David's Deer Research Articles

Zoonotic Enterocytozoon bieneusi genotypes in Pere David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) in Henan, China

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a zoonotic pathogen of the phylum Microspora that infects humans as well as a variety of animal species worldwide. While molecular epidemiologic studies have characterized this parasite in various hosts, isolates from many susceptible hosts have not yet been examined. In this study, E. bieneusi was isolated from 47 Pere David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) in Henan, China and characterized via PCR analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene. E. bieneusi was detected in 16 out of 47 (34.0%) fecal specimens examined. Sequence analysis of the ITS revealed six known genotypes: type IV (4), EbpC (4), EbpA (4), BEB6 (2), COS-I (1), and COS-II (1). Of these, type IV, EbpC, and EbpA are known to cause human microsporidiosis worldwide, whereas the remaining genotypes are generally specific to ruminants. The present study indicated that Pere David's deer are naturally infected with E. bieneusi, predominantly with zoonotic genotypes, and may pose a risk for human transmission.

湿地自然保护区旅游者环境教育感知研究——以盐城丹顶鹤、麋鹿国家自然保护区为例

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 湿地自然保护区旅游者环境教育感知研究——以盐城丹顶鹤、麋鹿国家自然保护区为例 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201404290856 作者: 作者单位: 南京师范大学地理科学学院,南京师范大学地理科学学院,南京师范大学地理科学学院,南京师范大学地理科学学院,南京师范大学地理科学学院 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目(41271149);江苏高校优势学科建设工程资助项目(PAPD) Tourist environmental education in wetland reserves: a case study of the Red- crowned cranes and David's deer National Reserves in Yancheng, China Author: Affiliation: College of Geographic Science,Nanjing Normal University,College of Geographic Science,Nanjing Normal University,College of Geographic Science,Nanjing Normal University,College of Geographic Science,Nanjing Normal University,College of Geographic Science,Nanjing Normal University Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:环境教育是当前生态旅游研究中的热点论题。基于生态旅游动机、环境教育途径、环境教育感知及环境教育效果4 个结构变量,以生态旅游发展处于起步阶段的盐城丹顶鹤保护区和处于稳定发展阶段的盐城麋鹿保护区为例,构建湿地自然保护区旅游者环境教育感知影响结构关系模型,深入分析不同生命周期阶段生态旅游地旅游者环境教育感知分异及其影响因素。结果表明:(1)生态旅游动机、环境教育途径、环境教育感知均对环境教育效果产生正向影响。丹顶鹤保护区生态旅游动机对环境教育效果产生显著正向影响,环境教育途径、环境教育感知对环境教育效果均产生正向影响;麋鹿保护区生态旅游动机、环境教育途径均对环境教育效果产生正向影响,环境教育感知对环境教育效果产生显著正向影响。(2)在生态旅游动机、环境教育途径、环境教育感知3 个分维度上,丹顶鹤保护区分别以一般生态旅游动机、常规环境教育途径、表层环境教育感知为主,麋鹿保护区则分别以严格生态旅游动机、专门环境教育途径、深度环境教育感知为主。(3)不同生命周期阶段生态旅游地游客环境教育效果存在差异。丹顶鹤保护区游客环境教育效果主要集中在态度、行为效果上,意识效果为辅,知识、技能效果作用较小;麋鹿保护区游客环境教育效果则以知识、态度效果为主,行为、技能、意识效果均起辅助作用。 Abstract:Environmental education is a hot topic in the study of ecological tourism at present. This paper uses four structural variables (tourist motivation, educational methods, tourist perceptions, and the educational effect of tourist experiences) to build a structural relationship model of behavior, knowledge, attitudes, consciousness of the environment, and skills reflecting their impact on tourist perceptions of environmental education in wetland natural reserves. Based on the different life cycle stages of wetland nature reserve presence at the two destinations, The Red-crowned cranes and David's Deer National Reserves in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, China, the study considers the factors influencing the perception of tourist environmental education at ecological tourism destinations. It was found that with respect to a tourist's perception of the different life cycle stages of wetland nature reserves, basic factors influenced their acceptance of the importance of environmental education. Travel motivation, educational methods and tourist perceptions all had positive impacts on the educational effect of ecological experiences. At the initial life stage of the Red-Crowned Cranes National Reserve, for example, tourism motivation, the educational methods used, and tourist perceptions all had a significant positive influence on the impact of the environmental education received during visits. At the stable development stage of the David's Deer National Reserve, tourism motivation, tourist perceptions, and educational methods again had a positive influence on the impact of environmental education. Thus, ecotourism motivation and environmental education methods have significant positive effects on the perception of the value of environmental education in both the Red-crowned cranes and David's Deer National Reserves. Second with respect to the influencing mechanisms at the different life cycle stages of wetland nature reserves, two-dimensional factors had different influences. In regard to the three dimensions of tourism motivation, educational methods and tourist perceptions, the Red-Crowned Cranes National Reserve appeared to be primarily affected by a general ecological motivation held by tourists, by conventional environmental education methods, and by the impact of surface environmental education perceptions. The educational value of a visit to the David's Deer National Reserve is primarily affected by the strict ecological tourism motivations held by tourists, by special environmental education methods, and by the deep environmental education perceptions held by tourists. Third, these effects had different impacts on models of the different life cycle stages at the two ecological tourist destinations. The environmental education impacts of visits to the Red-Crowned Cranes National Reserve were strongest for the attitude effect and the behavior effect, while the consciousness effect is subsidiary, and the knowledge effect and skill effects had the lowest influence. The environmental education effects from visiting the David's Deer National Reserve were strongest for the knowledge effect and attitude effect, while the behavior effect, skill effect, and consciousness effect were subsidiary. Fourth, the perception of the value of environmental education by ecological tourism was affected by many heterogeneous factors. Through ecotourism environmental education, tourist destinations are able to change the will, skills, and behavior of tourists that participate in environmental protection;thereby improving the impact of environmental education on tourists. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

