气候对不同地区川金丝猴出生模式的影响

The impact of climate on the birth pattern of Rhinopithecus roxellana in different regions

多数非人灵长类动物的交配与出生有着严格的季节变化,这种季节性除受自身生理机制影响外,还受栖息环境的气候、海拔和食物供应的影响。了解栖息于不同地区的同种非人灵长类动物出生季节性差异有助于了解环境变量对动物繁殖的影响。本研究于2023年1—8月,采用焦点动物取样法,探索了四川白河国家级自然保护区王家山区域和湖北神农架国家公园大龙潭区域川金丝猴(Rhinopithecus roxellana)群体中婴猴出生模式与季节性气候变化之间的关系。结果发现,两个地区川金丝猴种群中的婴猴集中在3—5月出生,但白河种群的出生季节时间跨度较长,1—2月、7—8月都有婴猴出生;尽管两组猴群出生模式不同,但均发生于气温回暖,降水上升的时期;白河种群周婴猴/成雌值(I/F)变化与周平均气温、周降水量呈正相关;神农架种群周I/F变化与周平均气温呈正相关,但是与周降水量相关性不明显。气温上升可能是促进怀孕雌猴进行分娩环境响应因素,降水量则通过影响食物供应的方式来引发繁殖事件。

The mating and reproduction of most non-human primates undergo strict seasonality,which are not only influenced by their own reproductive mechanisms,but also by the climate,altitude,and food supply in their habitats.Understanding the seasonal differences in the birth of the same primate species residing in different regions can help identify the impact of environmental variables on animal reproduction.From January 2023 to August 2023,by using focal animal sampling,we analyzed the relationship between climate and birth season in two groups of habituated Rhinopithecus roxellana populations in the Sichuan Baihe National Reserve(Baihe group)and the Dalongtan area in the Hubei Shennongjia National Park(Shennongjia group),China.The results showed that births occurred mainly between March and May in the two populations,but a few individuals were born in January,February,July,and August in the Baihe group.The birth patterns of the two groups were different,but the birth events were all distributed during periods of warming temperatures and rising precipitation.We detected a positive correlation between the weekly changes in infant/adult female values(I/F)and the weekly average temperature and precipitation in the Baihe group.The weekly variation of infant/adult female values(I/F)in the Shennongjia group is positively correlated with the weekly average temperature,but the correlation with weekly precipitation is not significant.The increase in temperature may be a factor in promoting the environmental response of pregnant female monkeys to childbirth,while precipitation can trigger reproductive events by affecting the food supply.