Habitat Characteristics On Chinese Water Deer And Chinese Muntjac In Zhoushan Archipelago, Zhejiang Province, China

Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis) and Chinese muntjac(Muntiacus reevesi) play an important part in Zhoushan archipelago, especially Chinese water deer, which are valuable resources and have high utility values. Because of deforestation and human activities, the population density and quantity of these deer need to be explored. It is significant to study the habitat use and seletion of the wildlife. Investigating the seasonal change of the habitat use is the important method to clarify the adaptation strategies of wild animal to habitat environment. The animals on Zhoushan archipelago includes Chinese water deer and Muntiacus reevesi, and they have their own characters on habitat use and seleltion as a result of interaction of multiple ecological factors, including human disturbance, well-developed secondary arbor forest, dense shrub, and sparse grass. This research can improve management of wildlife quantity and habitat in Zhoushan archipelago, so as to preserve the wildlife diversity in Zhoushan archipelago.Population ecology and conservation strategy on Chinese water deer and Chinese muntjac were studied by visit, transects and the trace plot method in March and November 2008 in Zhoushan archipelago, Zhejiang province, China. Ten ecological factors, including habitat type, tree cover, shrub cover, grass cover, position on slope (upper, medium, or lower), slope aspect, slope angle, elevation, distance to nearest water and human disturbance, were measured. Using Chi-square test, Principal Components Analysis and Discriminant analysis method explores importance among the different plots used and the key environmental factors that influenced animal habitat selection and use are found. The niche breadths and niche overlap are measure using the levins and Pianka index to analysis the interspecific relationship between Chinese water deer and Muntiacus reevesi. A series of conservation strategy are taken to strengthen the utilization and ecological protection for Chinese water deer and Muntiacus reevesi in Zhoushan Archipelago. The main results of our studies are as follows:(1) The population distribution of the Chinese water deer was widespread in Zhoushan archipelago and had a fairly large population. Population density of Chinese water deer in spring was 1.7 inds./km2 and 2 inds./km in autumn, and the mean density was 1.85 inds./km2 in total. The population quantity were 2200-2500. In autumn, the population quantity number was more than that in spring. During the past 10 years, population quantity of the Chinese water deer had a downward trend, and hunting was the main reason. Chinese muntjac was in comprehensively distributed in Zhoushan archipelago, and we could found them only in large islands, such as Zhoushan, Putuo and Zhujiajian. Population quantity of Chinese muntjac had a rising trend, and the population density is mean 4 inds./km2. Population quantity estimates of numbers are 1100-2400, and easily fluctuated with the variation of the environmental factors.(2) Discriminant analysis on habitat ecological factors of Chinese water deer showed that there was a significantly seasonal variation in habitat use and selection. The habitat used by the deer, such as habitat type, tree cover, slope aspect, distance to water, and human disturbance differed significantlyin spring and autumn, but shrub and grass cover, position on slope, slope angle and elevation showed no significant difference in spring and autumn. In spring, the Chinese water deer preferred to use broadleaf forest, farmland and slope field with gentle slope and low elevation. The animal selected habitats with low coverages of tree, shrub and grass (≤50%), which were located within a distance of 200m to the nearest water and a distance of 100m to human disturbance. In autumn, the deer preferred to use south-facing broadleaf forest, shrub forest, farmland and slope field with gentle slope and low elevation. These habitats were usually located within 600m to the nearest water, and more than 200m to human disturbance. The current habitat use of the Chinese water deer in Zhoushan archipelago is a result of interaction of multiple ecological factors, including violent human disturbance, well-developed secondary arbor forest, dense shrub, and sparse grass. These results provide important information for the management of this endangered species.(3) Chinese muntjac habitat mainly in hills, and usually feeding in slope field and farmland. In spring, Chinese muntjac prefered to use broadleaf forest, shrub forest, farmland and slop field, percent of tree cover (<50%), high percentage of shrub cover, north, west and east slope aspect, middle and low position on slopes, low elevation, and to human disturbance<150m. In autumn, Chinese muntjac prefered to use broadleaf forest and slop field, percent of tree cover 75-100%, percent of shrub cover<50%, middle and upper position on slope, low elevation, farther distance to water (>400m) and human disturbance (>400m). Extensive human disturbance, the scaracity water and food source and the limited space are the main reason for this habitat characteristics and use.(4) In spring, Chinese water deer had wider niche breadth on vegetion type, grass cover, slope angle, slope aspect and distance to water source than Chinese muntjac and had intensive niche overlap on all ten habitat resource axes. In autumn, Chinese water deer had wider niche breadth on shrub cover, grass cover and distance to water source than Chinese muntjac, and had intensive niche overlap on seven habitat resource axes, including tree cover, shrub cover, slope angle, slope aspect, elevation, distance to water source and human disturbance. Compared with niche overlap of the inerspecific in spring, competation between two animals relieved to a certain extent on vegetation type, grass cover and position on slope in autumn.