The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Musanze, Rwanda.
Department of Anthropology, The University of California, Davis, USA.
Sci Rep. 2019 Sep 10;9(1):13041. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-49519-w.
The African montane bamboo Yushania alpina provides both habitat and food for many species in the Albertine Rift region. In Volcanoes National Park (VNP), Rwanda, it is especially important as a key food resource for the Endangered mountain gorilla Gorilla beringei beringei and Endangered golden guenon Cercopithecus mitis kandti. We examined temporal and spatial variation in bamboo shoots regeneration and consumption by primates, monitored between 2013 and 2018 in 82 16-m plots located along transects in VNP. Our analyses revealed a decline in vegetative regeneration of bamboo in recent years, which is mirrored by a decline in bamboo shoot consumption by primates; but an increase in proportional intake. Local declines in regeneration are potentially due to high intensities of herbivory, decreased amounts of rainfall during growing seasons, and natural processes that form part of the life cycle of bamboo. Moreover, spatial variation in bamboo regeneration can be explained by elevation, as well as by stand-level variation in soil acidity, vegetation density, and the density of dead bamboo culms. We discuss the potential mechanisms underlying observed temporal and spatial variations and outline possible effects of a decline in bamboo regeneration for primates and other aspects of biodiversity in VNP.
非洲高山竹 Yushania alpina 为阿尔伯丁裂谷地区的许多物种提供了栖息地和食物。在卢旺达火山国家公园（VNP），它是濒危物种山地大猩猩 Gorilla beringei beringei 和濒危物种金长尾猴 Cercopithecus mitis kandti 的重要关键食物资源。我们在 2013 年至 2018 年间，通过监测 82 个 16 米的样方，研究了灵长类动物竹笋再生和消耗的时空变化，这些样方位于 VNP 的样线沿线。我们的分析表明，近年来竹子的营养再生出现了下降，这与灵长类动物竹笋消耗的减少相吻合；但比例摄入量有所增加。局部再生的下降可能是由于高强度的食草作用、生长季节降雨量减少以及竹子生命周期的自然过程。此外，竹子再生的空间变化可以用海拔高度以及立地水平的土壤酸度、植被密度和死竹秆密度的变化来解释。我们讨论了观察到的时间和空间变化的潜在机制，并概述了竹子再生减少对灵长类动物和 VNP 其他生物多样性方面的可能影响。
