Activity-specific evaluation of winter habitat use by Japanese macaques in snow areas, northern Japan: Implications for conifer plantation management

2013

American J Primatol

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Natural disasters can degrade primate habitat and alter feeding behavior. Here, we examined the influence of unusually heavy snow on diet and feeding-site use by Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) in northern Japan. To compare the winter-feeding behavior under different snow conditions, we recorded the plant species foraged on by macaques in multiple transects of the Shirakami Mountains from 2008 to 2012 (excluding 2011). We used cluster analysis to describe foraged plant assemblages, and applied multiple dimensional scaling and decision tree modeling to evaluate annual variation in feeding-site use by macaques. Our cluster analysis revealed five types of foraged plant assemblages. The proportion of each type present in transects varied considerably across the years, indicating that the diet of macaques in heavy snow conditions was influenced more by resource accessibility than by preference. Multiple dimensional scaling and decision tree modeling demonstrated that heavy snow conditions restricted feeding-site use. Moreover, the distribution of refuges relative to severe external ambient environments was a stronger limiting factor for feeding-site use than was the availability of food resources. While most primate species facing unexpected starvation employ risk-prone foraging tactics (i.e., choosing the option with higher pay-off by accepting risk), Japanese macaques have a tendency to adopt risk-averse foraging behavior (i.e., minimizing energy loss when searching for preferred diet items under long-lasting heavy snow conditions), because winters with temperatures below freezing have higher thermoregulatory costs.

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Influence of Heavy Snow on the Feeding Behavior of Japanese Macaques (Macaca Fuscata) in Northern Japan

2013

American J Primatol

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“…1). Unlike other large mammals in the region, macaques repeatedly use such plantations as an alternative habitat, especially for their sleeping sites, throughout the year (Sakamaki and Enari 2012;Enari andSakamaki-Enari 2013, 2014). A study conducted in the tropics shows a similar cascading phenomenon, referred to as the latrine effect (Pouvelle et al 2009).…”

Section: Forest Type Differences In Soil Seed Inputmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synergistic effects of primates and dung beetles on soil seed accumulation in snow regions

2014

Ecological Research

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This study aimed to reveal the soil seed accumulation processes for endozoochorous plants in the heavy‐snowfall forests of Japan, where seed dispersal agents are few when compared to tropical forests. We assessed (1) primary seed dispersal by Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) by identifying dispersed seeds found in their feces, and (2) secondary seed dispersal by dung beetles by using beads (as seeds mimics) of different sizes, to quantify the frequency of seed burial and burial depths. We studied this diplochorous system in different forest types (undisturbed beech forest, conifer plantation, and secondary beech‐oak forest) and during the spring and summer seasons. The key findings were as follows: (1) macaques dispersed the seeds of 11 and 14 plant species during spring and summer, respectively; (2) seeds dispersed by macaques in the spring were smaller and twice as abundant than those dispersed in the summer; (3) although no differences were observed in the amount of beads buried by beetles between seasons, all bead sizes tended to be buried in deeper soil layers in the spring than in the summer; and (4) the seed supply to the soil in undisturbed beech forest and conifer plantation was greater than the one in secondary beech‐oak forest. Similar to what has been observed in tropical forests, seeds defecated by frugivorous mammals can be successfully incorporated into the underground soil seed bank through a diplochorous macaque‐beetle system in temperate forests of deep snow regions.

Impact assessment of dam construction and forest management for Japanese macaque habitats in snowy areas

2013

American J Primatol

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Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) in their northernmost habitats represent a keystone species and play a central role in heavy snowfall ecosystems. However, distributions have been restricted by pre-war hunting, and populations are facing issues of natural forest losses caused by new dam constructions and massive conifer plantations. In the present study, we predicted the influences of these environmental conditions on macaque habitats during each season, and evaluated the effect of natural forest restoration as a mitigation measure. We constructed multiple habitat suitability models on the basis of different forest change scenarios, by using maximum entropy modeling (Maxent). We predicted the influence of each scenario by calculating the habitat unit (habitat quality × habitat quantity). We made the following predictions: (1) the influences of environmental conditions on habitat models vary seasonally, but dam construction destroys the optimum macaque habitats in every season; (2) restoration of conifer plantations to semi-natural forests does not always contribute to the improvement of total habitat unit, except in snowy seasons; and (3) in comparison with encouraging natural forest restoration in plantation areas and maintaining the standard-rotation plantation management, the implementation of long-rotation plantation in existing plantation areas provides more suitable alternative habitats for macaques in non-snowy seasons.