Foraging behaviour at multiple temporal scales in a wild alpine equid.

摘要: Forage abundance, forage quality, and social factors are key elements of the foraging ecology wild herbivores. For non-ruminant equids, forage-limited environments likely to impose severe constraints on their behaviour. We used a multi-scale approach study behaviour in kiang (Equus kiang), equid inhabiting high-altitude rangelands Tibetan Plateau. Using behavioural observations vegetation sampling, we first assessed how patterns plant abundance quality affected (i) instantaneous intake rate (fine scale) (ii) proportion time spent (coarse across seasons. also tested whether differed among group types, between sex adults, females different reproductive status. At fine scale, increased linearly with bite size following type II curvilinear function biomass feeding sites. quality. Male female kiangs had similar rates. Likewise, gravid lactating rates as barren non-lactating females. coarse longer mesic than xeric habitats, more early summer fall late summer. Groups adults foals less male groups without foals. Our findings suggest that use flexible behaviours relation seasonal variations outcome extreme conditions encountered