Microscopy Histological Analysis Of Diet And Trophic Niche Of Four Sympatric Small Mammals In Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve

Diet and trophic niche of four small mammals w ere analyzed by feces microstructure technique. From June to July, 2012, fecal pellets of plateau pika, woolly hare, Blyth’ vole and Himalayan marmot were collected from the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve in Ruoqiang County. Total 240 fecal combinations were collected and composited to 24 experimental analysis samples, while common plant specimens in the studied area were collected and identified through the microscope. Food composition and proportion of three small mammals were identified by comparative analysis. Then the diet niche and overlap was analyzed.Himalayan marmot feed 11 families and 18 genera and 20 species of plants, mainly Gramineae(24.55%), Cyperaceae(17.82%), Leguminosae(16.31%) and Compositae(10.57%). Plateau pika feed 14 families and 24 genera and 25 species of plants, mainly Gramineae(19.14%), Cyperaceae(15.57%), Leguminosae(14.29%) and Compositae(12.35%). Plateau pika feed 12 families and 16 genera 17 kinds of plants in cold season, mainly Gramineae(21.94%), Leguminosae(18.53%), Cyperaceae(16.42%), Chenopodiaceae( 10.46%)and Compositae(10.32%). Woolly hare feed 13 families and 22 genera and 23 species of plants in warm season, mainly Gramineae(19.25%), Leguminosae(14.73%), Cyperaceae(14.21%), Henopodiaceae(11.12%)and Compositae(10.36%). Wooly hare feed 12 families and 16 genera 17 kinds of plants in cold season, mainly Gramineae(20.03%), Leguminosae(17.54%) and Cyperaceae(16.86%). Blyth’ vole feed 13 families and 19 genera and 21 species of plants in warm season, mainly Gramineae(22.67%), Leguminosae(14.46%), Cyperaceae(14.27%) and Compositae(12.36%). Blyth’ vole feed 13 families and 17 genera 19 kinds of plants in cold season, mainly Gramineae(19.80%), Legumino sae(16.66%), Cyperaceae(15.85%) and Compositae(14.34%). In food diversity and trophic niche breadth, both of Shannon- wiener diversity index and food niche breadth index of Plateau pika is the highest, the lowest is Himalayan marmot. Pielou’s evenness index of Woolly hare is highest. Diet overlap between Plateau pika and Woolly hare is highest, Blyth’ vole and Himalayan marmot is lowest. The major diet difference among three sympatric small mammals is the species and quantity of food, which have significance difference with the habitat and feeding behavior. The high degree of food overlap among three sympatric small mammals from the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve indicated significant competition for food resources. The results of our study have important guiding significance for management of small mammals in Alpine desert and grassland.