Time Budget To Diurnal Behavior And Ecological Safety Assessment Of The Pere David's Deer (Elaphurus Davidianus) In Shishou, Hubei Province

The main protecting object in Hubei Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve is reintroducing Pere David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus). The purpose of this study provide reference for restocking of the wild and ex-situ convervation of Pere David's deer populations,and theoretical and practical guidance for protection and rescue of other endangered species.The author observed the time budget to diurnal behavior (such as feeding, drinking, moving, resting, alert, as well as others of six types)of Pere David's deer populations in Hubei Milu National Nature Reserve, its outers Yangbotan wilden Pere David's deer populations, the southern bank of Yangtze River, from September 2006 to October 2007 by focus sampling and instantaneous recording method. By the comparison, applying the non-parametric test (Kruskal Wallis H test) and the Mann-Whitney U test, conclusion of this reach are as follows:1. The time budget to diurnal behavior of Pere David's deer populations in Shishou Milu Natural Nature Reserve takes the following turn:resting(53.40%±5.59%),feeding(22.36%±8.34%),moving(11.23%±0.63 %), alert(5.03%±1.76%), others(4.42%±2.06%)and drinking(2.65%±0.74%). The time budget of feeding and resting make up 75.76%发of its diurnal behavior time. Shishou Pere David's deer populations have two feeding peaks, that is, morning and evening; and there is also a long time to resting.2. The time budget to diurnal behavior of every behavior type has a significant changes in different seasons in the Nature Reserve. The feeding proportion of diurnal behavior time is 30.08% in spring,28.46% in winter, larger than the summer (12.60%) and autumn(18.29%); while the resting proportion is 57.72% in summer,58.33% in autumn, larger than the spring (50.81%) and winter (46.75%). Moving proportion of diurnal behavior in autumn (11.79%)and winter(11.59%) is significantly larger than that in spring(10.37%) and in autumn(11.18%). The proportion of alert in summer(6.30%) is larger than that in spring(2.44%), autumn(5.49%) and winter(5.90%). Through the Kruskal Wallis H test for time budget to diurnal behavior in different seasons, drinking (P>0.05) has no significant difference, while feeding(P<0.01), moving(P<0.01),resting(P<0.01), alert (P<0.01) and others(P<0.01) have significant difference between every seasons. Through the Mann-Whitney U test on time budget to diurnal behavior of different sex-age group, there was significant difference in moving of different sex-age group(P<0.01). While the feeding among young deer and adult, young deer and sub-adult have significant difference (P<0.01).3. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in time budget to diurnal behavior of the sex-age group for the resting time in the Nature Reserve; while a very significant difference in feeding, drinking and alert between infant and adult. There was a very significant difference (P<0.01) in feeding and others between infant and sub-adult. Except the significant difference in moveing and alert (P<0.01), there was no other difference between adult and sub-adult. Compared with time budget to diurnal behavior inside of Nature Reserve, the Pere David's deer populations outside of Nature Reserve have basically the same rule.4. Through the observation of Pere David's deer populations inside and outside Nature Reserve, author found that their day rhythm show similar trends. The result also shows that the outside and inside Pere David's deer populations have the similar to diurnal behavior rhythms.5. Through the ecological secutity assessment on seven factors in Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve, including diversity, representation, rarity, spatial natural suitable areas, stability, and human-impact, the R value got 77.8 marks and assessment grade was second. The results show that this nature reserve has a good ecological quality and is also a ideal existence habitant, adapting to breeding.6. Shishou Pere David's deer populations have been facing severe human disturbance. All kinds of human activities are disturbing Mulu populations in different degree, such as reclamation, tree planting, fishing, picking asparagus, pasturing, reaping reeds, picking antlers of Pere David's deer, using pesticide and herbicide, artificial driving, tourism and so on.Finally, author makes some corresponding suggestions on survival status of Pere David's deer populations inner or outside the Hubei Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve.