It is important to quantify anthropological activities to threatening species in nature reserves. The application of infrared camera-trapping provide sufficient data to assess anthropological human activities. We set up 57 camera traps to survey and monitor the impact of anthropological disturbance to sika deer(Cervus nippon kopschi)in Qianqingtang area of Zhejiang Qingliangfeng National Nature Reserve from November 2014 to December 2017. A total of 152 independent photographs of disturbance were recorded and classified into seven categories, including walking disturbance, gathering disturbance, logging disturbance, poaching disturbance, cattle disturbance, goat disturbance, and dog disturbance. Our results show that anthropological disturbances were overlapped with the sika deer distribution pattern over time and space. Human direct disturbances (including walking, gathering, logging, poaching) play the most important role of all. The most disturbances occurred in spring and autumn, as well as walking, gathering, logging, and dog disturbance mainly occurred from January to June, respectively in terms of season and month. The disturbances of cattle mostly observed on April and November, and goat on April and September, respectively. Most disturbances happened at 07: 00-18: 00, and the highest disturbance intensity happened at 08: 00-10: 00. The main distribution areas of sika deer (Daochangping, Lailijian, Luoshijian) and its water sources (Qianqingtang Lake) suffered high interference. Human and dog disturbances happened in the western part of the Qianqingtang area, while cattle and goat disturbances commonly in the eastern part. This study provides a case for the use of camera-trapping in quantifying the anthropological disturbance in nature reserves and contributes a scientific basis for conservation strategies on wildlife management.
LIU Zhou, ZHOU Hu, GUO Rui, ZHANG Shusheng, XU Lijuan, LUO Yuan, XU Aichun
. Temporal and spatial distribution of anthropological disturbance in sika deers’ habitat of Qingliangfeng National Nature Reserve[J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2020
, 40(4)
: 355
-363
.
DOI: 10.16829/j.slxb.150396