The arteries of brain base in species of the cervid family.

The aim of the article was to describe the pattern of main arteries at the encephalon base, their connections, and varieties. This study included 106 specimens of the head and cerebral arteries of the following eight species of the cervid family: reindeer, chital, Eld's deer, wapiti, sika deer, fallow deer, Pere David's deer or milu, and Reeve's or Chinese muntjac. The arteries of the animals under study were filled with acetone-dissolved stained vinyl superchloride or stained latex LBS3060. The analysis of the specimens revealed that the vascular system of the species of the studied cervid family was similar to the system described in other ruminant species. A branch diverging from the condylar artery to the rostral epidural rete mirabile is present in all studied cervids, but it can be found also in giraffe and eland. The pattern of the arterial vascularization of the encephalon base, which we observed in our analysis, confirms the morphological similarity between those animals and the correct placement of the cervid family in species taxonomy.

Toxinotyping of Clostridium perfringens fecal isolates of reintroduced Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) in China.

Clostridium perfringens is an important pathogen causing sudden death syndrome, necrotic enteritis, and gas gangrene in ruminants, especially some deer species. Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) is one of the world's rare species and is an endangered and protected species in China. Some Père David's deer in the Chinese Shishou Père David's Deer Preserve died due to C. perfringens infection. We investigated the toxin types and C. perfringens enterotoxin-positive (cpe(+)) strains of isolated C. perfringens in Père David's deer in China. We collected 155 fecal samples from the Beijing Nanhaizi Père David's Deer Park and the Jiangsu Dafeng Père David's Deer National Nature Reserve between July 2010 and July 2011. Bacteria isolated using blood agar and mannitol agar plates were identified by Gram staining and nested PCR for 16S rRNA. We isolated C. perfringens from 41 fecal samples and used PCR amplification of five toxin genes to identify the toxinotypes and the cpe(+) strains of C. perfringens. Twenty-one isolates were type A, 15 were type E, and five were type D. Fifteen isolates were cpe(+) strains, including eight that were type A and seven that were type E.

