Environmental determinants of the altitudinal variations in relative group densities of Japanese macaques on Yakushima

Abstract

Altitudinal variations in relative group densities of the Japanese macaques on Yakushima were studied. This is an ideal place for studying resource limitations because it avoids various complicating factors that are difficult to quantify but might affect animal densities, such as predation, interspecific competition, and past catastrophes. The relative group density was high in the coastal forest (0-400 m), while it did not differ among the higher zones (400-800, 800-1200 and 1200-1886 m). To examine this variation, three habitat variables were analyzed: total basal area of food trees per unit area, seasonal variations in fruit abundance, and total annual fleshy fruit production. All of these variables indicate that fruit and seeds are most available in the coastal forest. Thus, altitudinal variations in the density of Japanese macaques on Yakushima are determined by the total annual food abundance.

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“…A second geographical component which is more poorly understood is the relationship between population density and elevation gradient. At present, it is not clear whether a density-elevation gradient relationship exists within a single species, since only one study is known to have investigated such an effect (Hanya et al 2004). …”

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