湖北大老岭国家级自然保护区毛冠鹿冬季食物资源种类、丰富度及营养特征研究OA

Winter food availability is critical to the maintenance of wildlife populations that are habituated to high eleva-tions,including high meso-subtropical altitudinal zones.From November 2023 to March 2024,fecal microscopic analy-sis and field quadrat survey were utilized to analyze the dietary composition and nutritional characteristics of the tufted deer(Elaphodus cephalophus)during the wintering period.We found that,during the wintering period,the tufted deer fed on 16 plant species belonging to 13 families.Among them,Carex spp.(31.78％),Tripterospermum discoideum(10.02％),Dryopteris atrata(8.16％)and Viburnum erosum(8.14％)were identified as the principal forage species for the tufted deer during winter.In the altitudinal gradient range of 1 400-1 700 m,the total supply amount of food source plants for the tufted deer during the wintering period reached 11.55 g/m2.Moreover,the nutrient content was higher than in other altitude gradients,suggesting that this altitude band represents the most optimal foraging zone.In the oak forest,the total reserve of food source plants for the tufted deer during the wintering period amounted to 552.92 t,and the unit area biomass was 10.75 g/m2,which was substantially higher compared to other forest types.This suggests that oak forest is the most suitable habitat for the tufted deer's residence and foraging activities.The feeding frequency of the tufted deer on food source plants during the wintering period was positively correlated with the contents of crude pro-tein,crude fat,crude fiber and crude ash in the plants(with correlation coefficients of 0.74,0.56,0.29 and 0.67,respec-tively),while demonstrating a negative correlation with the tannin content(R=-0.65).These findings can help to un-derstand the feeding characteristics of the tufted deer in China.Our study provides crucial data for the evaluation of habi-tat quality and management of the tufted deer based on the composition of the food during the overwintering period,which also have important reference value in the field of Cetartiodactyla conservation.