Ecological Study Of Sclater's Monal At Mt. Gaoligongshan

Wildlife protection needs detailed biological data on the population status, habitat utilization and ecological adaptation. Sclater's Monal (Lophophorus sclateri) is an endangered species of Galliformes, distributed restrictedly at the top of some high mountains in Tibet and Yunnan. It is ranked the first class in China and listed in the AppendixⅠof the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Little is known of its biology across almost all of its remote, inaccessible, and relatively restricted range. This hampers the in-situ and ex-situ conservation program on this species.We choose the research site at Danaozi, the highest peak of the southern part of Mt. Gaoligongshan, where located near Datang village, Tengchong County, Yunnan province(25°41'-25°42'N, 98°44'-98°46'E). Cizhu brook runs through our study area and flows into Longchuan River. Moreover, this site is in the core area of the Gaoligongshan Natural Reserve.We have done some preliminary work in August of 2000 and March to April of 2001 on the species, to get familiar to the habit of Sclater's Monal and distinguish the characteristics of the footprints, feces and foraging marks from the other two pheasants. Foraging behavior and food are directly observed in the field, selection of foraging site are sampled with some foraging plots and random plots, and three ecological factors including habitat type, altitude and bamboo density are chose to measure in the plots.We observe the incubation day after night as soon as the first time we find the nest and record the four calls using digital recorder (SAMSUNG 1330). Since the crowing call is loud enough for researcher to count one mile away, so we set up a listening station near the ridge and count the crowing call all day long.The movement way of Lophophorus sclateri was directly observed at Danaozi in Mt. Gsaoligongshan in Januaries of 2002 and 2003, and habitat preference of the pheasant were sampled by transect and quadrant methods. The pheasant usually glided down, and always walked up. Three sleeping sites were found on steep slopes with high canopy density, and close to the valley. The pheasant shifted down in winter, which may be related to heavier snow in higher locations, resulting in a dense use of the belt close to the valley. The movement way and pattern of habitat use are clearly bound to maximize foraging effectiveness and minimize energy expenditure.