Watts David P
Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago, Chicago.
Am J Primatol. 1984;7(4):323-356. doi: 10.1002/ajp.1350070403.
Data are presented here on the feeding ecology of wild mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) which were observed for approximately 2,400 hours over a 17-month period in the Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda. Aspects of the relationship between the composition, diversity, and temporal consistency of the gorillas' diet and spatial and temporal variability in food distribution patterns are described. Mountain gorillas are folivores that show considerable specialization on plant parts, species and families. This pattern is facilitated by the general richness of their habitat. Their environment is heterogeneous, and spatial variability in food distribution is more pronounced than temporal variability. The gorillas rely almost completely on perennially available foliage of herbs and vines. Their diet varies little in association with seasonal factors but varies markedly in space in association with variability in the vegetational composition of the habitat. Individuals in the main study group shared basically similar patterns of food choice. Different groups also shared a similar general pattern, although there were differences in detail that apparently resulted largely from vegetational contrasts between home ranges. The gorillas' behavioral responses to environmental complexity lend general support to recent ideas concerning the evolution of their social system.
本文呈现了野生山地大猩猩（Gorilla gorilla beringei）的觅食生态数据，这些数据是在卢旺达火山国家公园对其进行为期17个月、约2400小时观察所得。文中描述了大猩猩饮食的组成、多样性和时间一致性与食物分布模式的空间和时间变异性之间的关系。山地大猩猩是食叶动物，在植物部位、物种和科属上表现出相当程度的专一性。这种模式得益于其栖息地总体的丰富性。它们的环境是异质性的，食物分布的空间变异性比时间变异性更为显著。大猩猩几乎完全依赖多年生的草本植物和藤本植物的叶子。它们的饮食与季节因素关联不大，但与栖息地植被组成的空间变异性密切相关，在空间上有显著变化。主要研究群体中的个体有着基本相似的食物选择模式。不同群体也有相似的总体模式，尽管在细节上存在差异，这些差异显然主要是由不同活动范围之间的植被差异造成的。大猩猩对环境复杂性的行为反应，为有关其社会系统进化的最新观点提供了总体支持。
