紫水鸡非繁殖期日节律与时间分配

2011年1月至11月使用瞬时扫描法及焦点动物取样法对云南省大理市洱源县西湖湿地(26°00′~26°01′N,100°02′~100°03′E,平均海拔1 970 m)的紫水鸡(Porphyrio porphyrio)行为进行了观察,将行为定义为取食、寻食、休息、修饰、警戒、位移和其他共7类,扫描时将取食和寻食合并为觅食,分析非繁殖期的日节律和时间分配特点。觅食高峰出现在早晨和傍晚,低谷在秋季为下午14:30时(占所有行为类型56.56%)、冬季12:30时(55.61%)、春季11:00时(55.80%)。休息高峰秋季出现在12:30时(26.79%),冬季一日内呈上升趋势,春季呈双峰型,低谷在13:30时(14.64%)。从时间分配来看,寻食、取食、修饰等行为在不同季节间存在显著差异,寻食时间从高至低依次为冬季、春季、秋季,分别占总活动时间的19.87%、9.36%、3.03%;取食时间则相反,依次为秋季(72.54%)、春季(56.78%)及冬季(44.59%);与新西兰Pukepuke Lagoon种群相比,西湖湿地紫水鸡种群在秋季大量取食,在冬季增加寻食和休息时间,以应对高原湿地的温度和食物变化。修饰行为在繁殖期前(春季)最多(15.84%),繁殖期后(秋季)减少(11.10%)。以上结果说明,为适应气候、食物等条件的年周期变化,紫水鸡行为策略在不同时期和地点具有可塑性,这可能是该物种在滇西北地区得以繁衍及扩散的原因之一。     

白头叶猴与黑叶猴觅食行为的比较

开展近缘物种觅食行为比较对理解动物的行为可塑性及适应性具有重要意义。白头叶猴（Trachypithecus leucocephalus）和黑叶猴（T.francoisi）是近缘物种,体形大小相近,社会结构和栖息环境相似,是广西崇左白头叶猴国家级自然保护区喀斯特季节性雨林中邻域分布的灵长类。为了探索两个物种在喀斯特生境中是否有相似的觅食策略,我们于2012年1-12月采用瞬时扫描取样法对两种叶猴的觅食行为进行研究。结果表明,白头叶猴与黑叶猴在不同时段均为叶食性,树叶是两种叶猴各个时段主要食物,其中白头叶猴日均取食树叶77.0%±4.4%,黑叶猴日均取食68.9%±8.3%,两者对树叶的采食比例均没有显著的日时段差异（白头叶猴：χ²=6.602,df=11,P=0.830;黑叶猴：χ²=11.393,df=11,P=0.411）。两种叶猴的觅食行为都在猴群清晨离开夜宿石洞后和进入过夜山洞前的时段中频繁发生。白头叶猴在09：00-10：59和16：00-17：59出现觅食高峰,时间占比分别为41.7%和46.3%;黑叶猴同样在09：00-10：59和16：00-17：59的时间段内发生高频率的觅食行为,时间占比分别为31.3%和38.0%。此外,两种叶猴的觅食时间在大部分时段中的差异并不明显。白头叶猴和黑叶猴在石灰岩生境中具有相似的觅食策略,这意味着两种叶猴在取食生态学上可能采取相似的保护措施。     

