摘要
苔藓植物由于含有较高浓度的不饱和脂肪酸尤其是花生四烯酸可以提高动物的御寒能力,因此驯鹿和其他许多生活在寒冷地区的食草动物以及鸟类将苔藓作为主要的食物来源。对生活在内蒙古大兴安岭满归敖鲁古雅民族乡的驯鹿3个月份的粪便(1999年采)进行了显微观察,发现其中苔藓植物在4月份占5.63%、6月份2.2%、9月份12.92%,3个月份的粪便中均以赤茎藓(Pleurozium schreberi)为主,占苔藓总量的70%以上,曲尾藓(Dicranum spp.)、毛叶苔(Ptilidium ciliare)和沼泽皱蒴藓(Aulacomnium palustre)也有少量食用。对驯鹿生活区域内4种林型下苔藓植物的盖度和生物量的测定结果表明,驯鹿对苔藓植物的选择食用与苔藓植物的物种和丰富度相关。
Bryophytes typically have a small body size and are widely distributed around the world.Research suggests bryophytes have various kinds of secondary metabolites and natural compounds which have many biological activities.High acid-detergent fiber（ADF） concentrations found in the mosses make them indigestible.For these reasons,bryophytes are not thought to be grazed by herbivorous mammals.However,studies found mosses were eaten by a variety of vertebrates and birds in cold environments.Reindeer feed mainly on mosses in winter.Mosses account for about 10% of their winter diet.The reason reindeer feed on mosses is that they contain a special chemical compound,arachidonic acid,not synthesized by reindeer themselves.Mosses contain a high concentration of arachidonic acid.Ingestion of arachidonic acid could benefit animals in several ways：（1） arachidonic acid is one of the precursors of some prostaglandin hormones,（2） because it has a low melting point（-49.5℃） arachidonic acid might contribute to lowering the melting point of fats in the animal′s extremities,（3） most importantly,arachidonic acid affords protection to cell membranes against the effects of cold.Consuming this fatty acid may afford the reindeer better protection against cold weather.We analyzed reindeer feces in Aoluguya,a minority community in the Great Khingan mountain range of Inner Mongolia,to study the bryophyte species consumed by reindeer.The feces samples were collected in April,June,and September in 1999 and analyzed microhistologically.The results show residual leaf fragments of bryophytes account for a large proportion of the feces;only leaf fragments of bryophyte,and not other plant parts,keep distinctively recognizable forms.The morphologic features of cells were seen clearly and distinctly.We found 5.63%,2.2%,and 12.92% of the sample content collected in April,June and September was from bryophytes,respectively.Four genera comprise most of the bryophyte material found in the reindeer feces： Pleurozium Mitt.,Dicran
出处
《生态学报》
CAS
CSCD
北大核心
2011年第13期3830-3838,共9页
Acta Ecologica Sinica
基金
国家自然科学基金资助项目(30870160)
内蒙古自然科学基金资助项目(2010MS0515)
关键词
驯鹿
苔藓
粪便
盖度
reindeer
bryophyte
faeces
coverage
