The Nutritional Ecology Of Chipmunks In Liangshui National Nature Reserve

In order to find out the time budget in different behavior patterns of chipmunks in the nature, we used direct observation in the field and the method of continuous recording of target animal to research chipmunks’behavior. The field was in broad-leaved Korean pine forest of Liangshui national nature reserve in Heilongjiang province, China.To investigate whether the chipmunks’nutritional composition will change with the seasonal fluctuation of food resources in the broad-leaved Korean pine forest ecosystem, we used the methods of direct observation, cage rearing of laboratory and other methods to research the chipmunks’food compositions and food preferences in different seasons, Meanwhile, to explore the relationship between the feeding differences of chipmunks and the food nutrients, the food nutrients were tested.we used Kjeldahl method, Soxhlet extraction method, Oxygen nitrogen calorimeter, Acid-Alkali Digestion method to measure the content of the crude protein, the crude fat, the calories and the crude fiber in the food of chipmunks. The research time was 2013-2014, The field was in 19th patch of Liangshui national nature reserve.To explore whether the chipmunks own nutritional status will change with the fluctuations of food resources.we used two physiological indicators, the body weight and fatness, to assess the physiological characteristics of chipmunks in different seasons.The results we obtained were as follows:1. Chipmunks spent more time foraging, but other acts, such as rest, grooming, alert and others took less time.2. In the nature, chipmunks were omnivorous rodents, who mainly ate plant food, and the plant food was about 95% in the chipmunks’ food composition in different seasons, there were more variety of food in spring and summer, and the leaves, flowers and other fresh organizations of herbs were eaten with a higher feeding ratio. The seeds of woody plants, especially pine seed, took a high proportion in the chipmunks’food composition in autumn. Under the laboratory conditions with cage rearing, The preferred food of chipmunks in different seasons had changed with the food resources changed in the habitats, the Corydalis ambigua and Lathyrus quinquenervius were the preferred food items of chipmunks in spring, the Pilea pumila and Impatiens nolitangere Linn were the preferred food items of chipmunks in summer, the pine seeds were the preferred food items of chipmunks in autumn.3. In different seasons, the food that chipmunks preferred had more nutrients, the content of crude fat and energy in the food had a significant positive correlation with the food intake of chipmunks. But the crude fiber of food had a significant negative correlation with the food intake of chipmunks.4. There was no significant difference in the body weight of chipmunks in different seasons, and the body weight between male and female chipmunks had no significant difference in the same season. The fatness of chipmunks were significantly different in different seasons, the fatness of chipmunks were highest in autumn.These results suggest that:1. In the behavior patterns of chipmunks, the foraging behavior had more time allocation ratio.2. The food composition of chipmunks had changed with the seasonal dynamics of food resources. The availability and abundance of food resources in habitats had a significant impact on the variety and quantity of chipmunks’food composition.3. Nutrients in the food had a significant impact on the chipmunk’s food composition, especially the fat, energy and fiber content in food had a significant impact on the chipmunks’ feeding preferences.4. The body weight of chipmunks had unchanged with the seasonal dynamics of food resources. The fatness of chipmunks had a large fluctuation with the seasonal dynamics of food resources. The chipmunk had a best nutritional status in autumn.