成年雌性太行山猕猴活动时间分配的季节性变化:食物和温度的影响

活动时间分配是指动物根据环境和自身需求从事各种基本行为和活动的过程,受季节性变化的食物和温度等生态因素的影响。2013年3月至2014年2月,在太行山猕猴国家级自然保护区天坛山管护区,采用目标动物取样法,观察并记录了一个野生太行山猕猴群(WW-1群)内成年雌性个体的活动特征及其季节性变化,旨在了解成年雌性猕猴的日活动时间分配及其影响因素。结果表明:(1)成年雌性猕猴的活动时间分配表现出明显的季节性变化。春季,雌性猕猴花费52.9%时间于休息、19.5%时间于取食、11.8%时间于移动;夏季,用于休息、取食、移动的时间比例分别为53.4%、18.0%和11.3%;秋季,猕猴花费35.9%时间于取食、30.0%时间于休息,15.9%时间于移动;冬季,用于取食、休息和移动的时间比例分别为35.4%、39.7%和8.0%;(2)春季,成年雌性太行山猕猴主要取食种子(35.4%)和树叶(34.3%);夏季,树叶(73.5%)主导其每日食物组成;秋季,主要取食种子(98.1%);冬季,树皮(82.1%)则成为猕猴的主要食物;(3)当每日食物组成以草和树叶为主时,猕猴用于取食的时间增加,移动时间减少;当每日食物组成以种子为主时,则取食时间减少,移动时间增加;(4)随着气温降低,猕猴取食时间增加,而移动时间减少。总之,成年雌性太行山猕猴的日活动时间分配主要受季节性变化的食物资源和气温的影响,它们可通过日活动时间的调整以适应食物和环境温度的季节性变化。     

利用过夜地粪便估计白马雪山黑白仰鼻猴种群大小和组成

介绍了应用过夜地粪便来估计白马雪山黑白仰鼻猴群大小和组成的一种方法。该物种以单雄多雌单元和全雄组的形式在树上过夜。粪粒根据其大小可分为3种类型成年雄性的(最大)、成年雌性的(中等大小)和未成年个体的(最小)。2000—2001年,搜集了滇西北白马雪山国家级自然保护区北部南任村(99°04′E,28°34′N)附近黑白仰鼻猴群每个季节2个过夜地的粪粒。根据2001年11月猴群通过开阔地的数据来确定猴群组成。每个季节,由于单雄多雌单元的成年个体数与其粪粒数正相关,所以二者回归直线的斜率可以看作是每个个体每晚的平均排便量。由于该物种的栖息地主要为高山峡谷,而且能见度较低,因此,利用过夜地粪便比以前通过猴群活动痕迹来估计猴群大小和组成相对准确、可靠。从估计成年雌性个体数的角度看,利用粪粒来估计种群大约有9·4%的偏差。导致偏差的可能原因有杂草和灌丛对粪粒准确计数的影响、个体排粪率的差异以及成年雄性最小粪粒与成年雌性最大粪粒的混淆等。该方法适应于栖息地和主要食物与本文研究种群相似的其他种群。     

白马雪山自然保护区响古箐滇金丝猴活动时间分配

2008 年6 月至2009 年5 月,在白马雪山国家级自然保护区南端的响古箐(北纬27°37′,东经99°22′),采用瞬时扫描取样法对一群数量约480 只的滇金丝猴群的活动时间分配进行了研究。研究期间共观察取样1 609 h,扫描个体数为260 546。研究表明,响古箐滇金丝猴用38.8% 的时间取食、27. 4% 的时间移动、20. 9%的时间休息、12.9% 的时间从事其他类型活动。滇金丝猴活动时间分配季节性差异明显。冬季,滇金丝猴的取食时间长于其他季节,达到41. 5% ;秋季,取食时间在全年最短(36.5% )。夏季的高温没有影响滇金丝猴的移动,它们移动的时间达到32.8% ,高于其他3 个季节。寒冷的冬季,响古箐滇金丝猴为了减少能量损失,用于休息的时间达到24.4% 。秋季,滇金丝猴从事其他类型活动的时间(15.7% )多于另外3 个季节。研究发现,
绝对移动时间与昼长和月平均温度呈明显正相关(P < 0. 01),绝对休息时间与月平均温度呈负相关(r =- 0. 585,P = 0.046),但降水量的多少与猴群各种活动时间分配之间没有明显的相关性(P > 0.05)。食物贡献率与滇金丝猴日活动时间分配也存在相关性。取食松萝比例与猴群移动时间呈负相关(r = - 0.902,P <0.001),与休息时间呈正相关(r = 0.860,P < 0.001)。猴群取食树叶比例增加时,它们移动时间也随之增加(r = 0.832,P = 0.001)。夏季,滇金丝猴取食竹笋的比例增加时,猴群移动时间也明显增多。以上结果表明,滇金丝猴活动时间分配受食物资源状况、昼长季节性变化和气候条件的影响。     

