Habitat use and selection by takin in the Qinling Mountains, China — Promaco Conventions

Habitat use and selection by takin in the Qinling Mountains, China (#640)

Zhi-Gao Zeng 1 , Wen-Bo Yan 2
  1. Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
  2. Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong, Shaanxi, China

Understanding habitat use and selection by threatened ungulates is a crucial prerequisite to prioritise management areas and for developing effective conservation strategies. Our research during 2013-2015 was to determine the habitat use and selection of takins (Budorcas taxicolor) in the middle range of the Qinling Mountains, China. GPS radio-tracking was used to monitor 10 collared takins to gain their location information. Habitat use and selection by takins showed obvious individual differences. At the landscape scale, all of the four most common habitat types were preferred by takins. However, all takins avoided artificially planted larch forest, and farmland and villages. Available habitats within the home ranges also mostly included the four common habitat types. At the home-range scale, all individuals had significant habitat selectivity during the entire tracking period and each season. The habitat use and selection within the home range varied obviously with season and showed sexual differences to a certain extent. Habitat selection by takins is scale-dependent. At the landscape scale, takins are most likely to occur at sites covered by forest. At both landscape and home-range scales, our results indicated that takins need more diverse forest habitats, but none of the four most common forest habitats is essential for survival of this species. Many measures such as maintaining a diversity of forest habitats, avoiding habitat alteration by invasion of exotic plants, and increasing the area of available habitats by relocating the villages from within to outside of the reserve are recommended to conserve this large species.

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