The Preliminary Research On Degraded Habitat Assessment And Management Strategy Of Provisioned Golden Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus Roxellana) In Shennongjia

Since 2005, by means of artificial food supply a provisioned group of golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is established in Shennongjia nature reserve, ecotourism focusing on golden-monkeys has been realized. With time passing, the habitat is intensively destroyed and degraded as the provisioned group repetitive and excessive use the limited habitat. In order to explore the mechanism of habitat degraded, restoration technology and management strategy, we used instantaneous scanning sampling, all-occurrences recording sampling and sample plot survey to collect data in this study. Through quantitative analyzing the activities of provisioned group, including space usage strategy, quantitative assessing the speed of habitat destroy caused, we try to understand mechanism of habitat degradation, habitat restoration and management tactics. Main results are listed as following:(i) In three types of activities of provisioned group (moving, foraging, resting), resting share 57.6%, and the other two types only share 42.4% with 31.8% foraging and 10.6% moving.(ii) The activities of provisioned group spend in three layer spaces, top layer of arbor(AL1), ground layer of arbor (AL2), middle layer of shrub(S12) showed no significance difference (AL1:P= 0.55; AL3:P= 0.588; SL2:P= 0.138). However, in another four spaces AL2、SL1、G、D showed significantly differences (AL2: P=0.008; SL1:P=0.041; G:P=0.008; D:P=0.002). The activity of provisioned group in bush and arbor showed no significantly differences(t=-1.700; df= 17, P= 0.107).(iii) In the eleven sampling quadrats, there are 212 types of plant, including 28 arbor species,71 bush species,89 herbage species,24 liana species. According to the degree of vegetation damage, we firstly evaluated degree of destroyed and gradation of each quadrats, there are 9 severely destroyed,15 moderate damaged,22 light damaged,59 undamaged. After 12 months later, we reevaluated these quadrats, there were 34 units’ level changed, including 17 units degrade 1 levels,24 units degrade 2 levels,3 units degrade 3 levels, the degraded area share 32.3 percent of the whole area.In conclusion, provision has profound influence on group’s daily activity, such as more resting time after foraging, various behaviors take place in the limited habitat, different age individuals destroy the habitat though different behaviors, result in severe degradation of habitat. On the basis of provisioned group’s activity, we recommend that habitats should be alternated in spring and summer season and fixed food-supply site should be available and it is necessary to limit the monkeys range in a limited area in winter in order to prevent habitat degeneration excessively and habitat recovery naturally in winter season.