Effects of habituation, research and ecotourism on faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in wild western lowland gorillas: Implications for conservation management
Effects of habituation, research and ecotourism on faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in wild western lowland gorillas: Implications for conservation management
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DOI：
10.1016/j.biocon.2014.02.014
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发表时间：
2014-04-01
影响因子：
5.9
通讯作者：
Setchell, Joanna M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Shutt, Kathryn;Heistermann, Michael;Setchell, Joanna M.
野生动物旅游业在全世界范围内迅速发展，有可能为保护工作增加收入，并提高公众对保护问题的认识。然而，人们越来越担心这种旅游对所涉野生动物的潜在负面影响。我们调查的习惯，生态旅游和研究活动的影响，粪便糖皮质激素代谢物（FGCMs），代理生理压力，在野生西部低地大猩猩（大猩猩大猩猩）在中非共和国的水平。我们比较了FGCM在三个人类接触组与那些不习惯的大猩猩。我们还探讨了人与大猩猩的接触如何影响大猩猩群体进行习惯化的FGCM，并研究了一般人与大猩猩的接触，旅游和人类接近的措施如何影响FGCM在最近和长期习惯化的群体。三个与人类接触的组中有两个组的FGCM水平高于未习惯的大猩猩。经历习惯化的组具有最高的FGCM，其在接触后增加至21天，这表明累积的FGCM反应，与对慢性间歇性压力源的激素适应反应的描述一致。在习惯组中，FGCM与观察者违反7米距离规则的频率增加和医疗干预显着相关，但与其他人体压力测量无关。我们的研究结果提供了重要的信息，为管理这个，和其他物种，其保护取决于生态旅游的习惯。皇冠版权所有（C）2014由爱思唯尔有限公司出版。
Wildlife tourism is proliferating worldwide and has the potential to raise revenue for conservation as well as public awareness of conservation issues. However, concerns are growing about the potentially negative influence of such tourism on the wildlife involved. We investigate the effects of habituation, ecotourism and research activities on levels of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGCMs), a proxy for physiological stress, in wild western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in the Central African Republic. We compare FGCMs in three human-contacted groups with those in unhabituated gorillas. We also explore how human-gorilla contact influences FGCMs of a gorilla group undergoing habituation and investigate how measures of general human-gorilla contact, tourism and human proximity influence FGCMs in recently and long-term habituated groups. Two of the three human-contacted groups had higher levels of FGCMs than unhabituated gorillas. The group undergoing habituation had the highest FGCMs, which increased up to 21 days following contacts, suggesting a cumulative FGCM response, in line with descriptions of a hormonal adaptation response to a chronic intermittent stressor. FGCMs in habituated groups were significantly associated with increasing frequency of violation of the 7 m distance rule by observers and with a medical intervention but not with other measures of human pressure. Our findings provide critical information for the management of this, and other, species whose conservation depends on habituation for ecotourism.Crown Copyright (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.