Effects of grassland sowing on the feeding habits of Eospalax baileyi in the Gannan alpine meadow

In order to clarify the effects of grassland supplementary sowing on feeding habits of plateau zokor and to provide a reference for its control and grassland management, the differences of feeding habits and ecological niche of plateau zokor between reseeded and degraded grassland of Gannan alpine meadow were analyzed using microanalysis analysis of stomach contents. Our results showed that reseeding significantly changed the food resources of plateau zokor. The dominant plants under degraded grassland mainly belonged to Asteraceae (45.30%), Lamiaceae (26.40%), and Rosaceae(18.72%). After supplementary sowing, the plants of Poaceae (37.00%), Rosaceae (25.68%), and Cyperaceae (16.54%) became the dominant species. Plateau zokor fed on 27 species of plants belonging to 27 genera and 15 families in degraded grassland, but the plants of Rosaceae (45.72%), Gramineae (19.68%), and Polygonaceae (17.11%) were the main food. In reseeded grassland, plateau zokor fed on 28 species of plants belonging to 25 genera and 15 families, the plants of Rosaceae (40.71%), Gramineae (25.32%), Liaoaceae (11.70%), and Cyperaceae (11.45%) were the main food source. Grassland supplementary seeding affected the proportion of plants that plateau zokors fed on, and the niche breadth, food diversity index, and evenness was improved. Thus, reseeding can reduce the food source of plateau zokors by reducing the proportion of weeds, while the reduction of edible plants may increase the feeding time of plateau zokor, thereby increasing their foraging cost.