Liangshan Mountain Giant Pandas, Red Pandas And Forest Musk Deer Habitat Selection

Habitat characteristics of the giant panda (Ailuropada melanoleuca), the red panda (Ailnrus fulgens) and the forest musk deer (Moschus berezouskii) were studied by random sampling investigation in Sichuan Meigu Dafending Nature Reserve from April to August 2004 in this paper. The primary composition analysis (PCA) is based on the following fourteen ecological factors: elevation, slope aspect, slope site, slope, the type of vegetation, the type of vegetation succession , tree canopy, shrub density, the density of fall log and stub, rock percent, bamboo density, bamboo altitude, nearest water source distance. The results were as following:(1) Gound, human disturbance, space, concealment, water source and vegetation sum up the main habitat characteristic of the giant panda. The giant panda like acting at the place that the slope is gently, shrub is not much, rock is litter. The average of slope is 14° , the average of shrub density is 43%, the average of rock percent is 15%. The area of the giant panda's acting is far from human disturbance, average elevation is 2819m, middle slope site, tree canopy is big (57%), original forest, the distance from the nearest water source is 139m.(2) Water source, vegetation, space, rock, concealment, and gound sum up the main habitat characteristic of the red panda. The red panda like acting at the place that the distance from the water source is nearer(148m), original conifer forest, north slope, rock is little, shrub density is moderate (33%).(3) Human disturbance, slope aspect, the density of fall log and stub and rock percent sum up the main habitat characteristic of the forest musk deer. The forest musk deer like acting at the place that they are far from human disturbance, middle slope site, original forest of Dafending, west and north slope, the average slope is 231° , the average density of fall log and stub is 17%, the average of sock percent is 18%.The data in 119 samplings of the giant panda and 90 samplings of the red panda is analyzed by simple factor equation for comparing the similarities and differences of the habitat selection between the giant panda and the red panda. The similarities: middle slope site, original conifer forest, human disturbance is little, rock is little, both near to water source, bamboo altitude has no difference. The differences: elevation, tree canopy, shrub density and bamboo density of the giant panda's habitat are bigger than those of the red panda's. The giant panda like gently slope while the red panda like steep slope.