Intraspecific host selection of Père David's deer by cattle egrets in Dafeng, China

Studies have focused on foraging ecology of cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) and their selection of ungulate host species. However, few studies have been conducted at intraspecific levels, such as the sex/age class of a specific ungulate. In this study, the foraging behavior and intraspecific host selection of cattle egrets associated with Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) were investigated at the Dafeng National Nature Reserve, China in summer 2011 and 2012. Egret-deer pairing status was analyzed and intraspecific host selection index was calculated. Cattle egrets preferred to feed with female deer compared with male deer and fawns. In contrast to solitary birds, cattle egrets following a deer benefited from a relatively low vigilance output, high foraging success, low energy expenditure, and high total foraging yields. These egrets also maximized benefits when they followed female deer compared with male deer and fawns. Our results further indicated that egrets likely preferred females because of the appropriate moving speed that allowed these egrets to follow and forage sufficiently and effectively. The males of Père David's deer were possibly more aggressive than the females during the rutting season, causing egrets to experience difficulty in accompaniment and feeding. Fawns were not preferred because they were usually motionless and insufficiently large to stir more insects. We did not find any behavioral differences in vigilance and feeding between juveniles and adults. Our results suggested that cattle egrets could obtain significant benefits from their association with Père David's deer, and these benefits were maximized when they followed female deer.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: insert SI title.

Sex-Age Related Rumination Behavior of Père David’s Deer under Constraints of Feeding Habitat and Rainfall

Extensive studies have been conducted on the rumination behavior of domestic herbivores. However, studies on wild animals are limited, particularly wild animals with specific ruminating parameters. In this study, Père David’s deer, a previously extirpated species, was observed to analyze the effects of sex-age, feeding habitat, and rainfall on rumination behavior in the Dafeng Nature Reserve, China. Rumination behavior was investigated based on four parameters: proportion of bedding time spent chewing, bolus processing time (s/bolus), chewing frequency (chews/bolus), and chewing rate (chews/s). Results showed that all three factors affect rumination behavior. The extent of their effects varied based on the four rumination parameters. Chewing rate and frequency decreased based on sex–age levels, i.e., from fawns to juvenile female, juvenile male, adult female, stag, and harem holder. Therefore, body size played a major role in shaping rumination behavior. Deer found in grasslands could chew faster compared with deer found in woodlands. This result might be caused by the effects of dietary composition and sunlight intensity. A deer spends a longer time ruminating while bedding during rainy days compared with rainless days to maximize energy and nutrition intake and compensate for the loss of feeding time during rainy days. Therefore, rumination behavior is plastic and is shaped by intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

