Choice of analytical method can have dramatic effects on primate home range estimates

Primate home range sizes can vary tremendously as a consequence of the analytical technique chosen to estimate home range. This is exemplified by a recent dataset on free ranging snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) in Northwest Yunnan, China. Our findings show that the grid cell method cannot substitute for the minimum convex polygon (MCP) method and vice versa. MCP-based estimates are far too large, especially when the form of the home range is irregular due to forays into peripheral areas. Here, we propose an adjusted polygon method, whereby unsuitable and never visited areas are clipped out from the polygon, thus producing more accurate results. Compared to the grid cell method, the adjusted MCP is much more robust when the number of group relocations is limited; MCP turned out to be the method of choice for calculation of monthly and seasonal home ranges. The grid cell method on the other hand yielded the most precise estimates for total or annual home ranges. The style of ranging exhibited by a given primate taxon or population determines which analytical procedures should be applied to estimate home range size, and we would stress the need for thorough evaluation of the pros and cons of home range estimators before conducting field work and analysing data.     

Dietary Profile of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhinopithecus bieti</Emphasis> and Its Socioecological Implications

To enhance our understanding of dietary adaptations and socioecological correlates in colobines, we conducted a 20-mo study of a wild group of Rhinopithecus bieti (Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys) in the montane Samage Forest. This forest supports a patchwork of evergreen broadleaved, evergreen coniferous, and mixed deciduous broadleaved/coniferous forest assemblages with a total of 80 tree species in 23 families. The most common plant families by basal area are the predominantly evergreen Pinaceae and Fagaceae, comprising 69% of the total tree biomass. Previous work has shown that lichens formed a consistent component in the monkeys’ diet year-round (67%), seasonally complemented with fruits and young leaves. Our study showed that although the majority of the diet was provided by 6 plant genera (Acanthopanax, Sorbus, Acer, Fargesia, Pterocarya, and Cornus), the monkeys fed on 94 plant species and on 150 specific food items. The subjects expressed high selectivity for uncommon angiosperm tree species. The average number of plant species used per month was 16. Dietary diversity varied seasonally, being lowest during the winter and rising dramatically in the spring. The monkeys consumed bamboo shoots in the summer and bamboo leaves throughout the year. The monkeys also foraged on terrestrial herbs and mushrooms, dug up tubers, and consumed the flesh of a mammal (flying squirrel). We also provide a preliminary evaluation of feeding competition in Rhinopithecus bieti and find that the high selectivity for uncommon seasonal plant food items distributed in clumped patches might create the potential for food competition. The finding is corroborated by observations that the subjects occasionally depleted leafy food patches and stayed at a greater distance from neighboring conspecifics while feeding than while resting. Key findings of this work are that Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys have a much more species-rich plant diet than was previously believed and are probably subject to moderate feeding competition.     

Structures and topographical pattern of the tree layer of Fagus engleriana-Cyclobalanopsis oxyodon community in Shennongjia area, Hubei Province, China

Shennongjia represents an area of considerable plant biodiversity, not only for China but for the whole world. The numerous species are distributed along an altitude gradient. The genus Fagus, commonly known as Beeches, constitutes one of the dominant woody species of the humid temperate forests in China. This paper deals with the community structure of a mixed, broadleaved deciduous-evergreen beech forest dominated by the Fagus engleriana and Cyclobalanopsis oxyodon, which occurs along an altitude gradient range in this area. The community consists of 46 woody species, belonging to 22 families and 27 genera. The tree layer can be divided into three sub-strata. The upper layer is composed of deciduous trees, 80.7% of which is F. engleriana. The second and third layers are dominated by the evergreen species, such as C. oxyodon and the Rhododendron hypoglaucum. These species increase from 55.9% in the second layer to 80.5% in the third, and regeneration at that rate allows us to assume that the stability of the community may be guaranteed. The micro-site heterogeneity plays an important role in maintaining species diversity in plant communities. In this research, a terrain surface of 0.96 hm² was simulated using the digital elevation model (DEM) in order to analyze the influence of the topography on plant community structures on a small scale. The slope relief aspect obtained with the DEM showed an accentuated heterogeneity. Semivariance analysis was used to measure the heterogeneity scale. The range and nugget variance of the semivariograms for slope were 285.8 and 280.5, respectively; for aspect, were 21.8 and 498, respectively. The elevated value of the nugget variance suggested that even on a small scale, the topographic variations influenced the species distribution. Twenty-four species were selected to estimate the correlation coefficient between the slope, aspect, and orientation. Then based on the correlation results using the Square Euclidean Distance cluster analysis, the 24 species were divided into four groups.     

