Microhabitat use of the western black-crested gibbon inhabiting an isolated forest fragment in southern Yunnan, China: implications for conservation of an endangered species.

Due to the synergistic effects of hunting and habitat loss, populations of the western black-crested gibbon are currently restricted to isolated forest fragments. The home range use of this species in fragmented forests is presumptively related to spatial, food and vegetation attributes, as in other primates. We examined the distributions of different food resources, the structure of the vegetation (tree density, DBH, and height), and the microhabitat use of one gibbon group in an isolated and disturbed forest at Bajiaohe in southern Yunnan, China. The results indicated that the gibbons used the edge habitat frequently, which was subject to more anthropogenic disturbance than the interior forest, and they appeared to adapt to discontinuous canopy cover by using bamboo and tsaoko plants for travel. The group also modified its diet in response to fluctuations in food availability and the local flora. However, the gibbons intensively used areas with high tree fruit availability across the two study periods. It is suggested that the microhabitat use by the group was mostly affected by the distribution of particular food resources and canopy gaps caused by selective logging. Protecting the current distribution area and planting native important food species to boost habitat quality and connectivity should be considered as part of conservation plans of the western black crested gibbon living in limited areas.