title: Effects of interspecific interaction-linked habitat factors on moose resource selection and environmental stress.
abstract: Resource selection of herbivores is a complex ecological process that operates in relation to biological or non-biological factors, which may affect the feeding and movement, and subsequently their spatial distribution and environmental stress. Here, we estimated moose (Alces alces cameloides) resource selection for habitat variables and the effect of interspecific interactions related to roe deer (Capreolus pygargus bedfordi) on its population distribution and environmental stress in the Khingan Mountain region of northeast China at local and regional scales. Different response patterns of moose resource selection, spatial distribution, and environmental stress to interspecific interaction-linked habitat factors were shown at the two scales. A general ecological chain, response of moose to interspecific interaction-linked habitat factors, was exhibited at the regional scale, and at the local scale, heterogeneous responses, linkages of habitat selection and environmental stress of moose population might be driven by different interspecific interaction patterns. Our study firstly suggested that moose resource selection, food availability, diet quality, population density and environmental stress indicators were impacted by interactions with the distribution of other sympatric herbivore species and showed differences in ecological response chains at various spatial scales. These findings are useful for sympatric herbivore assembly conservation, habitat quality monitoring and management.
authors.affiliation: Feline Research Center of Chinese State Forestry Administration, College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fryxell
authors.affiliation: Feline Research Center of Chinese State Forestry Administration, College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Feline Research Center of Chinese State Forestry Administration, College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hongliang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.affiliation: Feline Research Center of Chinese State Forestry Administration, College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yingjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Feline Research Center of Chinese State Forestry Administration, College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Guangshun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003670:Deer / Q000502:physiology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D011156:Population Density; D011336:Probability; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D009584:Nitrogen; D006854:Hydrocortisone