| Nocturnal bed-site selection is wild animal’s selective adaption to various environments, the comprehensive reflection of the energy storage and safety, and one of the cornerstones to measure the behavioural adaptation of wild animals. Besides, nocturnal bedding behaviour is the indirect reflection of nocturnal climate, food availability, concealment conditions and biological characteristics of animal’s habitat. To date, few studies have examined nocturnal bed-site selection and bedding behaviour of ungulates, and the nocturnal bed-site selection and related behaviour of Milu(Elaphurus davidianus) could help understand more about its behaviour adaptation and provide more information for better conservation and management of Milu.We used direct observations and observations of tracks to assess seasonal nocturnal bed-site selection by free-ranging Milu in Hubei Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve and re-wild Milu in Shishou County of Hubei Province from November 2013 to January 2015. For each population(free-ranging and re-wild), we monitored 184 bed-site plots and 184 control plots. Meanwhile, with the help of night vision device (Bushnell 260542), scan sampling was used to observe the nocturnal bedding behaviour(bedding time characteristics), and 13 and 12 night data were got. Briefly, the main conclusions were as follows:1. Nocturnal bed site selection(1) By Mann-Whitey U test and Student’s t test, significant differences were revealed of vegetation type, hiding cover, herbage coverage, food abundance and distance to hide for free-ranging population in spring, autumn and winter(P<0.05), but not distance to road, water and human settlement(P>0.05); In summer, free-ranging population preferred bedding on the bare land with lower hiding cover, higer herbage coverage, lower food abundance, nearer distance to hide and water, further distance to road and human settlement(P<0.05); Stepwise discriminant analysis showed seasonal nocturnal bed site selection of free-ranging population could be discriminated by three canonical discriminant functions. A Fisher discriminant function composed by herbage coverage, food abudance, hiding cover, wind speed, distance to hide and water could discriminate the seasonal nocturnal bed-site of free-ranging population.(2) By Mann-Whitey U test and Student’s t test, significant differences were revealed of vegetation type, hiding cover, herbage coverage, food abundance, distance to hide, distance to road and human settlement for re-wild population in spring, autumn and winter(P<0.05); In summer, re-wild population preferred bedding on the bare land with lower hiding cover, higer herbage coverage, lower food abundance, nearer distance to hide and water, further distance to road and human settlement(P<0.05); Stepwise discriminant analysis showed seasonal nocturnal bed site selection of re-wild population could be discriminated by three canonical discriminant functions. A Fisher discriminant function composed by hiding cover, herbage coverage, food abundance, distance to hide, distance to road and water could discriminate seasonal nocturnal bed-site of re-wild population.(3) By Mann-Whitey U test and Student’s t test, there were significant differences of distance to road and human settlement for free-ranging and re-wild population in spring, autumn and winter(P<0.05). Differences of distance to road and human settlement for free-ranging population were not significant (P>0.05), but significant for re-wild populaton. In summer, free-ranging and re-wild population both chose habitat further from human disturbances. Stepwise discriminant analysis showed there was some overlap and separation of nocturnal bed-site selection of free-ranging and re-wild population.2. Nocturnal bedding behaviourBy Mann-Whitey U test, significant differences of entering bed site time, leaving bed site time between summer and winter for both free-ranging and re-wild population could be detected(P<0.05). There were significant differences of bedding duration, ending bedding time and leaving bed site time between free-ranging and re-wild population in summer(P<0.05). Compared with free-ranging population, re-wild population left bed sites earlier and had shorter bedding duration; In winter, there were significant differences of leaving bed site time between free-ranging and re-wild population in winter(P<0.05). Compared with free-ranging population, re-wild population left bed sites, end bedding earlier and had shorter bedding duration. Stepwise discriminant analysis showed some overlap in areas chosen as nocturnal bedding behaviour characteristics, but also in areas distinct to each population.3. Relationship of nocturnal bedding behaviour and bed site characteristicsBy Multiple Linear Regression analysis, we got linear relationships between nocturnal bedding behaviour and bed site characteristics of free-ranging and re-wild population. Linear relationships between entering bed site time, bedding duration,ending bedding time and bed site characteristics of free-ranging population were got(P<0.05); And for re-wild population, there also linear relationships between entering bed site time, starting bedding time, bedding duration, ending bedding time, leaving bed site time and bed site characteristics (P<0.05).4. ConclusionsThrough the first study of bed-site selection and bedding behaviour of Milu, preliminary dynamics of nocturnal bed-site selection and bedding behaviour of different seasons and populations of Milu were got in this paper, which could provide the basis for the study of nocturnal behavioral adaptation of Milu. Nocturnal bed site selection and bedding behaviour of freeing-ranging and re-wild Milu were influenced by seasonal variation and had the similar trend. It might be related to the same biological characteristics, similar climate and habitat, but the differences of nocturnal bed site selection and bedding behaviour of freeing-ranging and re-wild Milu might result from different factors like human disturbance, flood and fencing.5. Conservation advicesAccording to the preliminary results and some problems of the reserve, the suggestions that getting land ownership or implementation of the management of Sanheyuan area and buffer zone, enlarging of the fence area, retaining the bedding hidden environment of Milu, strengthening the patrol management to reduce human disturbance and implementing GPS tracking of Milu were made, which could improve the the protection and management of Milu and its habitat. |
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