湖北石首麋鹿昼间活动时间分配

为探讨性别、年龄和季节对麋鹿(<em>Elaphurus davidianus</em>)行为的影响,2006年9月-2007年10月,作者采用焦点取样法和瞬时记录法,将麋鹿昼间活动归为采食、饮水、运动、休息、警觉、其他行为等六大类型,每月 6-8 d 对湖北石首麋鹿国家级自然保护区麋鹿种群的昼间活动时间分配进行了跟踪观察。 结果表明:麋鹿有晨、昏两个采食高峰和一个午间休息期,各种行为类型所占比例依次是:休息 53.40% (± 5.59%)、采食 22.36 (± 8.34%)、运动 11.23% (± 0.63%)、警觉 5.03% (± 1.76%)、其他行为 4.42% (± 2.06%), 饮水 2.65%(± 0.74%)。不同季节, 时间分配变化明显。非参数 Kruskal Wallis <em>H</em> 检验结果显示(n=120),季节、年龄和性别显著影响麋鹿的活动时间分配。除运动行为 (χ² =16.856, <em>d_f</em>=3, <em>P</em>>0.05)和饮水行为 (χ²=7.667, <em>d_f</em>=3, <em>P</em> >0.05)无显著差异外, 采食 (χ² =15.657, <em>d_f</em> =3, <em>P</em> <0.01)、休息 (χ² =13.173, <em>d_f</em>=3, <em>P</em> <0.01)、警觉 (χ²=13.887, <em>d_f</em>=3, <em>P</em> <0.01)和其他行为 (χ²=16.317, <em>d_f</em>=3, <em>P</em><0.01) 在不同季节所占时间百分比均有极显著差异。对不同性别年龄组的活动时间分配采用两个独立样本的 Mann-Whitney <em>U</em> 检验, 各性别-年龄组间的运动行为所占时间比例有极显著差异 (<em>P</em><0.01), 雄鹿与雌鹿之间的警觉行为有极显著差异 (<em>P</em><0.01), 雄鹿花较多时间用于警觉。幼鹿与成年鹿及亚成年鹿之间的采食行为时间有极显著差异 (<em>P</em><0.01)。不同性别、年龄组在不同季节的昼间活动时间分配的差异采用方差(ANOVA)分析后发现:所有年龄组,夏季与冬季饮水、春季与夏季警觉均存在显著性差异(<em>P</em><0.01);成体和亚成体麋鹿,春季与冬季警觉、夏季与冬季运动均存在显著性差异 (<em>P</em> <0.01)。;To probe how sex, age and season influence the behavior of Père David's deer (<em>Elaphurus davidianus</em>), we studied the diurnal activity time budget of the Père David's deer in Hubei Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve, by using a focus sampling and instantaneous recording methods. We conducted observation for six to ten days each month from Sept. 2006 to Oct. 2007. The result showed that Père David's deer have crescent activity pattern: foraged mainly at dawn and dusk and took a break at noon. They spent the most of their time resting (53.40%), followed by feeding (22.36%), moving (11.23%), alertness (5.03%), drinking (2.65%), and others (4.42%). Season and age-sex classes significantly influenced the activity time budgets. A greater proportion of time was spent resting in summer (58%) and autumn (58%). Significant difference were found in feeding, rest, alert and other activities (<em>P</em><0.01) except in drinking and moving (<em>P</em>>0.05) among seasons. Only moving behavior showed an extremely significant difference (<em>P</em><0.01) and had no significant difference in rest (<em>P</em>>0.05) among age-sex classes. There was an extremely significant difference between the male deer and the female deer in alert behavior (<em>P</em><0.01) while the adult males spent more time on alert than the adult females. Adults and the sub-adults spent more time feeding and rest, while calves spent more time moving, and less time feeding and rest. According to the results of ANOVA analysis on the diurnal activity time budget of sex-age classes at different seasons, for all age classes, extremely significant difference were found in drinking both summer and winter, in alertness both spring and summer (<em>P</em><0.01). Moreover, for adult and subadult groups, there were extremely significant difference in alertness both spring and winter, in moving both summer and winter (<em>P</em><0.01).

Malignant catarrhal fever in sika deer (Cervus nippon) in the UK

MALIGNANT catarrhal fever (MCF) is a viral disease characterised by lymphoproliferation, vasculitis and erosive-ulcerative mucosal and cutaneous lesions (Brown and others 2007, Russell and others 2009); it is commonly fatal....

CDNA cloning, recombinant expression and bioactivity of Père David's deer BAFF

B cell activating factor (BAFF), a member of the TNF family, is a critical cytokine for the survival, proliferation, maturation, and differentiation of B cells. In the present study, Père David's deer BAFF (miBAFF) was amplified from Elaphurus davidianus using RT-PCR. This is the first BAFF cloned from a member of Cervidae family. The open reading frame (ORF) of the miBAFF cDNA consists of 843 bases that encode a 280-amino acid protein bearing typical TNF homology domain. Sequence alignment shows that miBAFF shares 39.3%–97% sequence homology with the BAFF sequences of other mammals. Comparative protein modeling predicted that the 3D structure of the soluble mature portion of miBAFF (misBAFF) is very similar to that of human BAFF (hsBAFF). Recombinant misBAFF fused to a SUMO-tag was efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells. The protein molecular weight of ~36KDa was determined using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blotting. In vitro, purified misBAFF was shown to promote the survival and proliferation of Père David's deer peripheral blood lymphocytes and mouse B cells. These results indicate that miBAFF plays an important role in the survival/proliferation of mouse B cells and, shows highly conserved evolutionarily, leading to functional cross-reactivity that exists between mouse and Père David's deer BAFF.

