| Habitat fragmentation caused by human activities is an important reason of biodiversity loss and species extinction, but its mechanism is unclear. In November2014 and in September 2014, I interviewed 1192 local residents living Baima Snow Mountain areas. I try to discuss the relationship between the habitat changes of R.bieti and human disturbances, hoping to propose some conservation measurements.In history, there were at least 17 groups of black-and-white snub-nosed monkey living Baima Snow Mountain areas. Among these groups, the Nagu and Duotong extinct in the 1980 s, Yiyong and Adong extinct around 2000, and only the Bamei increased the size obviously. The actual habitat area used by R. bieti in Baima Snow Mountain area was 418 km2( X =5.10, SD=5.10), only accounting to 29% of the suitable habitats. Its habitat fragmentation index is higher(Fi =15.9), but the separation index is smaller(Ni=0.08). The study area involved 329 meadows, of which 140 surrounded the monkeys’ habitat. For population size increased and extinct groups, the extinct group was surrounded more number of meadows(within 2 km)than the size increased population(χ2=225.36, P<0.05). While, compared with the size increased monkey group, the extinct groups suffered more disturbance from meadows, and the distance between the monkeys and meadows for the former( X =127, SD=127) was smaller than later( X =657, SD=657). There was no distinct relations between the group size changes and the size and perimeter of the cultivated lands( X = 75.36, P>75.36). However, but the cultivated land patches for extinct group was more than the size increased group(χ2=96.28, P<0.05). Also, the road accessibility for extinct groups(13.8 km/h) was stronger than the size increased group(10.5 km/h), the distance between the nearest vehicle road and the Bamei group was3.4 km.The pural marriage and family size decreasing and family numbers increasing in local impacted consumption proportion of nature resources for local residents, such as timber for construction and firewood, thus indirectly threatening the monkeys and their habitats. The family size trended to increase before 2000 but decreased since the year. 92% pural marriage were happeneded in 45-70 years old local people. With the development of the economy, the pural marriage is on the decline. In sense of spatial distribution, high income region has lower level of pural marriage than the lower income areas. The creation of protected areas strengthens the conservation awareness to the local people.Community residents in low altitude(5.7 < 5.7)(χ2=35.65, P<0.001) had lesser related knowledge of R. bieti and the reserve than the resident in high altitude. and a black-and-white snub-nosed monkey(6.34<6.34)(χ2=37.249, P<0.001). The younger residents has relatively poor conservation consciousness(χ2= 14.79, P<0.05);Women scored lower on the conaervation consciousness compared with men(χ2=71.79,P<0.001); protection consciousness score did not differ between the residents with different level of education(χ2= 5.78, P>5.78).According to the results, I suggest that standardizing and guiding the agricultural activity, scientific planning road construction, reducing human disturbance from the surrounding meadows and farmlands, stabilizing and maintaining the big family and mobilizing the conservation initiative of local communities will benefit protecting the R. bieti and its habitat in Baima Snow Mountains. |
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