Ecological characteristics of preferred habitat of reindeer of Daxing'an Mountain forest area,Northeast China in summer

In July and August of 2012 and 2013, habitat selection and use patterns of reindeer were studied using both line and strip-transect surveys. Twenty-three habitat factors were measured and compared in known reindeer range areas in northwestern China. A total of 72 sampling sites were designated as being used by reindeer, and 162 sites were designated as unused control plots. The results indicated that, compared to the non-used habitat plots, reindeer selected summer habitats with higher values in altitude (26.9 ± 0.8 m), arbor canopy (17.9% ± 2.4%), arbor DBH (35.5 ± 2.1 cm), arbor height (8.2 ± 0.5 m), arbor density (6.9 ± 0.5 ind · 400 m(-2)) and stump quan- tity (1.3 ± 0.2 ind · 400 m(-2)), and with a lower shrub height (54.2 ± 2.0 cm). Moreover, reindeer also selected habitats at intermediate positions of intermediate slope gradient, which provided good water accessibility, more distance from human disturbance and herder influence, but bad concealment and lee condition. Results of the principal component analysis showed that the disturbance intensity (i. e. residential dispersion, anthropogenic-disturbance dispersion), arbor characteristics (arbor height and arbor density, arbor DBH and arbor canopy), geography characteristics (i. e. slope position, slope aspect and soil moisture), food abundance (ground-plant cover and shrub cover), openness (concealment and lee condition) and slope gradient were the most important factors influencing the habitat selection of reindeer in summer. In summary, the summer habitat selection of reindeer is a multidimensional process, through which reindeer adapt according to their ecological needs of food resources, safety and anti-predation. Furthermore, the pattern of habitat selection of reindeer showed that reindeer in China has not yet been domesticated, and reindeer populations and their core habitats should be conserved from intensive disturbance.