- 期刊
逐水而居？陽明山水牛維持水洞與領域標記的濕地利用動態－以磺嘴山與頂山為例
Create wetland dynamics to use? Yangmingshan buffaloes make waterholes and mark territories in Huangzuishan and Dingshan
摘要
水牛（Bubalus bubalis）曾在上百年間，活動分布於北台灣海拔600－912 m的陽明山暖溫帶山地。迄今數十隻野化水牛活動於連峰草原間，核心領域仰賴暫時積水濕地之季節標記，時而推倒草叢、或在樹上磨角塗泥，並參與林下植物更新。為永續及合宜經營此一地景文化資產，2019－2021年持續記錄磺嘴山／頂山稜線地區的濕地變動，探討牛群移居活動與泥池營造的生態功能。並以濕地化學的觀點，每季測量草原水洞的濁度、酸鹼值、電導度、氧化還原電位等水質指標，綜合地檢視野化水牛在野生動物狀態與周遭濕地環境的互動。磺嘴山（海拔912 m）牛群計數以巡查翠翠谷濕地周圍的新鮮腳印為主；頂山（海拔768 m）可逐月觀察山徑沿線水牛造池行為。至2021年底，磺嘴山水牛群估計僅剩4頭，頂山牛群有21隻牛（含新生7仔牛）。季節移動上，水牛夏季育幼常以石梯嶺、北五指山棲地為繁殖核心領域；在2021年春季（4－5月）見頂山牛群集體西遷3k m，短暫轉換至擎天崗草場（760 m）；秋冬季（11－12月）則向東降遷觸及頂山、風櫃嘴（海拔600 m），也可不時向西擴及擎天崗谷地與東峰（791 m）覓食。從磺嘴山到頂山的小型濕地，固體總溶解度顯著受水牛季節活動之影響，夏季均值最高可達冬季的8倍以上；牛池電導度（EC）則是由春往冬季逐漸成為鹽類稀薄，在春季是冬季的11.5倍。至於氧化還原電位在秋季水洞達峰值，季節間並有顯著差異。生態功能上，水牛在草原生態系為重要的草食消費者與棲地改造者，大體型的水牛是粗食者攝食禾草，創造並維繫富涵生物多樣性的濕地，並維持山地草原，值得自然資源管理者參考並經營。
並列摘要
The swamp buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) of Yangmingshan had been distributed in the 2000-ha warm temperate mountains (600-912 m) of northern Taiwan last century, and now dozens of wild buffaloes left. To ensure the sustainability of the ecological functions of the ridge grassland and appropriate landscape management in the Huangzuishan/Dingshan area, in 2019-2021, the researchers investigated the wetland chemistry (turbidity, acidity, conductivity, and oxidation-reduction potential) of buffalo-made water holes every season, in which the local buffalo changed vegetation and marked territory trees of the surrounding wetland. In Huangzuishan (at an altitude of 912 m), the footprints of fresh animals around the wetland were counted by four buffaloes by the end of 2021. The Dingshan (768 m) herd had 21 cows (7 newborn calves) found along a 6-km trail, with the largest range of foraging activities. The breeding cores of home range were located in the ridges of Shitiling and North Wuzhishan. In the spring of 2021, the water buffaloes migrated about 3 km to Qingtiangang pasture (760 m) from April to May of 2021; In autumn (November 2021), the herd descended to Fengguizui (600 m); In winter (December 2021), the buffalo extended to the Qingtiangang valley again. The total solubility of solids is significantly affected by the seasonal activities of buffalo in the small wetlands along the ridgeline from Huangzuishan to Dingshan, and the average turbidity in summer can be up to 8 times higher than that in winter. There is no significant difference in pH between seasons. The conductivity decreased from spring to winter, and the EC in spring is 11.5 times higher than in winter. As for the redox potential peaking in the autumn, there is a significant difference between seasonal ponds. While participating in various ecological functions, water buffalo are essential herbivorous consumers and habitat builders in the grassland ecosystem historically. Large-sized grazers have created wetlands rich in biodiversity, maintaining the highland vegetation and inviting further natural resource management.