不同森林类型中社鼠食性和消化道形态变化

能量的获取能力、分配速率和效率对动物的生存繁衍起着至关重要的作用(王德华和王祖望,2000;刘艳华等,2004),消化道作为储藏和处理食物及吸收能量的场所,其形态学和生理学决定着动物对营养物质和能量的吸收(汪晓琳等,2007;朱万龙等,2009).在面对外界环境变化带来的各种压力和胁迫下,小型哺乳动物的消化道各器官常常会产生不同程度的响应(Derting and Noakes,1995;张志强和王德华,2009).

Variation in food habits and digestive tract morphology of the Chinese white-bellied rat(Niviventer confucianus) among different forest types

The morphology and physiological function of the digestive tract,which would be influenced by habitat change and food quality,plays an important role in energy absorption and distribution for animals.To explore the effects of forest alteration on food habits and digestive tract morphology of the Chinese white-bellied rat(Niviventer confucianus),we investigated the variation exhibited,among rats in five different forest habitat types(primary forest,secondary forest,fuel-wood forest,Pinus armandis plantation forest,Larix leptolepis plantation forest).N.confucianus is primarily seminivorous and carnivorous,however we detected no significant variation in dietary biases among rats in the different forest types.In contrast,while stomach mass did not differ among the forest types,fresh weight including caecum and large intestine contents,fresh weight without caecum and large intestine contents,dry weight of the caecum and large intestine did in exhibit variation but with different trends.Dry weight of the small intestine in secondary forest was significantly higher than in other forest types.Length of large intestine in secondary was longer than that in fuel-wood forest,but was similar to those in other forest types.Similar food habits among different forests correlated to abundant food resources in autumn.The variation in digestive tract morphology is matched to habitat alteration,with benefits for survival,reproduction and recruitment dynamics.