The relationship between plateau pika habitat selection and snowfall

Habitat fitness is a broad concept of environmental factors including climate, food, and risk; it has a decisive influence on the natural distribution pattern and population dynamics of the plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae). Based on the plateau pika’s habitat selection and preferences, and basic habitat characteristics, this paper investigated the relationship between habitat fitness of plateau pikas and snowfall by comparing the characteristics of pika populations among different vegetation patches. The results showed that the rate of snowmelt was positively correlated with the pika population density, the area of bare land, and the number of mounds, while it was negatively correlated with the height of vegetation. Whether food can be obtained shortly after snowfall was an important indicator for habitat fitness, and the basic driver of plateau pika behavioral orientation. Vegetation characteristics are an important factor affecting the rate of snowmelt, and vegetation patchiness is an important indicator for determining the distribution pattern of the plateau pika population and predicting its dynamic trend.