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邛崃山脉的大熊猫栖息地区域,水鹿(Cervus unicolor)是大熊猫最常见的大型伴生动物[1]。尽管大多数研究表明鹿类动物以各种禾草、杂草、树叶、树皮为食[2~5],但野外考察中却发现卧龙水鹿时常有采食竹叶的习性,特别是在冬季大雪覆盖时,更是常常见到成片被水鹿采食叶片后弃食的冷箭竹茎。水鹿对冷箭竹采食强度有多大?水鹿冬季采食冷箭竹叶的习性是否会构成与大熊猫的食物直接竞争?冬季水鹿的采食冷箭竹叶行为是否会影响到大熊猫在这一区域的数量和分布?厘清以上问题对于大熊猫栖息地保护策略的制定具有重要的意义。
有蹄类食性研究方法,早期通常采用直接观察[6]和胃分析法[7]。由于野生动物直接观察相对困难,胃分析法对动物种群又必然造成破坏,上世纪70年代引入了粪便显微分析法[8-10]。利用尚未完全消化的植物表皮细胞结构为基础。植物种类的不同,这种表皮细胞结构呈现物种间明显的差异,特别是竹叶表层细胞呈现如同砖砌般整齐排列的结构,为水鹿采食竹叶后的粪样显微图像分析提供了显著的图像特征。该法一直是研究有蹄类野生动物食物组成的主要方法,该法以易于取样并对动物干扰小的优点,在食草动物食性研究中得到广泛应用,特别是对珍稀野生动物食性的研究起到了很好的推动作用[11]。但在具体研究中有学者认为,粪便分析法在研究动物食性时,往往高估禾本草本植物、灌木和乔木,而低估非禾本草本植物在食物中的含量[12]。上世纪90年代后兴起的粪便DNA指纹技术,目前更多是论证技术的可行性和方法的稳定性[13]。相关论文,特别是利用DNA指纹技术在食草动物食性的研究中的应用,在国内外还鲜有报道。
Food Habits of Sambar Deer Over Winter in Wolong National Nature Reserve
doi: 10.12172/202004300002
- Received Date: 2020-04-30
- Available Online: 2020-08-11
- Publish Date: 2020-10-12
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Key words:
- Dung piles /
- Fecal analysis /
- Food habits /
- Sambar deer
Abstract: The food habits of sambar deer, an animal accompanied with the giant panda, were analyzed for six months by means of microscopic image analysis of feces in Wuyi Shed, Wolong National Nature Reserve. The results showed that sambar deer had the habit of eating bamboo leaves, and the amount of bamboo leaves they consumed changed with the season. When the food was abundant, they ofen feed on woody leaves and dicotyledonous herbs, and the proportion of bamboo leaves was relatively low. With the advent of winter, the food resources were reduced, the sambar deer would gradually increase their dependence on bamboo leaves, especially in February with thick snow. The relative density of bamboo leaves residues in feces was as high as 91.82%. At least in winter, the feeding activities of sambar deer establisded the food competition relationship with giant pandas. Effective management and control of sambar deer density is one of the measures to be considered in the habitat protection of giant pandas.