The Père David's Deer MHC Class I Genes Show Unexpected Diversity Patterns, With Monomorphic Classical Genes but Polymorphic Nonclassical Genes and Pseudogenes

Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) is a highly inbred species that arose from 11 founders but now comprises a population of about 3,000 individuals, making it interesting to investigate the adaptive variation of this species from the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) perspective. In this study, we isolated Elda-MHC class I loci using magnetic bead-based cDNA hybridization, and examined the molecular variations of these loci using single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and sequence analysis. We obtained seven MHC class I genes, which we designated F1, F12, G2, I7, AF, I8, and C1. Our analyses of stop codons, phylogenetic trees, amino acid conservation, and G+C content revealed that F1, F12, G2, and I7 were classical genes, AF was a nonclassical gene, and I8 and C1 were pseudogenes. Our subsequent molecular examinations showed that the diversity pattern in the Père David's deer was unusual. Most mammals have more polymorphic classical class I loci vs. the nonclassical and neutral genes. In contrast, the Père David's deer was found to be monomorphic at classical genes F1, F12, G2, and I7, dimorphic at the nonclassical AF gene, dimorphic at pseudogene I8, and tetramorphic at pseudogene C1. The adverse polymorphism patterns of Elda-I genes might provide evidence for selection too faster deplete MHC variation than drift in the bottlenecked populations, while the postbottleneck tetramorphism of the C1 pseudogene appears to be evidence of strong historical balancing selection.

Do Père David's Deer Lose Memories of Their Ancestral Predators?

Whether prey retains antipredator behavior after a long period of predator relaxation is an important question in predator-prey evolution. Père David's deer have been raised in enclosures for more than 1200 years and this isolation provides an opportunity to study whether Père David's deer still respond to the cues of their ancestral predators or to novel predators. We played back the sounds of crows (familiar sound) and domestic dogs (familiar non-predators), of tigers and wolves (ancestral predators), and of lions (potential naïve predator) to Père David's deer in paddocks, and blank sounds to the control group, and videoed the behavior of the deer during the experiment. We also showed life-size photo models of dog, leopard, bear, tiger, wolf, and lion to the deer and video taped their responses after seeing these models. Père David's deer stared at and approached the hidden loudspeaker when they heard the roars of tiger or lion. The deer listened to tiger roars longer, approached to tiger roars more and spent more time staring at the tiger model. The stags were also found to forage less in the trials of tiger roars than that of other sound playbacks. Additionally, it took longer for the deer to restore their normal behavior after they heard tiger roars, which was longer than that after the trial of other sound playbacks. Moreover, the deer were only found to walk away after hearing the sounds of tiger and wolf. Therefore, the tiger was probably the main predator for Père David's deer in ancient time. Our study implies that Père David's deer still retain the memories of the acoustic and visual cues of their ancestral predators in spite of the long term isolation from natural habitat.

A Novel HURRAH Protocol Reveals High Numbers of Monomorphic MHC Class II Loci and Two Asymmetric Multi-Locus Haplotypes in the Père David's Deer

The Père David's deer is a highly inbred, but recovered, species, making it interesting to consider their adaptive molecular evolution from an immunological perspective. Prior to this study, genomic sequencing was the only method for isolating all functional MHC genes within a certain species. Here, we report a novel protocol for isolating MHC class II loci from a species, and its use to investigate the adaptive evolution of this endangered deer at the level of multi-locus haplotypes. This protocol was designated “HURRAH” based on its various steps and used to estimate the total number of MHC class II loci. We confirmed the validity of this novel protocol in the giant panda and then used it to examine the Père David's deer. Our results revealed that the Père David's deer possesses nine MHC class II loci and therefore has more functional MHC class II loci than the eight genome-sequenced mammals for which full MHC data are currently available. This could potentially account at least in part for the strong survival ability of this species in the face of severe bottlenecking. The results from the HURRAH protocol also revealed that: (1) All of the identified MHC class II loci were monomorphic at their antigen-binding regions, although DRA was dimorphic at its cytoplasmic tail; and (2) these genes constituted two asymmetric functional MHC class II multi-locus haplotypes: DRA1*01 ∼ DRB1 ∼ DRB3 ∼ DQA1 ∼ DQB2 (H1) and DRA1*02 ∼ DRB2 ∼ DRB4 ∼ DQA2 ∼ DQB1 (H2). The latter finding indicates that the current members of the deer species have lost the powerful ancestral MHC class II haplotypes of nine or more loci, and have instead fixed two relatively weak haplotypes containing five genes. As a result, the Père David's deer are currently at risk for increased susceptibility to infectious pathogens.

