Seasonal activity patterns of ungulates in Qinling Mountains based on camera-trap data

Abstract

Between August 2009 and April 2013, in the Guanyingshan Nature Reserve, Shaanxi Province, we 738 生 物 多 样 性 Biodiversity Science 第 22 卷 collected photo data on six ungulates (Budorcas taxicolor, Naemorhedus griseus, Elaphodus cephalophus, Capricornis milneedwardsii, Muntiacus reevesi and Moschus berezovskii) with 18 infrared cameras. Using the relative abundance index (RAI), we analyzed activity patterns and seasonal differences of these six species. The results show that: (1) their total RAI in the study area reaches 58.71%, the RAI of B. taxicolor was 28.02%, and it was 13.24% for N. griseus, 10.08% for E. cephalophus, 4.21% for C. milneedwardsii, 2.26% for M. reevesi, and 0.90% for M. berezovskii. (2) Monthly RAIs (MRAI) of six ungulates reflected seasonal activity patterns; B. taxicolor, N. griseus, E. cephalophus, C. milneedwardsii, M. reevesi exhibited similar activity patterns. These species were most active in summer, became inactive in autumn and winter, and then gradually increased activity in spring. M. berezovskii, on the other hand, was most active in winter and least active in summer. (3) The time-period relative abundance indices (TRAI) of the six ungulates reflect their daily activity patterns. B. taxicolor and N. griseus have similar daily activity patterns with an active peak at 06:00–20:00.The daily activity pattern of E. cephalophus, M. reevesi and M. berezovskii showed obvious crepuscular habits. C. milneedwardsii also has two peaks but at 02:00–06:00 and 20:00–22:00 implying nocturnal activities. (4) Comparative analyses of daily activity patterns among the four seasons showed that B. taxicolor displayed a different pattern in spring with an activity peak at 16:00–20:00. Compared with other seasons, N. gresius, E. cephalophus and C. milneedwardsii have different patterns in winter with either a delayed or advanced activity peak. In the case of M. reevesi, spring daily activity patterns showed two peaks at 00:00–10:00 and 18:00–20:00. Due to a paucity of captures, M. berezovskii showed different activity patterns in all four seasons. (5) Analysis of the nocturnality showed that C. milneedwardsii was obviously nocturnal with a nighttime relative abundance index (NRAI) of 65.81%. Our results help us to understand the activity patterns of these ungulates in Qinling, to monitor their population dynamics, and provide a theoretical basis and data support for the nature reserves to protect the ungulate animals more efficiently. Key word: activity patterns, camera trap, ungulates, relative abundance index (RAI), seasonal variation 红外相机技术是监测野生动物的有效方法, 可 以24 h无间断运行以收集动物的种类、数量和行为 等相关信息, 在国外应用已有较长的历史, 最早的 报道见于Champion(1927), Gysel等(1956)对其在野 生动物研究上的应用进行了介绍。在20世纪90年代 逐渐发展成熟, 现已广泛用于野生动物资源调查、 活动规律、种群数量与密度的研究,如利用该技术, 马世来和Harris(1996)对云南高黎贡地区的野生动 物资源进行了调查, 卢学理等(2005)对陕西长青自 然保护区大熊猫以及同域分布的野生动物资源调 查 , 余梁哥等 (2013) 对屏边县大围山倭蜂猴 (Nyticebus pygmaeus)、蜂猴(N. bengalensis)及同域分 布兽类资源进行了调查研究; Tape和Gustine(2014) 分析了北美驯鹿 (Rangifer caribou)和雷鸟 (Tetrao urogallus)的季节性迁移习性与纬度之间的关系 ; Karanth(1995)、Wallace等(2003)利用该技术分别对 孟加拉虎(Panthera tigris) 、美洲豹(Panthera onca) 的种群数量和密度进行了研究。这些成果对野生动