Dietary variability of mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
Dietary variability of mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
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DOI：
10.1023/b:ijop.0000043351.20129.44
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发表时间：
2004-10-01
影响因子：
2.5
通讯作者：
McNeilage, A
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Ganas, J;Robbins, MM;McNeilage, A
种内饮食变异的数据有重要的意义，了解灵活性觅食行为，栖息地利用，人口动态和社会行为，也可能有助于保护工作。2001年9月至2002年8月，我们在乌干达布温迪国家公园国家公园的高海拔地区和低海拔地区比较了一组山地大猩猩（Gorilla beringei beringei）的食物供应和饮食。植物物种多样性在低海拔地区高于高海拔地区。在低海拔的两个组消耗更多的植物物种（140种对62种），和更多的水果种类，每月（7对3种）和每年（36对11种）比高海拔组。此外，每组与其他两组共享< 51%的重要纤维食物。粪便中残留果实的天数比例各组间差异不显著。最后，根据Ivlev的选择性指数，所有组都积极选择了他们饮食中的大多数食物。我们把很大一部分地区之间的饮食差异归因于水果供应和植物物种组成的差异。在低海拔地区的群体之间的差异可能是由于食物盈利能力的变化-在同一地区可供选择的更有利可图的食物-在他们重叠的家庭范围内，或群体传统。我们的研究结果与大猩猩的饮食的维龙加火山在卢旺达和Kahuzi-Biega，刚果民主共和国的比较表明，东部大猩猩种群的饮食模式具有高度可变的群体和种群之间消耗的物种重叠有限。
Data on intraspecific dietary variability has important implications for understanding flexibility in foraging behavior, habitat utilization, population dynamics, and social behavior and may also assist in conservation efforts. We compared food availability and diet of a group of mountain gorillas ( Gorilla beringei beringei) at a high altitude site and 2 groups at a low altitude site in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, from September 2001 to August 2002. Plant species diversity was greater at the low altitude site than at the high altitude site. The two groups at the low elevation consumed more plant species ( 140 species vs. 62 species), and a greater number of fruit species per mo ( 7 vs. 3 species) and per yr ( 36 vs. 11 species) than the high altitude group did. Furthermore, each group shared < 51% of important fibrous food items in their diet with the 2 other groups. There is no significant difference in the proportion of days fruit remains were found in the dung among groups. Finally, according to Ivlev's electivity index, all groups positively selected the majority of food items in their diets. We attribute a large proportion of dietary variation between locations to differences in fruit availability and plant species composition between sites. Differences between groups at the low altitude site may be due to variation in food profitability - more profitable foods available to choose in the same area - within their overlapping home range, or group traditions. A comparison of our results with the diets of gorillas of the Virunga Volcanoes in Rwanda and Kahuzi-Biega, DRC shows that eastern gorilla populations have highly variable dietary patterns with limited overlap in species consumed among groups and populations.