Development of a Management Program for a Mixed Species Wildlife Park Following an Occurrence of Malignant Catarrhal Fever

During late 2001 and early 2002, a mixed species wildlife park in North Carolina experienced an acute outbreak of morbidity and mortality in Pere David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), axis deer (Axis axis), blackbuck antelope (Antelope cervicapra), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus). Clinical signs varied from fulminant disease, progressing from depression to bloody scours to death in fewer than 4 days in Pere David's deer, to a more protracted form of disease, ranging from 2 wk to 3 mo, in axis deer. In moribund axis deer, high levels of anti-malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) virus antibody by competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were detected. Ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) DNA was detected in peripheral blood leukocytes of the affected axis deer. No other MCF viruses were detected. Retrospective examination of frozen tissue samples from the affected Pere David's deer and blackbuck antelope also confirmed the presence of OvHV-2 DNA. Initial control efforts were directed at preventing further deaths of clinically susceptible animals by removing MCF virus reservoir species, particularly ovine species. The most prevalent ovine species in the wildlife park was mouflon sheep (Ovis musimon). All sheep were removed from the park by June 2002, and the last MCF death occurred in October 2002. Since mouflon sheep had been a prominent attraction in the wildlife park, the owner wanted a means to reintroduce this species to the park. Derivation of OvHV-2-uninfected mouflon lambs was undertaken using the previously described program for production of OvHV-2-free sheep (Ovis ovis). The rederived MCF virus-negative mouflon sheep were introduced into the park in approximately January 2004. As of December 2007, no further cases of MCF have occurred since the removal of OvHV-2-positive mouflon sheep and reintroduction of the virus-free lambs. This paper describes the successful management and control of MCF in a densely populated mixed species animal park.

Evaluation of potential habitat with an integrated analysis of a spatial conservation strategy for David’s deer, Elaphurus davidians

How to assess the potential habitat integrating landscape dynamics and population research, and how to reintroduce animals to potential habitats in environments highly human disturbed are still questions to be answered in conservation biology. According to behavioral research on Elaphurus davidians, we have developed a suitability index and a risk index to evaluate the potential habitats for the deer. With these indices, we conducted two transect assessments to evaluate the gradient change of the target region. Then, taking rivers as border lines, we tabulated the forest areas, high grassland area and total area and then compared the forest and high grassland area in each subregion. Furthermore, we computed the land use transfer matrix for the whole Yancheng coast during 1987–2000. We also computed human modified index (HMI) in six subregions. Lastly with a geographical information system support we obtained the spatial distribution of the indices and evaluation of the whole potential habitats from a neighborhood analysis. The transect assessment showed that the suitability of the coastal area was higher than that of the inland area for the deer, while the southern area was higher than the northern. Landscape metrics and HMI analysis showed that different landscape patterns and different anthropogenic disturbance existed within the region, and the increasing human disturbance was the key factor causing the pattern dynamics. The evaluation of potential habitats showed that there was an estimated carrying capacity of no more than 10,000 for David’s deer reintroduction into the natural area. Also the reintroduction strategy was discussed. This integrated approach linked the population research and the landscape metrics, and the dataset with different scale; thus, it is an approach likely to be useful for the protection of other large animal in a landscape highly disturbed by humans.

The spatio-temporal evolution and characteristics analysis of tourist flow in eco-tourism area:A case study of Yancheng eco-tourism area for David's deer

