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›› 2014, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (6): 1216-1221.

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Using GIS-based niche model to identify habitats for wild yak in Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve

SU Xu-kun1,DONG Shi-kui1,LIU Shi-liang1,LIU Ying-hui2,SHI Jian-bin1,WU Yu1,ZHANG Xiang3,GAO Feng3,XU Dong-hua3   

  1. (1 State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China;2 College of Resources Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China;3 Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve Management Headquarters, Korla 841000, Xinjiang, China)
  • Received:2013-12-18 Revised:2014-02-11 Online:2014-11-25

Abstract: The Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve is one of 3 refuges for wild yaks in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Identifying habitat suitability objectively is an effective method to keep sustainable development of wild yak populations in the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve. Guided by niche theory,the paper used GIS and AHP jointly to delimit and classify habitat suitability and functional zones. Results suggest that the largest core high suitability habitat locates in the vicinity of Kardun Inspection Station,which appears core habitat for wild yaks. There is a high suitability corridor which is located in the north part of the Reserve and along Altun Mountains. Several small high suitability areas are located in the southwest part of the Reserve. A total of 18.1×103 km2 of high and moderate suitability habitats for wild yaks is 38.8% of the total area of the Reserve. All high suitability habitats are classified as the core zones;the buffer zones contain moderate suitability habitats and the 5 km-distance buffer areas around the high suitability habitats;the other areas are classified as the experimental zones.

Key words: GIS based niche model, wild yak, the Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve, habitat

CLC Number: 

  • Q958