Lyu Zhong-Hai, Zhang Wei-Qi, Liu Hao, Zhang Ming-Hai, Li Yi-Ran
College of Wildlife Resource, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
Heilongjiang Province Wildlife Institute, Harbin 150081, China.
Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao. 2020 Feb;31(2):651-658. doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202002.002.
Tibetan red deer (Cervus wallichii) is an endemic species to China, which was once considered extinct in the wild. As there are several other wild ungulates and domestic animals with similar feeding habits within its habitat range, it's thus essential to study interspecific competition and co-existence between Tibetan red deer and other cohabiting ungulates in the highly unique environment of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Using microscopic analysis on fresh fecal samples collected in Sangri Tibetan Red Deer Nature Reserve from August to September in 2013 and 2014, the trophic niche width and overlap index were calculated on the basis of diet composition of C. wallichii, Cervus albirostris, Procapra picticaudata, Bos mutus and Capra hircas in green grass period. We analyzed and compared the overlap and differentiation of feeding habits between Tibetan red deer and other wild ungulates and domestic animals. The results showed that C. wallichii fed on similar edible plants with other species, but differed in proportion of different dietary components, with the main edible plants of C. wallichii being mostly the secondary edible plants to other species. Leontopodium pusillum was the common main edible plant for C. wallichii (percentage in animal recipes was 11.2%) and B. mutus (10.2%), Salix xizangensis was the common main edible plant of C. wallichii (9.6%) and C. albirostris (11.4%). At plant family level, Leguminosae was the common main edible plant family for C. wallichii (21.4%) and P. picticaudata (42.5%). Cyperaceae was the common main edible plant family for C. albirostris (49.2%), B. mutus (33.4%) and C. hircas (50.3%). Compositae was main edible plant family for C. wallichii (29.6%), as well as the secondary edible plant family for C. albirostris (7.6%), P. picticaudata (11.6%), B. mutus (17.3%) and C. hircas (14.1%). As the secondary edible plant family for C. wallichii (7.1%), Gramineae took up a lower proportion than that of the other ungulates (C. albirostris (13.6%), P. picticaudata (12.3%), B. mutus (11.5%) and C. hircas (16.0%)). Food overlap indices between C. wallichii and the other ungulates were all higher than 0.5, and the highest with B. mutus (0.65). The food diversity index (1.32), evenness index (0.37) and niche width index (15.79) of C. wallichii were all at high values. Compared with the results from 2007 to 2008, dietary composition of Tibetan red deer changed greatly as the proportion of Leguminosae increased while that of Cyperaceae decreased, resulting in improvement of food quality. In addition, there was greater competition of food resources between C. wallichii and domestic animals, which would further affect the distribution range and living space of C. wallichii.
西藏马鹿（Cervus wallichii）是中国特有的物种，曾一度被认为已在野外灭绝。由于在其栖息地范围内有其他几种食性相似的野生有蹄类动物和家畜，因此在青藏高原高度独特的环境中研究西藏马鹿与其他同域有蹄类动物之间的种间竞争和共存至关重要。通过对2013年和2014年8月至9月在桑日西藏马鹿自然保护区采集的新鲜粪便样本进行微观分析，根据西藏马鹿、白唇鹿（Cervus albirostris）、藏原羚（Procapra picticaudata）、牦牛（Bos mutus）和山羊（Capra hircas）在青草期的饮食组成计算了营养生态位宽度和重叠指数。我们分析并比较了西藏马鹿与其他野生有蹄类动物和家畜之间食性的重叠和分化情况。结果表明，西藏马鹿与其他物种食用相似的可食植物，但不同饮食成分的比例有所不同，西藏马鹿的主要可食植物大多是其他物种的次要可食植物。小垫状雪兔子（Leontopodium pusillum）是西藏马鹿（在动物食谱中的占比为11.2%）和牦牛（10.2%）的常见主要可食植物，西藏柳（Salix xizangensis）是西藏马鹿（9.6%）和白唇鹿（11.4%）的常见主要可食植物。在植物科水平上，豆科是西藏马鹿（21.4%）和藏原羚（42.5%）的常见主要可食植物科。莎草科是白唇鹿（49.2%）、牦牛（33.4%）和山羊（50.3%）的常见主要可食植物科。菊科是西藏马鹿的主要可食植物科（29.6%），也是白唇鹿（7.6%）、藏原羚（11.6%）、牦牛（17.3%）和山羊（14.1%）的次要可食植物科。禾本科作为西藏马鹿的次要可食植物科（7.1%），其占比低于其他有蹄类动物（白唇鹿（13.6%）、藏原羚（12.3%）、牦牛（11.5%）和山羊（16.0%））。西藏马鹿与其他有蹄类动物之间的食物重叠指数均高于0.5，与牦牛的重叠指数最高（0.65）。西藏马鹿的食物多样性指数（1.32）、均匀度指数（0.37）和生态位宽度指数（15.79）均处于较高水平。与2007年至2008年相比，西藏马鹿的饮食组成发生了很大变化，豆科植物的比例增加而莎草科植物的比例下降，导致食物质量有所改善。此外，西藏马鹿与家畜之间对食物资源的竞争更为激烈，这将进一步影响西藏马鹿的分布范围和生存空间。