神农架一个川金丝猴群的食物分布

食物分布是灵长类行为生态学研究的重要内容之一。国内对川金丝猴(Rhinopithecus roxellana)的食物种类和喜好程度已进行了大量翔实的研究,但在食物的时空分布方面相对薄弱。在2006年8月～2008年7月的两年间,我们对神农架千家坪地区一个川金丝猴群的食物组成做了调查,同时通过样方法(每隔200 m的海拔梯度)研究了该猴群的食物在该地区的分布状况,以及食物分布海拔的季节性变化。结果表明,该猴群的食源植物至少有15种,占食物组成的55.0%,而地衣占食物组成的38.4%;该猴群的食物在某些海拔地带具集中分布趋势,但分布密度总体上不高,重要食源植物(占食物组成的5.0%以上)的乔木胸高断面积和灌木冠部面积所占比例在任何季节分别小于12%和小于14%,约89%的乔木和81%的灌木表面没有地衣覆盖;食物主要分布在海拔1 900～2 500 m之间,可能制约着该猴群的活动海拔范围;植物性食物在海拔上的分布呈现明显的季节性差异,即春季和夏季比秋季和冬季的分布海拔低,这很可能引起该猴群活动海拔的季节性变化。     

社群大小的年变化、气候和人类活动对神农架自然保护区川金丝猴日移动距离的影响

作者于2001年4月至2003年1月研究了社群大小的年变化、气候和人类活动对神农架自然保护区千家坪地区一群川金丝猴(Rhinopithecusroxellana)日移动距离的影响。对该群金丝猴进行了8个季节的跟踪研究,每季连续跟踪30d。用社群直线距离法确定猴群的日移动距离,同时调查社群大小,记录人为活动和气象因子。研究结果显示:(1)两年间猴群的个体数增加了14%,但其日移动距离没有明显变化,说明社群大小的年变化对日移动距离没有影响。(2)猴群在人为活动影响下的日移动距离比没有人为活动影响时长。(3)多变量回归分析显示,各个季节中,猴群的日移动距离与一天中晴和有云但无降水所占时间的比例没有相关性;与春季和冬季日降雨或雪所占时间的比例呈负相关,但与夏季和秋季的没有相关性,说明降水缩短了冬春季猴群的日移动距离,这可能与川金丝猴的繁殖有关。人为活动对猴群是不利的;冬春季的长时间降水可能是川金丝猴的灾害性天气。     

白马雪山黑白仰鼻猴(Rhinopithecus bieti)垂直迁移(英文）

2000-2001年间,在白马雪山国家级自然保护区南任村附近,通过在四个山坡每隔海拔100米的样带（宽5.0米）内搜集黑白仰鼻猴的粪便来研究猴群不同季节的垂直迁移模式。同时,通过在每个地区山脊上和山沟内搜集2.5米宽垂直样带内的粪便,来研究猴群不同季节对山脊和山沟的选择性。结果表明：猴群在海拔3500-4300米的区域活动。虽然猴群全年集中利用3900-4200米的林带;但是具有季节性差异：夏季最高（4200米）,依次是秋季（4100米）和冬季（4000米）,夏季最低（3900米）。另外,冬季山沟中的粪便多于山脊说明猴群在沟中停留时间长,这与沟中少风且温度高有关。不同海拔带上的粪便密度和松萝量间正相关,这意味着食物资源的垂直分布是影响猴群垂直迁移的重要因素。春季,猴群会下到低海拔采食嫩芽/叶,而冬季则下到低海拔处躲避首次大雪,这很可能导致猴群集中利用第二个海拔带。     

白马雪山黑白仰鼻猴(Rhinopithecus bieti)垂直迁移

2000-2001年间,在白马雪山国家级自然保护区南任村附近,通过在四个山坡每隔海拔100米的样带(宽5.0米)内搜集黑白仰鼻猴的粪便来研究猴群不同季节的垂直迁移模式。同时,通过在每个地区山脊上和山沟内搜集2.5米宽垂直样带内的粪便,来研究猴群不同季节对山脊和山沟的选择性。结果表明:猴群在海拔3500-4300米的区域活动。虽然猴群全年集中利用3900-4200米的林带;但是具有季节性差异:夏季最高(4200米),依次是秋季(4100米)和冬季(4000米),夏季最低(3900米)。另外,冬季山沟中的粪便多于山脊说明猴群在沟中停留时间长,这与沟中少风且温度高有关。不同海拔带上的粪便密度和松萝量间正相关,这意味着食物资源的垂直分布是影响猴群垂直迁移的重要因素。春季,猴群会下到低海拔采食嫩芽/叶,而冬季则下到低海拔处躲避首次大雪,这很可能导致猴群集中利用第二个海拔带。     

白马雪山自然保护区格花箐滇金丝猴夜宿地的季节性选择

2005年9月至2006年9月,在白马雪山自然保护区南端的格花箐,对一群(约250只)滇金丝猴的夜宿地选择与利用情况进行调查.整个调查历时13个月,确认研究群的夜宿点54个,共记录夜宿地的利用次数137次,提示研究群在其中一些地点多次夜宿.滇金丝猴夜宿地在平均海拔分布上存在明显的季节性差异:夏季猴群夜宿地的平均海拔为3 352 m,为一年中夜宿地分布最高的时期;春季猴群则多选择在低海拔地区夜宿,平均海拔在一年中最低(3 082 m).猴群夜宿地集中分布于3 200～3 400 m的海拔范围,随季节变化,不同海拔梯度上的夜宿地数量和利用频次差异明显.虽然猴群夜宿地主要位于针阔混交林中,但是不同季节猴群夜宿地植被的组成明显不同.猴群明显偏好在位于南坡面和西坡面的地点过夜,在夏季和秋季尚未发现北坡向的夜宿地.研究还表明,不同季节,猴群都会不同程度地在少数几个地点多次过夜,但大多数夜宿地在一年中仅利用一次.滇金丝猴为什么会对某些地点多次利用尚需进一步研究证实.     

Sleeping sites of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhinopithecus bieti</Emphasis> at Mt. Fuhe,Yunnan

Data on sleeping site selection were collected for a group of black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti; around 80) at Mt. Fuhe, Yunnan, China (99°20E, 26°25N, about 3,000 m asl) from November 2000 to January 2002. At the site mainly three vegetation types were present in an elevation-ascending order: deciduous broad leaf forest, mixed coniferous and broad leaf forest, and dark coniferous forest. In addition, bamboo forest presented in areas burned in 1958. Sleeping sites (n =10) were located in the coniferous forest, where trees were the tallest, bottommost branches were the highest, the diameter of crowns was the second largest, and the gradient of the ground was the steepest. Monkeys usually kept quiet during entering and staying at a sleeping site. The site choice and the quietness may be tactics to avoid potential predators. In the coniferous forest, however, monkeys did not sleep in the valley bottom where trees were the largest, but frequently slept in the middle of the slope towards the east/southeast, in the shadow of ridges in three other directions, to avoid strong wind and to access sunshine; in winter-spring, they ranged in a more southern and lower area than in summer-autumn. These may be behavioral strategies to minimize energy stress in the cold habitat. Monkeys often slept in the same sleeping site on consecutive nights, which reflected a reduced pressure of predation probably due to either the effectiveness of anti-predation through sleeping site selection, or the population decline of predators with increasing human activities in the habitat. The groups behavioral responses to interactive and sometimes conflicting traits of the habitat are site-specific and conform to expectations for a temperate zone primate.     

Origin of annual laminations in tufa deposits, southwest Japan

Laminated tufas and a tufa-depositing stream in SW Japan (Shirokawa, Ehime Prefecture) were studied monthly over a 3-yr period. A series of samples from the tufa clearly reveals the pattern of annual laminations. The annual layering pattern was primarily controlled by changes in the rate of calcite precipitation, as calculated from water chemistry. The concentration of dissolved CaCO₃, which correlates with the precipitation rate, was high in summer-autumn and low in winter-spring, owing to changes in the partial pressure of CO₂ in underground air. Regular seasonal changes in underground PCO₂ probably resulted from two temperature-dependent processes, the diffusion of soil CO₂ and the ventilation of underground air. These changes, in addition to water temperature changes, altered the precipitation rate, which has a clear seasonal pattern, especially in the lower stream. The seasonal precipitation rate was high in summer-autumn and low in winter-spring, which is consistent with the seasonal lamination pattern seen in the tufas. The textures of collected samples show that the laminations consist of densely calcified summer-autumn (June-October) laminae and lightly calcified winter-spring (November-May) laminae. We infer that the increased precipitation rate stimulated thick calcite encrustation on cyanobacterial filaments to produce the dense textures. This interpretation is supported by the lowered organic/inorganic carbon-production ratio in summer-autumn. Seasonal variations in cyanobacterial assemblages are present, but do not reflect the seasonal lamination pattern. Because the relevant processes are temperature dependent, the seasonal lamination pattern at Shirokawa is thought to generally apply to other laminated tufas deposited in temperate climates. However, a reversed pattern can result from local and climatic circumstances. Dense laminae were deposited in winter near the source of the spring at Shirokawa, because calcite precipitation was high owing to low underground PCO₂ in winter. Reversed patterns reported from northwestern Europe were probably influenced by seasonal rainfall, which is reflected in hydrological conditions.     

西藏红拉雪山滇金丝猴的夜宿地与夜宿树选择

树栖灵长类动物要在夜宿地度过半生以上的时光,因此选择合适的夜宿地及夜宿树对其存活尤为关键。影响夜宿地以及夜宿树选择的主要因素是逃避天敌捕食,但对于栖息在温带森林的灵长类而言,还必须面对低 温以及食物缺乏等因素的影响。2003 年6 月至2005 年3 月,采用跟踪猴群,记录夜宿地并依据地面粪便颗粒数确定夜宿树,在西藏红拉雪山自然保护区对小昌都滇金丝猴的夜宿地及夜宿树进行了研究。结果表明:在主要 研究时间段196 d 夜宿地记录中猴群使用了101 个夜宿地,使用2 次以上的夜宿地有67 个,夜宿162 d。夜宿地全部位于针叶林中,冬季夜宿地主要分布在向阳、背风和低海拔处。比较重复利用夜宿次数多与夜宿次数少的树发现:夜宿多的树高大,底枝长,而与底枝高没有差异。比较夜宿和不过夜的树发现:夜宿树高大、底枝长。这些特点表明小昌都猴群夜宿地及夜宿树的选择可能受到逃避天敌和体温调节的影响。     

Seasonality of reproduction of wild black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) at Mt. Lasha, Yunnan, China

Black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) inhabit one of the harshest habitats by any nonhuman primate. Reliable predictive cues to initiate reproduction may be particularly critical for R. bieti because they inhabit such seasonally energetically challenging environments. To better understand the seasonal distribution of and predictive cues to reproduction, we collected breeding and birth data in a population of R. bieti at Mt. Lasha in Yunling Nature Reserve, Yunnan, China, from January 2008 to May 2010, using a combination of 10-min instantaneous scans and ad libitum observations. We examined variations in temperature, rainfall, and food availability, as well as photoperiod differences between Mt. Lasha and the more northerly Xiaochangdu to identify environmental influences on the timing of reproductive events. Our data show the area exhibited distinct seasonal fluctuations in rainfall, temperature, and food availability. Mating occurred year-round, but peaked in August, coinciding with the end of the period of highest temperatures and food availability, and during the peak rainfall. Copulation frequency peaked 1 month after corresponding peaks in staple foods, rainfall, and minimum temperatures, and 3-4 months after peaks in high-quality foods. Births were significantly seasonal, with a birth peak from mid-February to early April, and a mean birth date of 14 March. Eleven births occurred in 41 days in 2009, and 16 births occurred in 52 days in 2010. Births occurred during periods of increasing temperatures and food availability. Our findings are suggestive of at least one environmental control of conception timing, and support the notion that food availability during key reproductive stages is an ultimate factor for birth seasonality, but provide no supporting evidence for photoperiod during the conception season as a proximate cue to reproduction in R. bieti.     

