Habitat Selection By Sympatric Tibetan Antelope And Tibetan Gazelle In Kekexili Qumar River Valley

Tibetan antelope and Tibetan gazelle were the peculiar species in Qinghai-Tibet. And their habitat overlapped in many areas. During June to August in2010and2011, we studied the habitat selection of the sympatric Tibetan antelope and Tibetan gazelle along the Qinghai-Tibet highway in Kekexili Qumar river valley when Tibetan antelope came into the Tibetan gazelle distribution areas. We investigated many ecological factors, especially the anthropogenic interference factors, and we analyzed and compared the difference in their habitat selection in the sympatric condition, and draw up different protection strategies for the two species.We investigated8ecological factors, they were terrain、soil layer type、dominant vegetation、vegetation coverage、distance to water、distance to road、distance to pole and distance to railway.Part1:We studied habitat selection of Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsoni) using resource selection index and selection coefficient model and principal component analysis. The results showed that Tibetan antelope selected habitats avoiding the river terrain, but showed partiality for grassland terrain; With regard to vegetation, they liked Stipa、Littledalea racemosa and Poa annua vegetation types and selected the habitats with30%～70%vegetable coverage, and it was closely related to the Tibetan antelope feeding habits; Tibetan antelope selected habitats far away from water, and it may own to the high predation risk here; With regard to anthropogenic interference factors, Tibetan antelope selected habitats near the Qinghai-Tibet highway, and it was relate to their migration habit; They avoided100～500m distance range away from poles, but liked100～500m distance range away from railway. According to principal component analysis, the first principal component affecting the habitat selection of Tibetan gazelle were the distance to road and the distance to poles; The second were terrain and soil layer type; The third were the distance to water and vegetation coverage; the forth were the distance to railway; the fifth was dominant vegetation. Part2:We studied habitat selection of Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata) using resource selection index and selection coefficient model and principal component analysis. The results showed that Tibetan gazelle selected habitats avoiding the river terrain, showed partiality for grassland and sandy soil layer type; Tibetan gazelle randomly selected the distance to water; With regard to vegetation, they liked Carex moorcroftii、Littiedalea racemosa and Festuca vegetation types, and selected the habitats with30%～70%vegetable coverage; Tibetan gazelle were adapt to anthropogenic interference, and could make more activity near the road and poles (<100m); But Tibetan gazelle avoided railway, and liked500～900m distance range away from railway. According to principal component analysis, the first principal component affecting the habitat selection of Tibetan gazelle were the distance to road、the distance to water and the distance to poles; The second were terrain and soil layer type; The third was dominant vegetation; the forth was the distance to railway; The fifth was vegetation coverage.Part3:The difference between the habitat selection of sympatric Tibetan antelope and Tibetan gazelle showed that the niche breadths of the same habitat factors between Tibetan antelope and Tibetan gazelle were closed almost, and every niche overlap were large (more than0.75), and there were violent competition in each niche.