Changes in abiotic and biotic factors can affect the efficiency of biological systems in animals,forcing them to adjust their behaviors in response to daily and seasonal variations.From September 2016 to August 2017,w...Changes in abiotic and biotic factors can affect the efficiency of biological systems in animals,forcing them to adjust their behaviors in response to daily and seasonal variations.From September 2016 to August 2017,we collected ranging behavior data on four groups of white-headed langurs(Trachypithecus leucocephalus)in the Guangxi Chongzuo White-Headed Langur National Nature Reserve,Guangxi,southwest China.We simultaneously analyzed how multiple ecological factors affect langur ranging behavior,which should facilitate our understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying their adaptation to limestone habitats.Results showed that langur ranging behavior was significantly affected by diet composition,food availability,and climatic factors.Specifically,moving time and daily path length increased with the increase in dietary diversity.Furthermore,moving time and daily path length were positively associated with the availability of fruit and relative humidity of the forest,and moderately associated with temperature and relative humidity of bare rock.Our study demonstrated that langurs maintain stable moving and feeding times and exhibit a short daily travel distance,likely adopting an energy-conserving behavioral strategy in response to food shortages and high temperatures in the fragmented karst forest.These results highlight the importance of food availability and temperature in shaping the ranging behavior of these karst-dwelling primates.展开更多
Comparative studies of sympatric species are essential for understanding behavioral and ecological adaptation as well as the mechanisms that can reduce resource competition to allow coexistence. Francois＇ langurs （T...Comparative studies of sympatric species are essential for understanding behavioral and ecological adaptation as well as the mechanisms that can reduce resource competition to allow coexistence. Francois＇ langurs （Trachypithecus francoisi） and Assamese macaques （Macaca assamensis） are sympatric primate species found in the limestone seasonal rainforests of Nonggang Nature Reserve, southwestern Guangxi, China. To explore their different adaptation strategies, we collected data on diet using scan sampling at 15-min intervals. Our results revealed that Francois＇ langurs showed a more flexible diet composition than Assamese macaques Francois＇ langurs increased dietary diversity and mature leaf consumption in response to seasonal scarcity of preferred young leaves and fruits, whereas Assamese macaques relied heavily on young bamboo leaves （Indocalamus calcicolus） in most months These variations reflect the differences in digestive physiology, morphology, and the temporal and spatial distribution of food resources.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31960106,31870355,31301893)。
文摘Changes in abiotic and biotic factors can affect the efficiency of biological systems in animals,forcing them to adjust their behaviors in response to daily and seasonal variations.From September 2016 to August 2017,we collected ranging behavior data on four groups of white-headed langurs(Trachypithecus leucocephalus)in the Guangxi Chongzuo White-Headed Langur National Nature Reserve,Guangxi,southwest China.We simultaneously analyzed how multiple ecological factors affect langur ranging behavior,which should facilitate our understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying their adaptation to limestone habitats.Results showed that langur ranging behavior was significantly affected by diet composition,food availability,and climatic factors.Specifically,moving time and daily path length increased with the increase in dietary diversity.Furthermore,moving time and daily path length were positively associated with the availability of fruit and relative humidity of the forest,and moderately associated with temperature and relative humidity of bare rock.Our study demonstrated that langurs maintain stable moving and feeding times and exhibit a short daily travel distance,likely adopting an energy-conserving behavioral strategy in response to food shortages and high temperatures in the fragmented karst forest.These results highlight the importance of food availability and temperature in shaping the ranging behavior of these karst-dwelling primates.
基金supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China(31670400,31672285,31660616)Guangxi Natural Science Foundation(2015GXNSFDA139013)+1 种基金Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection,Ministry of Education,ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology,Guangxi Normal University
文摘Comparative studies of sympatric species are essential for understanding behavioral and ecological adaptation as well as the mechanisms that can reduce resource competition to allow coexistence. Francois＇ langurs （Trachypithecus francoisi） and Assamese macaques （Macaca assamensis） are sympatric primate species found in the limestone seasonal rainforests of Nonggang Nature Reserve, southwestern Guangxi, China. To explore their different adaptation strategies, we collected data on diet using scan sampling at 15-min intervals. Our results revealed that Francois＇ langurs showed a more flexible diet composition than Assamese macaques Francois＇ langurs increased dietary diversity and mature leaf consumption in response to seasonal scarcity of preferred young leaves and fruits, whereas Assamese macaques relied heavily on young bamboo leaves （Indocalamus calcicolus） in most months These variations reflect the differences in digestive physiology, morphology, and the temporal and spatial distribution of food resources.