The research of the spatio-temporal evolution discipline of tourist flow helped to reveal inter-functional course and mechanism in terms of each inner-element of tourism system,and also provided bases for tourism planning,product development,as well as marketing and tourism management.This paper adopted K-Means cluster to undertake spatio-temporal analysis of the number of tourists in Yancheng eco-tourism area for David's deer.The phrases and market division of tourist changes in eco-tourism area for David's deer were discussed from two scales,namely,inner-provincial and inter-provincial.The results showed that the tourist flow of the above-mentioned two scales could be divided into three stages between 1998 and 2005,and could be marked off four different types of customer market properly.Yancheng eco-tourism area for David's deer ought to ascertain its target market and the management strategy according to the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of the tourist flow.The most important core tourist markets of this eco-tourism area were the fourth and the third kinds of customer market,namely,Yancheng and Nanjing city in Jiangsu Province.When it comes to domestic tourist market,the priority should be given to the fourth one—Jiangzhehu area—as the basic market to explore.Temporal characteristics of tourist flow in different stages indicated that the tourist market of Yancheng eco-tourism area for David's deer varied amid relative stability,and represented distinctive regional difference.Except effects of space distance and transportation,the diversification of tourist flow was closely related with economic development,tourist motivation and choice,as well as theme tourism activities and tourism promotion.The pressing task for eco-tourism area was how to protect its resources and environment.The increase of tourists couldn't be pursued simply.We should attach importance to the optimization of tourism market structure,and select tourist market that would be highly responsible for environmental protection in order to pursue connotative development.Owing to the trend that the tourist market concentrated on Jiangzhehu area,in short term we could give the priority to explore the above-mentioned market(especially the tourist market in southern Jiangsu and Shanghai),and provide tourism and service products to meet the demands of tourist market.However,in the long term,in the precondition of proper eco-resource and environmental protection,the tourist market should be exploited vigorously and the convergence of tourist market should be dispersed further though effective integration and deep exploration of eco-tourism products in Yancheng seashore to attract tourists with high quality on a larger scale.The research finding showed that K-Means cluster could indicate the detailed information of spatio-temporal evolution in terms of tourist market and could be regarded as an effective analysis method for the spatio-temporal distribution and evolution characteristics.

Evidence of effects of human disturbance on alert response in Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus)

To understand effects of human disturbance on alert response of Père David's deer, we carried out an experiment in the Dafeng Père David's Deer Reserve (32 degrees 59'-33 degrees 03'N, 120 degrees 47'-120 degrees 53'E), China. In the spring and summer, we observed alert responses (including stare, walking away, and flee) of deer and recorded the intensity of tourist disturbance in a small display pen using a laser-range finder to measure the alert distance of a free-ranging group in a large enclosure. We also recorded the pattern of head orientation when deer were resting in these two deer groups. After statistical analysis, we found that: 1) in small pen, the frequency of alert response was significantly different among different intensities of human disturbance; strong disturbance resulted in higher frequency of alert response; 2) stare distance in the free-ranging group in summer was significantly longer than that in spring, but the distance of walking away and the distance of flee showed no significant difference between the two seasons; and 3) in free-ranging group, there was no significant directional difference in head orientation, whereas in display group, there was a significant directional difference in head orientation. We suggest that: 1) under the captive situation, human disturbance may be one of the factors that affect alert response in Père David's deer; and 2) Père David's deer adopted different alert response to adapt to human disturbance under different circumstance. We recommended that relationships between alert response and human disturbance should be considered in ex situ conservation of this field extinct deer. Zoo Biol 26:461-470, 2007. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A QTL study of growth and body shape in the inter‐species hybrid of Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus)

An interspecies deer hybrid resource population developed from a cross of Père David's and red deer was used to detect QTL that account for species differences. A genome scan, coupled with composite interval mapping, was conducted to search for QTL controlling body measurements at pre-pubescent age (6 months of age) and puberty (15 months of age) in this interspecies hybrid. Five linkage groups that harbour QTL affecting morphology were identified. A joint-traits analysis was used to search for putative pleiotropic QTL on four of these linkage groups, and three were significantly associated with pleiotropic QTL for nose width and foot length (metacarpal and phalanges), which collectively accounted for 29-58% of the phenotypic difference between the two deer species. This study suggests that a few loci with large pleiotropic effects may be responsible for species-specific differences in growth and structure-related traits.

