Interannual variation in food choice of white-headed langur inhabiting
limestone forests in Fusui, south-west Guangxi, China
Abstract
Food habits are important factors for wild nonhuman primates’
environment adaptation. White-headed langurs (Trachypithecus
leucocephalus) are endemic to the limestone forest and face to the
habitat fragmentation, which have to adjust the food habits to adapt the
special environment. In this study, we compared the dietary data for
white-headed langurs living in Chongzuo White-headed Langur National
Nature Reserve over two separate study periods to evaluate interannual
variations in diet. Our results indicated that young leaves were the
preferred major food for the langur. The plant parts consumption pattern
was similar between the two separate study periods. The consumption of
young leaves was varied with the availability of young leaves, whereas
the consumption of mature leaves was negative correlated with the young
leaf’s availability. The consumption of plant species and diet diversity
varied in the two separate study periods, which were higher in 2013 than
2016. In both 2013 and 2016, the diet diversity varied with the
consumption of mature leaves, but negative correlated with the
consumption and availability of young leaves. Dietary interannual
variation probably linked to the phenology variations, or probably mean
that the white-headed langurs has a flexible ecological adaptation
coping with habitat fragmentation.