秦岭川金丝猴营养需求和采食策略的研究

Food is one of the key limiting factors for animal survival. Therefore, the diet and nutritional requirement becomes an important field in animal ecology. The diet and foraging strategy of animals are determined by their nutritional requirement. The Geometric Framework that developed on the basis of nutritional balance theory revealed that animals reach their nutritional goals through dynamic processes of adjusting different nutrient intake through selective foraging. Geometric Framework models the nutrient requirements of animals in an n-dimensional nutrient space, where each dimension represents a nutrient component. An animal's current nutritional state with respect to the ingestion of relevant nutrients can be described as a point within the nutrient space, which is represent a intake target， through nutrient balance, for optimal fitness . Intake targets are not static but vary with the levels of activity, growth and the reproductive status of an individual. Using the Geometric Framework, the proposed study aims to investigate the characteristics of the nutritional requirements of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys through quantification of their food intake and nutrient analysis. We will follow and observe the nature monkey groups with the method of quantitative behavior analysis, and collect food samples when observing, and take them back laboratory to analysis the nutrient contents; the nutritional requirement of individuals in different sex-age classes will be modeled with focal animal method during seasonal field observations; The variation and stability in the nutritional requirement of this species will be investigated through comparison of the nutritional intake between populations in north and south slope of Qingling Mountains. We will also test whether the spatial distribution of individuals of a troop is influenced by the spatial distribution of nutrient. This study will reveal the mechanisms of adaptation of snub-nosed to different environment conditions.

动物对环境中营养物质的需求从根本上决定着其食性和采食策略。营养平衡理论认为动物摄入食物内各种养分应该达到某种平衡关系，而在此理论基础上新发展的几何结构模型（Geometrical Framework）进一步揭示动物又可以不断通过调节其采食策略来满足这种养分摄入比例的平衡关系。本研究采用野外行为定量分析手段和食物营养成分定量分析的方法，分析秦岭川金丝猴的营养需求特点，利用几何结构模型动态地模拟动物为达到其营养需求目标所采用的摄食策略；对比秦岭南北不同食物资源条件下金丝猴的营养需求特征差异及其稳定性；通过对食物营养成分的时空分布的动态监测，检验自然界营养资源的变化导致个体和群体时空分布变化的假设，揭示环境变化下的采食规律，进而回答它对采食策略和对不同营养环境适应机制的科学问题。

食物是动物生存的主要限制因子，食性及其营养需求是动物生态学研究的重要领域之一。营养平衡理论认为动物摄入食物内各种养分应该达到某种平衡关系，而在此理论基础上新发展的几何结构模型进一步揭示动物又可以不断通过调节其采食策略来满足这种养分摄入比例的平衡关系。本研究将针对秦岭川金丝猴的食物选择、营养需求和个体之间差异进行定量性研究，测算秦岭川金丝猴对主要营养成分的摄入量，分析金丝猴食物养分比例，结合几何结构模型理论，分析川金丝猴营养需求特征和个体差异，揭示它们的采食策略，回答该物种在秦岭地区生存和适应的科学问题.本研究发现动物对环境中营养物质的需求从根本上决定着其食性和采食策略。秦岭川金丝猴营较为固定的常量营养素的稳定比例摄食营养策略，单位代谢体重在非蛋白质能量：蛋白质能量摄入上维持较为稳定的比例，大约为8:1（，但是有不同年龄性别和生理状态个体差异，该研究对于理解金丝猴的食性适应性具有重要价值，为进一步解释其对该地区进化适应性开辟了营养学的新道路；本研究对比不同食物资源条件下金丝猴的营养需求特征差异及其稳定性，发现这个比值有季节差异变化，结合对其热能的季节性消耗数据，可以解释了金丝猴应对低温和蛋白质食物资源匮乏压力下适应的营养机理。这些野生种群的营养及能量摄入参数为笼养种群管理提供了重要的指导；本研究发现自然环境提供的食物种类存在巨大的季节差异，但是金丝猴可以从这些差异巨大的食物源中，获取较为稳定的营养和能量摄入，该研究结果暗示了金丝猴具有较为可变的食性及较为复杂可调的消化机能，以应对较为固定家域中的食物源，通过季节性的核心家域选择，适应食性和养分环境的巨大变化；揭示环境变化下的采食规律，进而进一步回答了它对不同营养环境适应机制这一动物生态学关心的热点问题。