Bed-site Microhabitat Selection Of Pere David’s Deer (Elaphurus Davidianus) In Shishou County, Hubei Province

In order to clarify the microhabitat characteristics of Pere David’s deer populations in Shishou Hubei province, provide basic data and scientific warranty for restoring the wild population and protecting resources of Pere David’s deer,the author used quadrat sampling, trace judgment, target tracking, visit investigation and so on to carry on a more systematic investigation and data acquisition on Pere David’s deer’s bed-site microhabitat selection, from April2011to February2012, a more detailed reliable data had been obtained. On the bed-site microhabitat selection of Pere David’s deer,931quadrats were random-sampled, among them,322were sampled in winter (131in the Reserve and191in Sanheyuan out of the Reserve);319were sampled in spring and autumn (159in the Reserve and160out of the Reserve);290quadrats were sampled in summer (143in the Reserve and147out of the Reserve). After statistical analysis on these data, following conclusion can be drawn:1. In spring and autumn,Pere David’s deer preferred habitats with richer food,better shelter and far from human disturbance to bed down;the principal component analysis showed that food richness and human disturbance factor is the key factor on David’s deer’s bed-site microhabitat selection in spring and autumn;2. In summer, Pere David’s deer preferred open habitats with richer food to bed down;the principal component analysis showed that food richness and temperature factor is the key factor on David’s deer’s bed-site microhabitat selection in summer;3. The U test,T test,chi-square test showed that Pere David’s deer in Shishou preferred habitats with richer food, higher vegetation cover degreeand better shelter to bed down in winter; the principal component analysis showed that food richness, temperature factor and human disturbance factor is the key factor on David’s deer’s bed-site microhabitat selection in winter;4. The bed-site microhabitat selection of Pere David’s deer in and out of the Reserve was quite similar,but there were some differences because of the different habitat in and out of the Hubei Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve;5. The bed-site microhabitat selection of Pere David’s deer that have different sex was a little difference,the female preferred habitats with richer food,better shelter,better temperature protection to bed down;6. There was some difference of the bed-site microhabitat selection of Pere David’s deer in different time periods;the deer preferred non-burned habitats with richer food,better temperature protection to bed down in night;7. Shishou Pere David’s deer have been facing several human disturbance.All kinds of human activities are disturbing the deer in different degree,such as reclamation,fishing,picking asparagus,pasturing,reaping reeds,picking antlers of Pere David’s deer,using pesticide,artificial driving,tourism and so on.Finally, author makes some corresponding suggestions on survival status of Pere David’s deer inner or outside the Hubei Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve.