Search

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Himalayan marmot Marmota himalayana is widely distributed across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau and lives in social groups, yet the mating system of this highly social marmot species is unknown. In this study, the genetic mating system of Himalayan marmots was investigated using microsatellite markers to determine which mating strategies individuals employ. Results revealed that both monogamous and polygamous mating relationships occur in our study population, indicating that the genetic mating system of this marmot species is promiscuity. This study presents the first genetic evidence on the mating system for Himalayan marmots, yet indicates that further studies employing both a genetic and behavioral framework are needed to better understand the social structure and reproductive biology of this marmot species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only a few primate species thrive in temperate regions characterized by relatively low temperature, low rainfall, low species diversity, high elevation, and especially an extended season of food scarcity during which they suffer from dietary stress. We present data of a case study of dietary strategies and fallback foods in snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) in the Samage Forest, Northwest Yunnan, PRC. The snub-nosed monkeys adjusted intake of plant food items corresponding with changes in the phenology of deciduous trees in the forest and specifically showed a strong preference for young leaves in spring. A non-plant food, lichens (Parmeliaceae), featured prominently in the diet throughout the year (annual representation in the diet was about 67%) and became the dominant food item in winter when palatable plant resources were scarce. Additional highly sought winter foods were frost-resistant fruits and winter buds of deciduous hardwoods. The snub-nosed monkeys' choice of lichens as a staple fallback food is likely because of their spatiotemporal consistency in occurrence, nutritional and energetic properties, and the ease with which they can be harvested. Using lichens is a way to mediate effects of seasonal dearth in palatable plant foods and ultimately a key survival strategy. The snub-nosed monkeys' fallback strategy affects various aspects of their biology, e.g., two- and three-dimensional range use and social organization. The higher abundance of lichens at higher altitudes explains the monkeys' tendency to occupy relatively high altitudes in winter despite the prevailing cold. As to social organization, the wide temporal and spatial availability of lichens strongly reduces the ecological costs of grouping, thus allowing for the formation of 'supergroups.' Usnea lichens, the snub-nosed monkeys' primary dietary component, are known to be highly susceptible to human-induced environmental changes such as air pollution, and a decline of this critical resource base could have devastating effects on the last remaining populations. Within the order Primates, lichenivory is a rare strategy and only found in a few species or populations inhabiting montane areas, i.e., Macaca sylvanus, Colobus angolensis, and Rhinopithecus roxellana. Other temperate-dwelling primates rely mainly on buds and bark as winter fallback foods. Am J Phys Anthropol 140:700-715, 2009. KEY WORDS lichen; diet; Rhinopithecus; fallback food; China DOI 10.1002/ajpa.21024

We measured flight initiation distance (FID) and distance fled (DF) of Himalayan marmots (Marmota himalayana) from three populations suffering different human disturbances when they are near (<5 m) and away from (>5 m) a potential refuge to analyze the effects of varied disturbance intensity on their FID, DF, and the interaction between the two parameters. We found that: (1) highly disturbed individuals have shorter FIDs and smaller standard deviation of FID relative to undisturbed individuals, but there was no difference between lowly disturbed and undisturbed individuals. The diversifications arise possibly because extensive disturbance enhances the risk perception threshold of highly disturbed marmots but their lowly disturbed congeners; (2) the DF of highly disturbed individuals was shorter than undisturbed individuals, possibly because heavy disturbances drive reproductive pairs to dig more burrows in the habitat, resulting in the reduced inter‐burrow distance and thus decreased DF. No similar diversifications were observed between lowly disturbed individuals and individuals in the other two populations, possibly because reproductive pairs from low disturbance population concentrate their burrows, resulting in shorter DF when they are near their burrows, but longer DF when they are farther away; and (3) unlike lowly and undisturbed marmots, FID of highly disturbed individuals under different DFs differed significantly, potentially because shorter inter‐burrow distance reduced their flight costs, resulting in more tolerance of human proximity. Nevertheless, the DF‐derived risk perception threshold of undisturbed and lowly disturbed individuals drives them to prioritize fleeing when threatened. Generally, the escape response of Himalayan marmots under different human disturbances is determined by the interaction between predation risk and flight costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]