Habitat Selection And Utilization By Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock Hoolock) Of Mt. Gaoligong In Yunnan

Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) is subjected to Primates, Hylobatidae and distinguished from other gibbons by its white eyebrow. Hoolock gibbons are among the Class I National Protected Animals in China for quantitative sparsity and distributed straitness. The contents of our study are comparisons of habitat utilization between seasons and different distributional population. The objection is to realize effect of limiting factors of environment and disturbance of human and adaptability of animal behavior. The results will be helpful for the habitat protection of endangered species and for the developments of knowledge in habitat utility by hoolock gibbons.During field track and observation of habitat use behaviors of hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) from March 24 to May 6 and from October 19 to November 29, 2006, in Nankang area of Mt. Gaoligong. Hoolock gibbons preferred staying at eastern slope during the spring and autumn seasons, providing relatively warm habitats which would shelter it from the cold wind. In spring, hoolock gibbons favored the arbor tree species of Quercus variabilis and Eurya pseudocerasifera, while in autumn they favored Lithocarpus truncatus and L. leucostachyus. In autumn when there were more human activities, the large crowned Lithocarpus species provided successive traveling routes and shelters for hoolock gibbons. Dense bamboo and shrub forests did not only provide hiding environment and security for the species, but also offered foraging ground for the species. Rattans provide traveling connection between arbor forests and shrubs for hoolock gibbons. There were seasonal differences in habitat selection of hoolock gibbons closely in relation to seasonal food resource changes and degree of human interference. Hoolock gibbons have cultivated certain adaptability to non-harmful human activities and the vehicle horns.During 9th March to 7th April, 2007, an investigation of habitat utilization by hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) was conducted in Datang area of Mt.Gaoligong. Thirty used sites and corresponding available sites were established. The results ofχ~2-test and Bonferroni analysis for nominal factors indicated that hoolock gibbon intended to inhabit east slope (sunny slope), and mid and underside slope. The results of quantitative factors analysis indicated that totally 5 factors, i.e. slope, distance to water, distance to road, average height of shrub and liane density were significantly different between used and available sites. The results of regression analysis showed that liane density and slope were the main factors affecting the habitat use by hoolock gibbon at Datang in spring. The selectivity of geographical space by hoolock gibbon responded requirement for avoiding wind and preferring sunshine. The vegetation inhabited by hoolock gibbon was homogeneous at Datang region. Hoolock gibbon depended on and preferred for the tall arbor. Less use of understory by hoolock gibbon was related to homogeneous of vegetation and the lower degree of human disturbance. Liana was the main media and connection through which hoolock gibbon traveled between arbor forests and shrubs.For realize different of habitat utility between Datang and Nankang by hoolock gibbons, quantitative comparison of totally 4 normal factors and 19 quantitative factors including landform vegetation and disturbance of human had conduced of spring research result between two area. Results of stepwise discriminant analysis indicated that at Datang the key factors affecting habitat use by hoolock gibbon in spring were two factors (liane density and slope), and there were three factors (distance to open field, average height of bamboo and liane density) impacting habitat use by hoolock gibbon between Nankang and Datang in spring. According to the analysis results of topographical factors, hoolock gibbon in both Datang and Nakang had the same requirement for avoiding wind and preferring sun-facing slope. After comparing eight ecological factors relating to structure of vegetation used by hoolock gibbon between Datang and Nakang, the results indicated that suitable habitats were fragmentized in Nankang, whereas homogeneity and integrality of vegetation was better in Datang than in Nankang. The selectivity of dominant species of arbor by hoolock gibbon in both places had similar characters of external appearance of arbor. The tall arbors with continuous crown and high degree of closure could provide more routes and wider space for movement and better hiding condition for hoolock gibbon. One of the reasons explaining difference for shrub utilization between Nankang and Datang was degree of human disturbance. The other one was difference for utilized mode of vegetation under arbor. Rattan was the media and connection through which hoolock gibbon traveled between arbors and shrubs. Different intensity of human disturbance between Nankang and Datang was one of the important reasons for differentiation of habitat utilization by hoolck gibbons in both places. Facing the human disturbance in different intensity, hoolock gibbon between Datang and Nakang expressed different adaptive behavior.