Effects of Forest Roads on Habitat Pattern for Sables in Da Hinggan Mountains, Northeasten China

作     者：LI Yuehui WU Wen XIONG Zaiping HU Yuanman CHANG Yu XIAO Duning 

作者机构：State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 

出 版 物：《Chinese Geographical Science》 (中国地理科学（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2014年第24卷第5期

页      面：587-598页

核心收录：

学科分类：0907[农学-林学] 090705[农学-野生动植物保护与利用] 09[农学] 0903[农学-农业资源与环境] 

基　　金：Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41271201 31070422 41201185) 

主　　题：forest road sable habitat pattern buffer analysis Da Hinggan Mountains 

摘      要：The anthropogenic managements of forest have created a network of roads resulting in the loss and alternation of habitat. To better understand road′s impact on animal habitats, we assessed the habitat pattern of sables(Martes zibellina), one of rodents within national first-class protected species, when roads are considered in Huzhong area in Da Hinggan Mountains, northeastern China. Employing published literatures about behavior ecology, aerial photographs and forest stand maps, we classified the study area into three habitat types including best-suitable, suitable and unsuitable habitats based on sable habitat requirements at the landscape scale including four variables derived from forest source map with attribute database. Results indicated the loss and significant fragmentation of best-suitable habitat and home range habitat when roads, especially 150 m avoidance distance of roads, were considered. The roads reduced and fragmented highly suitable habitats more significantly during earlier development period than the later development period. Additionally, the suitable area percentage increased with increasing distance to roads. This study helped to identify the suitable area for sables and location of sable population. Also, this study suggested the passage construction and road management involving road closure and removal will reduce the fragmentation functionally and benefit the sable population.