Muñoz David, Estrada Alejandro, Naranjo Eduardo, Ochoa Susana
Programa de Posgrado, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
Am J Primatol. 2006 Feb;68(2):127-42. doi: 10.1002/ajp.20211.
Recent evidence indicates that primate populations may persist in neotropical fragmented landscapes by using arboreal agroecosystems, which may provide temporary habitats, increased areas of vegetation, and connectivity, among other benefits. However, limited data are available on how primates are able to sustain themselves in such manmade habitats. We report the results of a 9-month-long investigation of the feeding ecology of a troop of howler monkeys (n = 24) that have lived for the past 25 years in a 12-ha cacao plantation in the lowlands of Tabasco, Mexico. A vegetation census indicated the presence of 630 trees (> or =20 cm diameter at breast height (DBH)) of 32 shade species in the plantation. The howlers used 16 plant species (13 of which were trees) as sources of leaves, fruits, and flowers. Five shade tree species (Ficus cotinifolia, Pithecellobium saman, Gliricidia sepium, F. obtusifolia, and Ficus sp.) accounted for slightly over 80% of the total feeding time and 78% of the total number trees (n = 139) used by the howlers, and were consistently used by the howlers from month to month. The howlers spent an average of 51% of their monthly feeding time exploiting young leaves, 29% exploiting mature fruit, and 20% exploiting flowers and other plant items. Monthly consumption of young leaves varied from 23% to 67%, and monthly consumption of ripe fruit varied from 12% to 64%. Differences in the protein-to-fiber ratio of young vs. mature leaves influenced diet selection by the monkeys. The howlers used 8.3 ha of the plantation area, and on average traveled 388 m per day in each month. The howlers preferred tree species whose contribution to the total tree biomass and density was above average for the shade-tree population in the plantation. Given the right conditions of management and protection, shaded arboreal plantations in fragmented landscapes can sustain segments of howler monkey populations for many decades.
最近的证据表明，灵长类种群可能通过利用树栖农业生态系统在新热带地区破碎化的景观中生存，这些生态系统可能提供临时栖息地、增加植被面积和连通性等好处。然而，关于灵长类动物如何在这种人工栖息地中维持自身生存的数据有限。我们报告了对一群吼猴（n = 24）的觅食生态进行的为期9个月的调查结果，这群吼猴在墨西哥塔巴斯科低地一个12公顷的可可种植园中生活了25年。植被普查表明，种植园中存在630棵胸径≥20厘米的32种遮荫树种。吼猴利用16种植物（其中13种是树木）作为叶子、果实和花朵的来源。五种遮荫树种（紫叶榕、雨树、银合欢、钝叶榕和榕属某一种）占吼猴总觅食时间的略多于80%，以及它们所使用树木总数（n = 139）的78%，并且吼猴每月都持续使用这些树种。吼猴平均每月觅食时间的51%用于采食嫩叶，29%用于采食成熟果实，20%用于采食花朵和其他植物部分。嫩叶的月消耗量从23%到67%不等，成熟果实的月消耗量从12%到64%不等。嫩叶与成熟叶的蛋白质与纤维比例差异影响了猴子的饮食选择。吼猴利用了种植园8.3公顷的区域，平均每月每天行进388米。吼猴更喜欢那些对种植园中遮荫树种群的总生物量和密度贡献高于平均水平的树种。在正确的管理和保护条件下，破碎景观中的遮荫树栖种植园可以维持吼猴种群的部分数量长达数十年。
