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Study on Nutritional Carrying Capacity by Hoolock Gibbon (hoolock Hoolock) at Nankang, Mt. Gaoligong, China

Author: WuJianPu
Tutor: ZhouWei；AiHuaiSen
School: Southwest Forestry University
Course: Conservation and Utilization of Wild Fauna and Flora
Keywords: Hoolock gibbon Nutritional carrying capacity Daily energy requirements Available energy Mt. Gaoligong
CLC: Q958.12
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2010
Downloads: 22
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Abstract

In order to protecting, restoring and effective management of Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) population. The topic chosen from the perspective for nutrition and energy of food, we were research daily energy requirements and availability of food to provide energy of Hoolock gibbon in Nankang, Mt. Gaoligong, and analyzed nutritional capacity Capacity of Hoolock gibbon.To analyze the relationships between diet and dietary composition of Hoolock gibbons in Nankang, Mt. Gaoligong, China, to see how these two aspects are changing seasonally and annually, and to probe into the strategies Hoolock gibbons use to reply to or adapt themselves to the changes, we observed and recorded Hoolock gibbons’feeding habits and behaviors in the springs and the falls of 2007-2008 using focal animal sampling method. Feeding behaviors of Hoolock gibbons were divided into the eating of leaves, fruits, worms, flowers, stems and the drinking of fruit juice; their dietary composition was divided into fruits, young leaves, flowers, stems and animal matters. And in the meanwhile, the amount dietary composition was calculated. The results showed that Hoolock gibbons had 16 food sources in spring and 23 in fall; 4 food sources in spring and 5 in fall accounted for a relatively high proportion of the corresponding diet. The results also showed that Shannon-wiener index of the food sources in fall was higher than that in spring and 5 food sources overlapped in springs and falls in the 2 years. The counting result from using Crosstabs X2 test method showed that even when the same season was compared, the feeding amount of the 5 overlapping food sources was strikingly different. Although the results showed that Shannon-wiener index of the vegetation dietary composition in spring was higher than that in fall, yet the dietary compositions in spring and fall were similar: fruits accounted for the majority, followed by leaves, flowers and stems in turn; animals were hunted in both spring and fall, but this phenomenon only occurred occasionally. This paper argues that (1) the fact that diet of Hoolock gibbons in Nankang, Mt. Gaoligong varied from season to season can be regarded as their adaptability to the changes of habitat conditions; (2) one of their vital feeding strategies was to keep the dietary composition relatively stable annually and seasonally.Through confirming the feeding characteristics and daily feeding amount of Hoolock gibbon, we discussed whether daily feeding amounts are different among individuals and seasons. Factors impacting daily feeding amount and characteristics were analyzed. According to results stated above, a base will be established for studying daily energy requirements and nutritional carrying capacity of Hoolock gibbon. The gibbons were observed and data were recorded by focal animal sampling method at Nankang of Mt. Gaoligong in spring and autumn from 2007 to 2008. The results showed that gibbons ate 40 parts from 36 botanic species. The feeding characteristics about food unit, feeding speed and weight of one food unit were different between fruits and young leaves. In spring and autumn, the percentage of fruits in daily feeding amount was the highest, the percentage of leaves was second, and the percentage of stems and flowers was the lowest. The daily feeding amount of the female in the family group was more than that of the male in spring and autumn. The daily feeding amount of the female solitary gibbon in spring was slightly more than that of the female in the family group. In spring, a feeding bout for feeding fruits by the solitary gibbon was twice longer than that of the family group, and the time for feeding young leaves was almost equal between the solitary gibbon and the family group. The daily feeding amount of the same individual in autumn was more than in spring, and the percentage of different parts of plants in daily feeding amount was also different between in spring and in autumn. The results showed that diet and amount of daily feeding part reflected the basic strategy for food selection. The size of individual between male and female, energy costs, food characteristics and requirements of physiology were factors impacting the daily feeding amount of Hoolock gibbon. The feeding bout of the gibbon was interrelated with amount of food resource in feeding tree.It is essential for nonhuman primates survival to balance trade-offs on nutrition and energy. Food samples of Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) were collected at Mt. Gaoligong in Dec 2007 and Apr 2008. Nutrients composition of dried food samples was analyzed. The family group of Hoolock gibbons (1♀1♂) was observed and the data of their daily feeding amount were recorded by the focal animal sampling method in spring and autumn from 2007 to 2008. We measured daily energy requirement of Hoolock gibbons by analyzing weight of daily nutrients and metabolic energy costs. The results showed: there was an variation across the nutrients composition among difference food species and food types; the results of t-test showed that the young leaves’water and Crude Protein changed significant between spring and autumn, the fruits’Calcium and Phosphorus also changed significant, but the daily energy requirement was insignificant in seasons; The daily energy percentages of fruit and young leaves were variable in seasons; the energy of unit fruits and young leaves were also variable in seasons. The analysis showed that: obviously, Hoolock gibbons adjusted their nutrition and energy intake by seasonal changes of food availability in the habitat; the reasonable collocation between the daily feeding amount and the food quality, made the daily energy requirement tend to be balance in seasons.To help understand food utilization and availability of Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) adapt to the situation in difference time, response the relationship between food availability and home range, with line transect method to survey food availability, focal animal sampling to record food utilization and scanning samples method to record home range, Using ArcGIS 9.3 software to calculated and display food availability and utilization from Mar to Apr and Oct to Dec in 2009. The results showed that total food, fruit food of Hoolock gibbon was significant, weak correlation between available amount and utilization amount at NanKang in Apr and Dec; total food availability and fruit food availability in Apr than the Dec high, and the distribution was more concentrated; the home range and total food available, fruit food available to the regional distribution of high overlap in two months, with little or no use of food at 1 800 m altitude under in two months; total food availability, fruit food availability of home range inside and outside was insignificant, significant difference between Apr and Dec; Hoolock gibbon used food tends to choose the connection of regional quadrants in the two months, but there are regional quadrants changes food used in Nov the food region was greater than Apr; focused food use of regional while the two month overlap, but overlap less. Total food availability, fruit food availability and the corresponding regional of food utilization was significantly correlated, low, weak correlation between Apr and Dec. Analysis showed that food availability of Hoolock gibbon were unevenly at NanKang; Food availability affect choices of home range; food utilization adapt to food availability in difference time.The performance of food available to provide the energy, the energy demand on the basis of calculation can account populations by Hoolock gibbon in Nan Kang. The results show that, Nan Kang capacity Hoolock gibbon population of 78 groups (♀+♂), a total of 156. Analysis showed that the population of Hoolock gibbon in the theoretical value and actual value of a gap in Nan Kang; Food availability of Hoolock gibbon does not limit the reasons for its population development in Nan Kang.

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