Abstract: Sika deer is mainly distributed in southern Laoyeling of Heilongjiang Province, China. In order to protect and recover this species, conducting habitat suitability evaluation and building ecological corridors connecting core habitat patches are the basis for population conservation and recovery of this species in the future. In this study, 763 sika deer occurrence locations were collected by large-sample plot survey and camera monitoring during 2018 - 2021. The habitat suitability of sika deer in the region was evaluated using the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model and migration corridors for sika deer were identified and planned using the Least-Cost Path (LCP) analysis method. The contribution of environmental variables to the MaxEnt model indicated that rivers, forest trails, evergreen coniferous forests, roads, and residential areas accounted for 77. 3% to the model cumulatively and were the key factors influencing the distribution of sika deer. The results of the habitat suitability analysis showed that the suitable habitat area of sika deer was 1 055. 62 km² in southern Laoyeling, Heilongjiang Province, accounting for 27. 38% of the study area. The suitable habitats were mainly concentrated in the Heilongjiang Muling Taxus National Nature Reserve in the southwestern part and Dongning Chaoyanggou Forestry Farm, Suiyang Sanchahe and Nuanquanhe Forestry Farm in the southeastern part, while the suitable habitats in the central part of the study area were severely fragmented and distributed in strips pattern. The decrease of suitable habitat area and fragmentation may be the key factors influencing negatively the wild sika deer population. Based on the results of the habitat suitability analysis and the distribution of the deer population, four core habitat patches with a total area of 705. 22 km² were identified and three ecological corridors with a total length of 84. 43 km and a minimum width of 600 m were delineated for the migration of sika deer. The research results provide scientific basis for the wildlife conservation department to carry out the recovery of wild sika deer population, and serve to accelerate the region's biodiversity conservation in China.

Key words: Southern Laoyeling Mountains, Sika deer (Cervus nippon hortulorum), Maximum entropy model, Habitat suitability evaluation, Ecological corridor

摘要： 东北梅花鹿(Cervus nippon hortulorum)在我国主要分布区为黑龙江省老爷岭南部，开展栖息地适宜性评价和构建连接核心栖息地斑块的生态廊道是对该物种保护和恢复的基础。本研究于2018—2021年，通过大样方调查和相机监测的方法收集到763个梅花鹿出现位点，利用最大熵(Maximum entropy,MaxEnt)模型对该地区梅花鹿栖息地进行适宜性评价，基于最小成本路径(Least-cost path,LCP)分析方法识别并规划梅花鹿的迁移廊道。MaxEnt模型对环境变量预测的贡献率表明：河流、林间小道、常绿针叶林、居民区和公路对模型累积贡献率达77.3%，是影响梅花鹿分布的关键因子。栖息地适宜性分析结果表明，黑龙江省老爷岭南部梅花鹿适宜栖息地面积为1 055.62 km²，占研究区域面积的27.38%。适宜栖息地主要集中分布于西南部的穆棱东北红豆杉国家级自然保护区和东部的东宁朝阳沟林场、绥阳三岔河和暖泉河林场，而研究区域中部适宜栖息地破碎化严重，且呈条带状分布。适宜栖息地面积的减少以及破碎化可能是影响野生梅花鹿种群恢复的关键因素。基于栖息地适宜性分析结果和梅花鹿种群分布情况共确定总面积为705.22 km²的4块梅花鹿核心栖息地斑块，构建总长度为84.43 km、最小宽度为600 m的3条适宜梅花鹿迁移的生态廊道。本研究成果可为野生动物保护部门开展野生东北梅花鹿种群恢复提供科学依据，亦为推动生物多样性保护服务。

关键词: 老爷岭南部, 东北梅花鹿, 最大熵模型, 栖息地适宜性评价, 生态廊道