Abstract: By using the methods of focal-animal sampling and all-occurrence recording, the behavior time budget of Dama dama and the effects of visitor density on Dama dama behaviors were studied in the Zhuyuwan Zoo of Yanyzhou City, iangsu Province from September 20 to October 10, 2006. The results showed that the eating and observing behaviors of male, observing behavior of female, and eating, observing and decorating behaviors of young deer were significantly different when the visitor density was high or low. When the visitor density was low, significant differences were observed between male and female in their eating, ruminating and resting behaviors, between male and young in their observing and other behaviors, and between female and young in their eating, resting and observing behaviors. When the visitor density was high, there were significant differences between male and female in their eating and resting behaviors, between female and young in their eating, resting and locomotion behaviors, and between male and young in their observing behavior. Visitor’s activities under different visitor densities had significant effects on the eating and observing behaviors of Dama dama. The male’s observing behavior increased significantly when the visitor density reached 6 per minute. The eating behavior of male and the observing behavior of female and young had significant differences when the visitor density reached 16 per minute. It was suggested that to decrease the interference of visitors on the daily activities of Dama dama, the visitor density should be controlled at the level of <16 per minute.

Key words: Loess Plateau, Small watershed management, Ecological reconstruction, Scaling and complementarity