Habitat Selection Of Mongolian Gazelle Procapra Gutturosa Around Dalai Lake, Inner Mongolia, China

Mongolian gazelle is the most abundant herbivorous species and the endemic species on Asia-European steppe. From June 2005 to Novenber 2007, we randomly set 20 transcets and characterized 21 ecological factors which may determine habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle around Dalai lake, Inner-Mongolia, northeast China with the aim to identify the key features influence their habitat use. We recorded 233 populations, 1505 individuals (827 females, 358 males and 323 calves) and 1459 traces in our survies. We used an information theoretic approach and logistic regression to build the models, used resource selection indexes and resource selection functions to discuss the preferences of primary parameters by Mongolian gazelle in different seasons respectively and used an ROC curve method as the precision testing method for the models. Our results show that the top parsimonious auto-logistic models are good predictors for Mongolian gazelle's habitat selection in different seasons and the influences of ecological factors are as follow:The most pivotal condition which decide Mongolian gazelle's presence in spring is livestock disturbance (β=10.898) . Slope position, water distance, slope, shelter, fence distance and vegetation type are the main factors for habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle in spring (β＞1.000) . Road distance, aboveground biomass, plant height, vegetation cover and species number which are ranked as the secondary factors have no significant influence on habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle (β＜1.000) . Gazelles prefer to select habitat with＜2000m and＞4000m livestock distance, lower, middle slope position and flat areas, 4000-8000m water distance,＜10°slope,＜3000m shelter condition (visuable range), 1000-2000m fence distance, Stipa spp. and herbage vegetation type in spring.The most pivotal conditions of habitat selection Mongolian gazelle in summer are water distance (β=13.812) and road distance (β=11.799). Wind power, vegetation cover, vegetation type and plant height are the main factors to habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle in summer (β＞1.000) . Species number, shelter, fence distance and aboveground biomass which are ranked as the secondary factors have no significant influence on habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle (β＜1.000) . Gazelles prefer to select habitat with＜1000m water distance,＞1000m road distance,＜4 wind power, ＜20% vegetation cover,＞5 species number, 500-1000m fence distance,＜100g/m~2 aboveground biomass and Stipa spp. vegetation type. Vegetation cover and shelter have no significant influences to habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle in summer.The most pivotal condition of habitat selection Mongolian gazelle in autumn is road distance (β=64.121) . Slope, ground condition, fence distance, water distance, shelter, vegetation, vegetation cover, plant height are the main factors to habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle in autumn (β＞1.000) . Aboveground biomass, species number which are ranked as the secondary factors have no significant influence on habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle (β＜1.000) . Gazelles prefer to select habitat with＞1000m road distance, steep slope, soil ground, 500-1000m fence distance, 2000-3000m water distance, 3000-4000m shelter (visuable range),＞20cm plant height,＞150g/m~2 aboveground biomass. Vegetation type, vegetation cover and species number have no significant influences to habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle in autumn.The most pivotal conditions of habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle in winter are snow depth (β=-5.222) and aboveground biomass (β=5.031) . Ground condition, fence distance, plant height, species number, vegetation cover are the main factors to habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle in winter (β＞1.000). shelter, livestock distance, slope, vegetation type are ranked as the secondary factors have no significant influence on habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle (β＜1.000) . Gazelles prefer to select habitat with＜5cm snow depth,＞50g/m~2 aboverground biomass, sand ground, 1500-2000m fence diatance,＞20cm plant height,＞5 species number, 3000-4000m shelter (visuable range),＞1000m livestock distance,＜20°slope and Stipa spp. and Aneurolepidium chinenses vegetation type. Vegetation cover has no significant influence to habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle in winter.Furthermore, the habitat selection models and corresponding comparation results of important resources can be used to guide and evaluate future conservation activities for Mongolian gazelle.