氮、磷添加对半干旱沙质草地植被养分动态的影响

通过对科尔沁半干旱沙质草地进行田间施肥试验,测定植被组成中黄蒿和白草在生长季内(7~10月)的养分动态变化,并结合N∶P化学计量学的原理和方法,研究了半干旱沙质草地的养分限制状况。结果表明,N、P添加下黄蒿和白草地上部分N、P养分浓度都具有明显的季节动态变化。其中,黄蒿和白草地上部分N浓度随时间呈递减的趋势,且它们随时间的递减规律分别可用线性函数Y=a bX以及幂函数Y=aXb模拟表示,函数中系数b的绝对值可以反映不同养分状况下植株的生长速率;对P浓度来说,黄蒿和白草地上部分P浓度与时间的关系可以用二次函数Y=aX2 bX c模拟。比较试验条件下植株体内N、P浓度的变化可知,在科尔沁半干旱沙质草地,N素是黄蒿和白草生长的主要养分限制因子,N肥添加下黄蒿和白草地上部分N浓度以及N∶P都显著的增加;P肥添加促进了白草对N素和P素的吸收,使地上部分N、P浓度增加,而对黄蒿没有显著的影响。     

Range expansion as a response to increasing group size in the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey

The Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti) is characterized by a larger home range and group size than other colobine species. We investigated variations in home range size of a free-ranging group of R. bieti from 1998 to 2007 in the Baimaxueshan National Nature Reserve in Yunnan, China. Group size increased from 160 to 450 over the 10 years. Results also showed a home range shift and yearly home range expansion, although this expansion was very limited. The study group covered a 33.78-km(2) area during the 10-year period, with some areas abandoned and others used repeatedly. The yearly home range increase stopped in 2004 and decreased thereafter. Despite increasing group size usually being coupled with larger yearly home range (>30 km(2)), the group confined itself within a relatively small and stable area (<18 km(2)) during 2005-2007, with a significant portion of their accessible home range discarded. Consequently, the study group showed the highest recorded population density among extant groups of R. bieti. Reasons why the group settled into a substantially smaller home range area remain unclear.     

半干旱区春小麦品种竞争能力与产量关系的研究

 采用de Wit替代系列法研究了黄土高原半干旱雨养农业区传统地方品种(和尚头)与现代品种(陇春8275)之间在混播条件下的竞争结局。在单播条件下现代品种较之地方品种具有更高的产量;但在混播条件下,和尚头具有明显的竞争优势。本项研究结果说明竞争优胜者并非是单播条件下产量性能更佳的品种,即作物品种的竞争能力与生产性能之间存在着负相关关系。形成这种关系的主要原因在于作物群体内个体竞争选择的方向与人类农业生产追求的目标不一致。     

半干旱地区春小麦根系形态特征与生长冗余的初步研究

以半干旱地区6个不同年代春小麦品种为材料,对各品种苗期种子根系的数量、形态特征进行了比较研究,分析了这些指标与作物抗旱高产的关系。结果表明,黄土高原半干旱地区春小麦品种在根系生长上存在着对产量不利的冗余。在以提高产量潜力为宗旨的品种更新替代过程中,不同年代春小麦品种随着年代推进逐渐呈现出根条数和根长减小、根活性吸收面积比增加、种子根中央大导管直径减小的趋势。这些特点使得现代春小麦品种在早期营养生长过程中能够节约用水而保留一定土壤水分以满足花期和灌浆期水分需求,因而提高了作物产量。     

基于过程的群落生态学理论框架

如何解释群落的物种多样性是群落生态学的核心问题之一,贯穿于群落生态学的整个发展过程,至今仍未得到圆满解决.与这个问题有关的理论层出不穷,使得群落生态学研究产生了很多混乱,这种状况促使一些生态学家开始反思群落生态学是否一定要从群落结构出发?最近,一个新的、基于过程的理论框架为群落生态学提供了更有前景的发展方向.该理论框架...