Grouse. Jumping gait is associated with low spatial probabilistic distribution of Yellow Weasel, Lynx, Moose, Wild Boar, and Sable.4. Sinuosity of wolverine’s winter movement path analysis and wolverine’s winter habitat utilization:Vertical Deviation from Average Analysis and Complexity C can effectively analyze the complexity of the curve, analysis of the habitat utilization of wolverine based on the Vertical Deviation from Average Analysis and Complexity C have higher accuracy and reliability. Wolverine’s movement path has the most sensitive to the environment at the scale of 17.86m. Complexity C17.86 of wolverine’s movement path were very significant negative correlation with altitude, very significant positive correlation with distance from road, significant negative correlation with distance from river, significant positive correlation with the spatial probabilistic distribution of Roe Deer and Moose.5. Habitat suitability under the influence of human disturbance and food resources:The natural habitat of Heilongjiang Shuanghe nature reserve is suitable for wolverine’s survival. Wolverine’s potential habitat suitability is good, the most suitable habitat accounts for 27.5%, the suitable habitat accounts for 40.2%, the marginally suitable habitat accounts for 20.2%, and the unsuitable habitat accounts for 12.1%. Anthropogenic interference factor of the reserve has a negative effect on wolverine’s habitat suitability, but the impact for the most suitable habitat is smaller. Food resources have a larger influence on wolverine’s winter habitat suitability, most suitable habitat and suitable habitat area is greatly reduced and unsuitable habitat area increase higher. Under the influence of human disturbance and food resources, wolverine winter actual habitat quality is greatly reduced, the most suitable habitat accounts for 15.0%, the suitable habitat accounts for 7.6%, the marginally suitable habitat accounts for 12.2%, and the unsuitable habitat accounts for 65.2%. |
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