The relationships between the mounds of transbaikal zokor and plants with different root types

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  • (1 College of Grassland,Resources and Environment,Inner Mongolia Agriculture University,Hottot 010011,China)
    (2 Key Laboratory of Prataculture and Grassland Resource,Ministry of Education,Hohhot 010011,China)
    (3 Rodent Research Center,Inner Mongolia Agriculture University,Hottot 010011,China)

Online published: 2019-03-26

Abstract

An experiment with three quadrants(20m×50m)was conducted to monitor the locations of plants and the number of new and old mounds in the habitat of Myospalax aspalax in natural ground in Baiyinkulun pasture, Xinlinguole, Inner Mongolia from 2013 to 2015. The relationships between the number of new and old mounds and plant biomass, plant number and species were analyzed by Partial RDA (Partial Redundancy Analysis). The results showed that in spring, the number of new zokor mounds was positively correlated with the axis-rooted system and creeping-root system which accounted for much of the variation. The number of old mounds of zokor was positively correlated with sparse grove system. The number of old mounds was negatively correlated with the axis-rooted system and creeping-root system, and accounted for much of the variation. In autumn, the number of new mounds of zokor was positively correlated with the sparse grove system, dense clumping system and creeping-root system, and accounted for much of the variation. The number of old zokor mounds was positively correlated with the sparse grove system, dense clumping system and creeping-rooted system, and accounted for much of the variation. These results suggest that there were seasonal differences in zokor’s mound-forming activity and micro-habitat selection, and those activities were affected by food resources. Axis-rooted system and creeping-root system had significant effects on the spring activities of zokor, while the the sparse grove system, dense clumping system and creeping-root system had important effects on zokor's autumn activities.

Cite this article

JI Yu, YUAN Shuai, FU Heping, YUE Chuang, MAN Duhu, YANG Suwen, WU Xiaodong . The relationships between the mounds of transbaikal zokor and plants with different root types[J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2019 , 39(2) : 162 -171 . DOI: 10.16829/j.slxb.150206

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