Studies on seasonal change in habitat use by African great apes and conservation of tropical rain forest

本研究通过对非洲热带森林不同类型生态学研究的比较，探讨黑猩猩和倭黑猩猩对环境季节变化的适应，并在位于热带雨林边缘地带的乌干达Kalinzu森林，研究了不同植被类型食物生产力在不同季节的变化。我们发现，黑猩猩的密度在很大程度上取决于每种植被类型的树种组成，而不是它是原生植被还是次生植被。我们还发现，黑猩猩在不同的季节转移使用的各种类型的植被，黑猩猩依赖于木桑加树的果实，广泛存在于次生植被中，在水果生产力低的季节在初级vegetation.In Ugala地区，坦桑尼亚，这是位于干燥的开放森林，黑猩猩使用了一个更大的家域比黑猩猩在潮湿的森林。据我们所知 ...更多信息 关于栖息地的使用，在这一地区直接观察黑猩猩的机会急剧增加。虽然还不充分，但可以期待未来的研究取得进一步成果。在位于热带雨林中部的刚果民主共和国万巴地区，自1996年以来，倭黑猩猩的研究一直因内战而中断。然而，在2002年，我们可以在刚果研究合作者的支持下恢复研究。我们可以重新适应倭黑猩猩的研究群体，现在我们可以建立一个设置，开始详细的生态调查。至于保护热带森林的研究，我们在Kalinzu森林进行了伐木活动的影响和收获后恢复过程的监测。我们发现，即使是有选择的采伐也会对森林地面造成相当大的破坏，因此恢复所需的时间比预期的要长得多。根据我们的报告，乌干达森林部对森林的可持续利用进行了研究，并决定通过引入生态旅游来实现森林的可持续利用。少

This study examined how chimpanzees and bonobos of genus Pan adapt to the seasonal change in environment, by comparison of the ecological researches in various types of the tropical forest in Africa.In the Kalinzu Forest, Uganda, which situates in a marginal area of the rain forest, we studied the variation of food productivity in different vegetation types in different seasons. We revealed that the density of chimpanzees depends largely on the tree species composition of each vegetation type, rather than whether it is primary or secondary vegetation. We also revealed that chimpanzees shift the use of various types of vegetation in different seasons, and that chimpanzees depend on the fruit of Musanga trees that are widely found in the secondary vegetation, in the season when the fruit productivity is low in the primary vegetation.In Ugala area, Tanzania, which situates in the dry open forest, chimpanzees used a much larger home range than chimpanzees in the wet forest. As we know more … More about their habitat use, chance of direct observation of chimpanzees in this area increased dramatically. Though not sufficient yet, we can expect further results of future studies.In the Wamba area, Democratic Republic of Congo, which situates in the central part of the rain forest, study of bonobos had been long interrupted by civil war since 1996. However, in 2002, we could resume the research with the support of Congolese research cooperators. We could rehabituate the study groups of bonobos, and now we could establish a setup to start detailed ecological surveys.As for the study for conservation of tropical forest, we made a monitoring of the effect of logging activities and process of recovery after the harvest in the Kalinzu Forest. We found that even a selective logging gives a considerable damage on the forest floor, and therefore it takes much longer time for recovery than expected. According to our report, the Forest Department of Uganda made a research for sustainable use of the forest, and decided to realize the sustainable use of this forest by introducing ecotourism. Less