2011 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Conservation of biodiversity in a reserve for Przewarski's horse by analyzing interspecific competition and guild structure
| Project/Area Number |
20255003
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 海外学術 |
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| Research Field |
Resource conservation science
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| Research Institution | Azabu University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha) |
YOSHIDA Kunio (10272527)
SUDA Kazuki (60409563)
SATO Masatosi
SATO Yoshikazu (60366622)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2008 – 2011
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| Keywords | モンゴル / フスタイ国立公園 / ギルド構造 / 競合 / オオカミ / キツネ / モウコノウマ / アカシカ |
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| Research Abstract |
The objective was to analyze the guild structure of wildlife in Hustain National Park, Mongolia where Przewalski's horses(takhi) were restored. For large herbivores, habitat selection and food habits were compared between takhi and red deer. Takhi utilized steppe and fed on grasses whereas red deer selected birch forests and fed on bot grasses and browse. In the last year, food comparison of takhi, red deer as well as hares and marmots were done which was not initially planned. For carnivores, samples of large raptors were not available because the nests were set at dangerous places. From droppings, red fox and korsac fox were not distinguishable and thus rounded. We could compare only wolves and "foxes". Wolves fed on only mammals, mainly mid-and large-size ones whereas foxes fed on insects in summer ad small mammals in winter. The food of the wolves contained the hairs of livestock(mainly sheep/goats), which would cause difficult problems in terms of off-park management. A steady increase of the takhi population is welcomed, but in terms of ecosystem management, the recovery of takhi would cause unexpected problems. This study would contribute for such problems. Thus, the initial objective was largely completed, but the carnivore guild was not fully analyzed according to lack of raptors' samples. These results will be published. Most of the samples have been analyzed, and some papers are waiting for submission.
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