ACTIVITY PATTERNS AND HABITAT SELECTION OF THE PRZEWALSKI'S GAZELLE (PROCAPRA PRZEWALSKII) IN THE QINGHAI LAKE REGION
LI Diqiang,JIANG Zhigang,WANG Zuwang
1999, 19(1):
17-24.
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Przewalski's gazelle is endemic to China, now the species is only foundin the Qinghai lake region, where vast desert develops. The Przewalski's gazelletakes desert as a refuge. Whenever it is disturbed, the gazelle flee into t hedesert. It also rests and ruminates in the sand hills. The gazelle had two major feeding bouts, one in the early morning and another in the late afternoon. Thegazelles adopted such a activity to avoid the interference of Livestock's grazingin the its feeding habitat during the day time. Since 1994, most of the grasslands and meadow in the Qinghai lake region have been fenced, consequently little room isleft for the gazelle. The gazelles are now hanging on in the ecotone between desert and grassland.
There are nine major vegetation types in the Qinghai lake region: Achnatherum splendens Community, which occupies the terrain. In the plant community, thereare Leymus secalinus,Agropryron cristatum, Carex stenophylla, which are all grazed by the Przewalski's gazelle. However, the gazelle eat little Achnatherumsplendens due to its high fiber content in summer, but in winter when availablefoods are scarce, Achnatherum splendens turned out to be major food resource for the gazelles. Stipa purpursa community is distributed on the plain region 3 300-3 400 m above sea leave, within the community plant coverage is about 50 %-70 %, other plants in the community include Poa pratensis, Carex stenophylla, Koeleria cristafa. Microscopy of the fecal samples of the Przewalski's gazelle found in the community indicated that the gazelle ate Stipa purpursa, Poa pratensis , Carex stenophylla and Koeleria cristafa. Female gazelle and lambs spent much of their daily time in the plant community, whereas the male gazelles were seldom found in the habitat. Artemisia frigida-Stipa purpursa community is developed around thesand hills, vegetation coverage is about 30 %, Stipa purpursa, Orinus kokonoricaand Carex stenophylla are also found in the plant community, the Przewalski'sgazelle selected the Artemisia friida and Carex stenophylla in the habitat. Ephedra intermedia community is also distributed around the sand hills, withplant coverage of about 50 %-60 %. The grassland is over grazed by livestock in winter and early spring, therefore many poisonous plants now grow in the plant community. However, the Przewalski's gazelle use the grassland as a feeding ground insummer when the livestock moved to its summer rangelands. Sabina vulgaris shruband Sabina vulgaris communities are the two major desert vegetations in the region. The plant coverage in the former was 30 %-50 % with the shrub about 30-50cm tall. The Przewalski's gazelle mainly graze in the margins of the desert shrubs. We discovered many wolf foot-prints followed the hoof prints of gazelle in the shrubs. Sabina vulgaris Community is the largest vegetation type in the desert. Plant coverage was about 25 %- 45 % in the plant community. The Przewalski'sgazelle browsed the tip of the Sabina vulgaris. Other frequently found plantspecies in the community are Leymus secalinus, Calamagrostis phragmites, Agropryron cristatum, Astrgalus tanguticus which all are grazed by the gazelle. Suaeda salsa-Polygonum sibircum community in the sand land emerged after the lake waterdecreased, there are only few plant species in the community. However, the Przewalski's gazelle feed on Suaeda salsa. The information about habitat selection, feeding habit and activity pattern of the Przewalski's gazelle shed lights on its in situ and ex situ conservation.
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