2001年10月至2002年9月在海南大田国家级自然保护区,采用直接观察法和采食痕迹估计法对海南坡鹿(Cervus eldi hainanus)的食性进行了研究。共记录取食地1273个,其中旱季748个,雨季525个。海南坡鹿取食植物234种,其中木本植物71种,草本植物161种,蕨类植物2种。其中取食频率超过0.01%的有76种,取食频率占总取食频率的81.85%。无论旱季和雨季坡鹿对采食场地都具有明显的选择性(旱季χ^2=21.476,P=0.0007;雨季χ^2=19.882,P=0.0013;df=5)。尽管旱季坡鹿更多地选择在低平地热带草原生境中采食、雨季则喜欢季雨林,但是它们选择采食场地的季节性差异没有达到显著的水平(χ^2=9.447,P=0.0925,df=5)。坡鹿对植物种类的选择存在季节性差异,旱季喜欢采食的植物种类比雨季更多(30种vs.18种),采食的木本植物种类的比例也高于雨季(14种vs.6种)。
Food habits of Hainan Eld's Deer (Cervus eldi hainanus ) were studied between October 2001 and September 2002 in Hainan Datian National Nature Reserve, China, Food items were determined by means of direct observations of foraging Hainan Eld' s Deer and examinations of fresh forage sites located on 6 transects crossing the whole study area. 1 273 feeding sites were examined and recorded. The deer fed on 234 speeies of plants during study period,among which 71 speeies were shrubs, 161 were herbages and 2 were ferns. Only 76 species were used above 0.01% of feeding frequency in the feeding sites. The feeding frequency of these species comprised of 81.85 % of the total feeding frequency. The deer had obviously selectivity on foraging sites in both wet and dry seasons (dry season χ^2= 21.476,P = 0.000 7; wet season χ^2 = 19.882, P = 0.001 3; df= 5).They preferred to feed in the tropical grasslands in dry season and in monsoon forest in wet season, however, the difference in seasonal feeding habitat seleetion did not reach the significant level ( χ^2 = 9.447, P = 0.092 5, df= 5) .The deer fed more food items (30 vs. 18) and more shrubs and trees (14 vs .6) in dry season than in the rain season.