A note on environmental elements as essential prerequisites for behavioral expression: A case study of Père David's deer

To understand the relationship between behavioral expression of Père David's deer and environmental elements, we carried out an experiment in the Dafeng Père David's Deer Nature Reserve, China. From May to September 2001, we observed maintenance behavior and rut behavior in free-ranging Père David's deer. During behavioral observations, we also recorded the type of habitat in which the behavior occurred. Statistical analysis showed that: (1) Père David's deer tended to stand, sit and ruminate in barren land, a water body and the muddy shore of a pond. (2) Père David's deer foraged in grassland and forested land. (3) Père David's deer stags expressed the marking and display components of rut behavior more often in water body and wetland than in grassland and forest. Our data indicated that Père David's deer is a typical ungulate species living in wetland and selects different habitats to express different behaviors. We discuss the possible reasons for Père David's deer to choose specific habitats to express behavior. We suggest that, in ex situ conservation of Père David's deer, environmental prerequisites for behavioral expression should be considered.

A 12-MONTH SURVEY OF GASTROINTESTINAL HELMINTH INFECTIONS OF CERVIDS KEPT IN TWO ZOOS IN BELGIUM

Infections with helminths are a major health issue in captive and wild deer. In this study, fecal egg count patterns and clinical signs associated with gastrointestinal nematodes were assessed for 12 mo in nine cervid herds kept under different husbandry conditions at two sites. At site 1, an urban zoo, fecal egg counts remained low and no clinical signs of parasitic gastroenteritis were seen in the herds of fallow deer (Dama dama), Dybowski's deer (Cervus nippon dybowski), pudu (Pudu pudu), and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus). Helminth infection at this site may have been successfully prevented by daily dung removal of the small sandy-soil enclosures, and applying routine anthelmintic treatment was not justified. At site 2, a wild animal park, involved species were red deer (Cervus elaphus hippelaphus), Nelson's elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni), Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), European elk (Alces alces alces), and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus). Nematode eggs were frequently encountered in herds of red deer, Nelson's elk, and European elk, which were kept on larger, grassy enclosures that were irregularly cleaned. The trimodal pattern of fecal egg counts in herds from the wild animal park, consisting of a small spring rise in June, a peak in October, and a small rise in February, indicates that infective larvae on pastures are the main source of infection. In addition, routine anthelmintic treatment with fenbendazole in April and July limited egg shedding, but reinfection rapidly occurred. In two European elk and one reindeer, increasing fecal egg counts were associated with loss of fecal consistency and reduced appetite. Three genera and three species of nematodes were recovered at necropsy of one red deer and three Nelson's elk: Spiculopteragia spiculoptera, Trichostrongylus spp., Nematodirus filicollis, Capillaria spp., Oesophagostomum radiatum, and Trichuris spp., with total worm counts between 950 and 8,700.

Relationship between Serum Testosterone, Dominance and Mating Success in Père David's Deer Stags

AbstractWe conducted an experiment in the Beijing Milu Park to study the social behavior of male Père David's deer, and related social behavior to social position and serum testosterone level of the stags during rut. We classified the stags into three rank classes according to their rutting behavior: ‘harem master’, ‘challenger’ and ‘bachelor’. We monitored the behaviors of four ‘harem masters’, five ‘challengers’ and five ‘bachelors’, and analyzed serum testosterone levels in blood samples of those 14 stags using radioimmunoassay. We defined the effectiveness value, E = A/T, to assess the effectiveness of herding or mating attempts made by stags (‘T’ represents the frequency of herding or mating attempts made by a stag and ‘A’ represents the frequency of herding or mating attempts accepted by hinds). We found that: (1) the ‘harem masters’ and the ‘challengers’ displayed more frequent rut and locomotive behaviors but fewer ingestion behaviors than the ‘bachelors’; (2) serum testosterone levels in the ‘harem masters’ and the ‘challengers’ were higher than that in the ‘bachelors’; (3) effectiveness value of herding attempts differed significantly between the three types of stags, being highest in the ‘harem masters’ and the lowest in the ‘bachelors’; and (4) effectiveness value of mating attempts was significantly greater for the ‘harem masters’ than for the ‘challengers’. We conclude that: (1) reproductive behavior of the Père David's deer stags is strongly associated with social rank; (2) social roles of Père David's deer stags during the rut are related to the testosterone secretion; and (3) rank class affects the mating opportunity of the stags.