We modeled foraging habitats of Hume’s Pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae) on a macro-habitat level using ArcGIS in an attempt to provide scientific reference for management and restoration of habitats. Field work was condu...We modeled foraging habitats of Hume’s Pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae) on a macro-habitat level using ArcGIS in an attempt to provide scientific reference for management and restoration of habitats. Field work was conducted from March to April in 2006 and 2008, and from October to November in 2005 and 2008 in Dazhong Mountain, Yunnan Province, southwestern China. The selection of ecological factors was estimated by means of a resource selection index, distance analysis and the method of hierarchical habitat selection. The foraging habitat patches were modeled spatially by ArcGIS. The results show that actual and potential foraging patches overlapped considerably in spring and autumn. The number and total areas of patches in the autumn were smaller than those in the spring. The minimum and average areas of patches in the autumn were larger than those in the spring, while the maximum areas of actual and potential foraging patches in the autumn were equal to those in the spring. Similarity in the selection for survival and safety consideration in both seasons was the main strategy for landscape factors of habitats by Hume’s Pheasant, while seasonal difference in selecting a landscape matrix was their secondary strategy, affecting landscape factors in the habitat. Changes of foraging patches in both seasons reflect a difference of resources requirement by the bird. Fragmentation and miniaturization of foraging patches would result in the formation of a meta-population of Hume’s Pheasant.展开更多
The limestone region in southwestern Guangxi contains the most typical karst landforms in the world. Due to their destruction, the original forests mainly survive in nature reserves in the form of fragmented areas. Fr...The limestone region in southwestern Guangxi contains the most typical karst landforms in the world. Due to their destruction, the original forests mainly survive in nature reserves in the form of fragmented areas. From June 2009 to September 2010 we conducted an investigation of 13 relatively isolated habitats or sites, selected from each of the 13 nature reserves in southwestern Guangxi, with the least amount of anthropological activity and the largest presence of the original vegetation, in order to study the distribution of birds on forest fragments. The distribution patterns of the birds and the factors which affect them were analyzed by using the 'BINMATNEST' software and the Spearman’s rank correlation analysis, to determine: 1) whether nested patterns of birds in the karst area of southwestern Guangxi exist or not and 2) which factors are correlated with the nested patterns and the effect of these factors on forming nested patterns. The results show that the birds had statistically significant nested patterns in the karst area and the specificity of the habitat of the birds had a significant effect on the nested patterns. We suggest possible reasons for these results, based on the characteristics of the seasonal tropical rain forests in the study area and on neutral theory. We also urgently recommend that close attention be paid to the protection of the diversity of the environment for birds in all fragmented habitats.展开更多
基金This research was supported by the National Science Foundation and a Cooperative Agreement between the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency and Oregon State University, USA.
基金financed by the Wildlife Conservation Program in 2009, administered by the State Forestry Administration of Chinasupported as a key subject by the Wildlife Conservation and Utilization Program in Yunnan Province (No. XKZ200904)
文摘We modeled foraging habitats of Hume’s Pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae) on a macro-habitat level using ArcGIS in an attempt to provide scientific reference for management and restoration of habitats. Field work was conducted from March to April in 2006 and 2008, and from October to November in 2005 and 2008 in Dazhong Mountain, Yunnan Province, southwestern China. The selection of ecological factors was estimated by means of a resource selection index, distance analysis and the method of hierarchical habitat selection. The foraging habitat patches were modeled spatially by ArcGIS. The results show that actual and potential foraging patches overlapped considerably in spring and autumn. The number and total areas of patches in the autumn were smaller than those in the spring. The minimum and average areas of patches in the autumn were larger than those in the spring, while the maximum areas of actual and potential foraging patches in the autumn were equal to those in the spring. Similarity in the selection for survival and safety consideration in both seasons was the main strategy for landscape factors of habitats by Hume’s Pheasant, while seasonal difference in selecting a landscape matrix was their secondary strategy, affecting landscape factors in the habitat. Changes of foraging patches in both seasons reflect a difference of resources requirement by the bird. Fragmentation and miniaturization of foraging patches would result in the formation of a meta-population of Hume’s Pheasant.
基金financed by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30970381,31172123)
文摘The limestone region in southwestern Guangxi contains the most typical karst landforms in the world. Due to their destruction, the original forests mainly survive in nature reserves in the form of fragmented areas. From June 2009 to September 2010 we conducted an investigation of 13 relatively isolated habitats or sites, selected from each of the 13 nature reserves in southwestern Guangxi, with the least amount of anthropological activity and the largest presence of the original vegetation, in order to study the distribution of birds on forest fragments. The distribution patterns of the birds and the factors which affect them were analyzed by using the 'BINMATNEST' software and the Spearman’s rank correlation analysis, to determine: 1) whether nested patterns of birds in the karst area of southwestern Guangxi exist or not and 2) which factors are correlated with the nested patterns and the effect of these factors on forming nested patterns. The results show that the birds had statistically significant nested patterns in the karst area and the specificity of the habitat of the birds had a significant effect on the nested patterns. We suggest possible reasons for these results, based on the characteristics of the seasonal tropical rain forests in the study area and on neutral theory. We also urgently recommend that close attention be paid to the protection of the diversity of the environment for birds in all fragmented habitats.
