Abstract:Resources distribution along temporal-spatial gradients shaped wildlife habitat use patterns. The shift of patterns when facing environment fluctuation can increase their survival chance. Bharal (Pseudois nayaur) mainly live in alpine meadow and rocky beach in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. At the edge of the distribution, however, they have the utilization of forest-meadow mosaic habitats (forest, forest edge and meadow). To understand Bharal’s habitat use patterns’ variation among seasons, we observed their activity within the forest-meadow mosaic habitats where probably provided different environment conditions and food resources in Wanglang national nature reserve. Based on one year camera-traps data (June 2018 to August 2019), we analyzed seasonal changes of Bharal’s activities in forest-meadow mosaic habitats by using crosstab method (Chi-square test), Bonferroni and Post hot testing. We found: 1) Bharal’s activity in mosaic habitats were varied significantly in different seasons (χ2 = 503.50, df = 6, P < 0.05), and 2) Bharal’s activities on meadow were most frequently observed during spring, their activities in the forest edge were most frequently observed in summer, and their activities within forest were frequently observed in both summer and autumn (Fig. 2, Table 3); 3) from the view of seasons, Bharal were prone to chose meadow during winter and spring and prone to chose forest & forest edge in both summer and autumn (Fig. 3, Table 3). We also found coniferous forest was useful and also available for population in these marginal distribution ranges to avoid extreme weather condition during summer or winter. Alpine forest edge may expand or retreat with global warming, which will lead to distribution changes of these animals that depend on alpine habitat.