生境破碎化对黑白仰鼻猴种群数量的影响

从1999年4月至2002年6月间,对黑白仰鼻猴种群的分布和生境状况进行了调查。与十年前的调查结果相比,本次调查新发现了4个猴群,但有5个以前存在的猴群已经消失,现存种群数量为13个猴群,总体数量约为1200─1700只。从西藏的芒康到云龙的龙马山,随着海拔的降低,猴群可利用的植被类型也随之多样化。但由于砍伐、放牧、开矿等因素的影响,猴群的适宜生境破碎化程度较高,连接猴群的生境走廊状况通常较差,多数猴群孤立分布,并且存在小种群问题,生境走廊的维护和恢复已成为该物种保护成功与否的关键。种群的总体数量下降了32%,其中4个猴群数量下降,4个猴群持平,1个猴群有所增长,5个猴群消失,这不容乐观的状况给我们的保护工作敲响了警钟。     

Measuring Daily Ranging Distances of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhinopithecus bieti</Emphasis> via a Global Positioning System Collar at Jinsichang,China: A Methodological Consideration

There are few data on the daily ranging distances of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti). We fitted 1 adult male from a natural group at Jinsichang in China’s Yunnan Province with a global positioning system (GPS) collar and tracked him from December 2003 to October 2004 to estimate the daily ranging distances of the group. The total acquisition rate of the GPS collar was 82.2%, which indicates that one can use GPS collars to track the species efficiently in high-altitude, temperate, coniferous forest. We obtained group locations or fixes at 5 predetermined times during the day. The sleeping sites of the subjects are the key points to estimate the day range. We compared 2 measures of day range: the 2-point straight-line displacement and the multipoint cumulative daily ranging distance. Straight-line displacement between 2 consecutive mornings or 2 consecutive evenings can substitute for that between the morning sleeping site and the evening sleeping site. In general, the group does not move at night. The 2 measures of day range yielded different results. The multipoint cumulative daily ranging distance was the method of choice to measure their daily travel costs. The minimum required number of fixes per day was 3. Per statistical evidence, the number of full-day group follows per month influences the estimate of day range of the group and ≥10 d is required to obtain a reliable estimate; 5 d per month might not be enough. We dealt mainly with the methodologic aspects of day range calculations. We did not address functional aspects on the estimate of day range, viz. the influence of vegetation, food distribution patterns, climate change, seasonality, and the monkey group itself.     

Cyclic Seasonal Variation of G-6-PD Deficiency in Newborn Infants from Sardinia

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase has been studied in 5267 consecutive newborn infants from Sardinian population during a four years period. The proportion of G-6-PD deficient female infants is much higher in those conceived in the winter-spring than among those conceived in summer-autumn, resulting in a lower sex ratio among G-6-PD deficient infants conceived in winter-spring as compared to G-6-PD deficient infants conceived in the summer-autumn. The overall frequency of the gene for G-6-PD deficiency is much lower in infants conceived in the summer period than in infants conceived in the other seasons. A greater reproductive efficiency of G-6-PD deficient males in the winter-spring season and/or some effect at post zygotic level favouring the survival of heterozygous G-6-PD deficient females conceived in the winter-spring period could contribute to the pattern described. Fresh vegetables containing oxidative substances are more abundant in the spring time. These substances may interact with seasonal reproductive cycles influencing reproduction efficiency of G-6-PD deficient males and/or the relative survival rate of heterozygous female embryos.