关键词: 阿尔泰山, 盘羊, 卧息地, 科克森山, 卡拉麦里山

Abstract: Winter bedding sites used by argali Ovis ammon sairensis,O. a. darwini were studied by using line-transect
methods on Mt. Kekesen and Mt. Kalamaili,in the southern desert of Altai Mountains,Xinjiang Ugyur Autonomous Region, China from November of 2007 to January of 2008. One hundred bedding sites used by argali and 100 control plots were 1ocated and measured during a 30 transect surveys crossing the entire study area on Mt. Kekesen,while 125 sites used by argali and 125 control plots were 1ocated and measured during 45 transects surveys crossing the entire study area on Mt. Kalamaili. Argali at both sites preferred slopes as bed sites,and avoided sleeping in valleys and on plains;argali showed a preference for slopes which were half exposed to the sun and avoided shady slopes;argali showed a preference for the upper slope and the middle slope. Comparing bedding sites with control plots on the two mountains bedding sites of argali were characterized by steep slope angle,shallow snow cover,high plant density,low bush number,low Stipa sp. density, few Ceratoides arborescens near hiding spots,and high hiding cover. Results of Principal Component Analysis(PCA) showed that the first 6 principal components explained 80.09% and 82.58% of the total variance among all bedding site variables on Mt. Kekesen and Mt. Kalamaili. PCA indicated that snow depth,slope angle,number of plant families, number of plant species,and number of bush species were important factors affecting bed-site selection by argali. PCA also
indicated that hiding cover,altitude ,distance to water resources and distance to human settlements were important factors affecting bed-site selection by argali.

Key words: Altai Mountains, Argali (Ovis ammon), Bedding sites, Mt. Kekesen, Mt. Kalamaili