关键词: 川金丝猴, 植被, 季节性变化, 食源植物的分布, 栖息地选择

Abstract: Primates living in temperate regions often suffer from dietary stress during periods of food scarcity．The Sichuan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana)lives in such a region． In the present study,we investigated vegetation and dietary plant species in habitats of R. roxellana at Qianjiaping in the Shennongjia Nature Reserve (SNR)in western Hubei Province,China,which is the eastern boundary of the range of the Sichuan snub-nosed monkey- We present data on food composition and abundance in relation to the monkey’s habitat choices. We chose critical and representative vegetation in
Qianjiaping,outlined 88 plots with an elevation gradient,and collected floristic data from 2010 to 2012- Based on dominant tree species,we divided the habitats into 12 types. Broadleaf forests contained more diet species for R. roxellana than conifer-broadleaf forests,and did habitats at lower elevation provided more dietary species than did those at higher elevation. Although R. roxellana are capable of eating many plant species,its preferred food plants were distributed unevenly among its habitats,and the quantity and composition of diet plants varied seasonally. We therefore suggest improving forest structure for the monkey by cultivating its preferred food plants,such as Euonymus spp. ,Malus spp. ,and Crataegus spp. ,or by controlled logging.

Key words: Community, Diet diversity, Distribution, Habitat, Vegetation