Habitat selection of breeding brown eared-pheasants (Crossoptilon mantchuricum) in Xiaowutaishan National Nature Reserve, Hebei Province, China |
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Authors: | Dongming Li Shiping Gao Yuefeng Wu Lihan Sun Shubin Guo and Jili Li |
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Institution: | (1) College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050016, China;(2) Hebei Institute of Geographical Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China;(3) Xiaowutaishan National Nature Reserve, Yuxian County, 075700, China |
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Abstract: | From April to July of 2003–2005, we investigated habitat selection of breeding brown eared-pheasants (Crossoptilon mantchuricum) in the Xiaowutaishan National Nature Reserve, Hebei Province. Our results show that brown eared-pheasants preferred deciduous-coniferous
mixed or deciduous forests with altitudes ranging from 1600 to 2200 m, steep gradients of slopes and medium or high positions
on slopes. Moreover, they preferred habitats with more tree species, larger diameters at the breast height, more density and
cover of trees and habitats with more types of grasses, high density and cover of grasses, but with fewer types of shrubs
and lower density and cover of shrubs. They had larger territories in the early breeding stage than in the late breeding stage.
There were significant differences in diameters at the breast height of trees, average height of trees, cover of trees, density
of shrubs, cover of shrubs, aspect, distance to path, distance to water, distance to forest edge (P < 0.01, respectively),
density of trees, type of shrubs, height of shrubs, type of grasses, density of grasses and proportion of bareness (P < 0.05,
respectively). The result of the principal component analysis suggested that the principal components among the 23 habitat
factors were the average height of trees, density of trees, diameters at the breast height of trees, density of shrubs, cover
of shrubs and density of grasses. The differences in habitat selection of brown eared-pheasants between early breeding and
late breeding stages may correlate with the dynamics of ambient environmental conditions, the reproductive behavior and energy
requirements in their sub-stages of breeding. |
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Keywords: | Xiaowutaishan brown eared-pheasant breeding season habitat selection |
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