Browsing by Author "Kreigenhofer, Brigitte Monique"
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- ItemThe effect of food provisioning on the nutrient intake of wild and captive primates : implications for the conservation management of wild and captive populations : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in Ecology, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2017) Kreigenhofer, Brigitte MoniqueMany non-human primate populations worldwide are threatened with extinction. Various measures are taken to save these species. Amongst these efforts are habitat protection, restoration, and public education, including wildlife tourism. To efficiently protect and restore wildlife habitats, ecological knowledge, such as the nutritional ecology of target species, is essential. Information on the foraging behaviour and nutritional requirements of a species will be useful for the protection and restoration of foods that are important components of a species’ diet. Furthermore, knowledge on animal nutritional ecology is required in circumstances where animals are fed by humans, as can occur in wildlife tourism settings. With such information, efforts can be made to provide diets which are nutritionally balanced, reducing the likelihood of negatively impacting the health and welfare of target animals. This study was undertaken to investigate food and nutrient intake under three levels of human dietary interference using primates as models: no interference, partial provisioning, and full provisioning. A wild golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) troop was investigated to determine their food and nutrient intake in a natural setting. A positive correlation between food availability and food choice was not found. On the nutrient level, the troop’s proportional consumption of crude protein, lipids, and non-structural carbohydrates varied with the seasonal availability of these nutrients while the consumption of neutral detergent fibre increased relative to its availability and that of lignin decreased. Differences in the foraging behaviour between different seasons and between monkeys of different age, sex, or reproductive status were not detected. However, age and sex based differences in proportional nutrient intake patterns were found. Juveniles had a greater proportional intake of all nutrients than adults (per kg of metabolic body mass) and females had a greater proportional intake of nearly all nutrients than males (per kg of metabolic body mass). To investigate the effects of food provisioning at a wildlife tourism centre in China, the proportional nutrient intake of a semi-wild golden snub-nosed monkey troop was determined and compared with that of the wild troop. The provisioned troop’s foods had a greater proportional contribution of non-structural carbohydrates and lipids and a smaller proportional contribution of neutral detergent fibre and lignin than foods consumed by the wild troop. The proportional nutrient intake of the provisioned troop, compared with that of the wild troop, was greater in non-structural carbohydrates and lower in crude protein, neutral detergent fibre, and lignin. Proportional lipid intake by the provisioned troop was lower than the wild troop in summer but greater in autumn. To investigate the nutritional ecology of a completely captive, and hence nutritionally dependent, troop of primates, the Auckland Zoo’s black-handed spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) troop was studied. The group’s daily macronutrient intake pattern was investigated as was the daily food and nutrient intake of monkeys based on age, sex, and social rank. The troop maintained a relatively stable non-protein energy to protein energy ratio intake across multiple days suggesting they were not facing dietary constraints. Juveniles had a greater daily food and nutrient intake (per kg of metabolic body mass) than adults and a greater intake of food and all nutrients except for non-structural carbohydrates than geriatric monkeys. Daily food and nutrient intake differences between monkeys based on sex and social rank were not detected. The findings of this study advance our understanding of the effect of human provisioning on the foraging and nutrient intake patterns of wildlife populations. This information can be used in the development of habitat protection and restoration plans for golden snub-nosed monkeys to ensure that important foods remain available in their habitat. Furthermore, findings on the potential impacts of an unnatural diet on the nutrient intake of provisioned animals can be used to improve the conservation management of primate populations used for wildlife tourism.
- ItemExploring social interactions and olfactory communication in the common brushtail possum : implications for management : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Conservation Biology, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2011) Kreigenhofer, Brigitte Monique; Kreigenhofer, Brigitte MoniqueThe common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) was introduced to New Zealand in the mid-1800’s and has since become highly invasive in this country. Causing considerable damage to both native flora and fauna and being a wildlife reservoir of bovine tuberculosis, this species requires intensive management and control. Management will be improved by having a more complete understanding of possum social interactions and communication. The focus of this thesis is to, therefore, improve our understanding in these areas of possum biology. The first part of this thesis focuses on possum social interactions. Of specific interest is whether or not differences exist in the duration and frequency of interactions between possums during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. Furthermore, the possibility of a relationship between genetic relatedness and tolerance levels between female possums and mate choice between males and females is investigated. The results of this study suggest that male and female possums interact far more than females do with females and than males do with males during both the breeding and non-breeding season. Furthermore, genetic relatedness does not appear to have a strong effect on mate choice or on the amount of time that females spend in close contact with other females during the non-breeding season. The second part of this study focuses on determining how possums use various scents to communicate with each other. Their responses to sternal gland scent (from both genders and from two different populations) are investigated with the intention of discerning whether or not they have any preferences based on gender and/or familiarity. Also researched is whether or not they show a preference when presented with possum sternal gland scent and a popular food lure to see if possum produced scents may function as a lure which can be used in their management. Due to the low level of response during these trials, it is not possible to come to a conclusion on possum preferences for different possum scents. The trends suggest, however, that they take more interest in the scents of familiar females over familiar males and in foreign possums over familiar possums. What is evident, however, is that they take more interest in the scent of cinnamon apples over that of foreign female sternal gland scent. The final part of this thesis is a pilot study which investigates using a molecular technique, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), to examine the composition and dynamics of the bacterial communities that inhabit the cutaneal surface of the possum sternal gland. Unique bacterial profiles during the same season as well as changes in individual profiles between the breeding and non-breeding seasons are investigated. It was determined that new technologies, such as amplicon sequencing, should be utilized to conduct such evaluations due to problems encountered with DGGE. Although conclusions could not be made due to a small sample size, the trends suggest that these bacterial communities do not change based on season (i.e. physiological state of the possum) and that possums do not have unique bacterial profiles in this specific anatomical region. The issues associated with this technique as well as the need for further research are discussed. Due to the adverse effects that this species has on New Zealand’s economy and ecology, it is imperative that their numbers are reduced, hopefully to the point that they are completely removed. Hopefully with the understanding gained by this study, our ability to control possums will improve, further enabling us to reach this goal.