云南拉沙山滇金丝猴的种子传播

Seed dispersal by black snub-nosed monkey(Rhinopithecus bieti) at Mt. Lasha,Yunnan,China

灵长类是森林中重要的种子传播者,其行为对于森林植物的更新具有重要的生态意义.虽然大量国外科学家关注了灵长类的种子传播行为,但我国的灵长类种子传播研究依然处于起步阶段,这不利于厘清我国灵长类的种子传播行为特点.本研究以云南拉沙山为研究地,关注滇金丝猴对果实性植物的取食及其对种子的传播作用,通过在夜栖地和午休地收集粪便分析灵长类的种子传播特点.结果表明:滇金丝猴共取食9科14种果实性植物,其中蔷薇科植物相对较多,共有6种,占所有植物种类的42.86%.果实特征影响着滇金丝猴的食物选择,滇金丝猴偏好选择肉质果植物和红色果实植物,分别有12种和8种,各占总数的85.71%和57.14%.不同类型的栖息地中,滇金丝猴粪便排放的种子有所差异,75%的种子被排放至夜栖地,仅有25%被排放至午休地.在夜栖地中,大量完整的蔷薇科植物种子被滇金丝猴排放至冷杉林中,这对于某些阔叶树种子在冷杉林中更新至关重要.本研究初步证实了滇金丝猴作为种子传播者在生态系统植物更新中的重要作用.

Primate is an important seed dispersal vector in forest, which plays an important role in forest regeneration. While many foreign scientists focused on the seed dispersal behaviors of primate, the studies on primate seed dispersal behaviors were still at the primary stage in China. In this study, we observed the fruit foraging behaviors of black and white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) at Mt. Lasha and counted the intact seeds from the feces collected from the night-roosting sites and noon-sleeping sites. R. bieti consumed fruits from 14 plant species, belonging to nine families. Six out of the 14 species were from Rosaceae, with a percentage of 42.86%. Fruit traits influenced fruit choice of R. bieti, who preferred fleshy fruits (85.71%, n=12) and red fruits (57.14%, n=8). The distribution pattern of feces between night-roosting sites and noon-sleeping sites was different, with 75% of feces being found in the sleeping sites and 25% in noon-nap sites. Most of Rosaceae seeds were found under the night roosting sites of R. bieti in conifer forest, indicating that R. bieti could affect the regeneration of broadleaved tree species in conifer forest. Our results highlight the important role of R. bieti in seed dispersal in forest ecosystem.