Ecological Role of Japanese Macaques in Maintaining Biological Diversity in Heavy Snowfall Areas

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  • 多種共存の仕組みから考えるニホンザルの生態学的役割：多雪地の事例から
  • 高島賞受賞記念 多種共存の仕組みから考えるニホンザルの生態学的役割 : 多雪地の事例から
  • タカシマショウ ジュショウ キネン タシュ キョウゾン ノ シクミ カラ カンガエル ニホンザル ノ セイタイガクテキ ヤクワリ : タセツチ ノ ジレイ カラ

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Abstract

Following a recent amendment, a national management policy for the Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) with a greater emphasis on population regulation has been promoted to reduce their contributions to agricultural and property damage. There is an urgent need to understand the role of macaques in native ecosystems, as this knowledge can serve as a driving force in formulating a more balanced management policy. In this context, we ofer updated information on the ecological roles of macaques in cool-temperate forests with heavy snowfall. We found that, although selective foraging by macaques on bark and/or buds of woody plants might constrain populations of some plant species, such foraging is unlikely to be overly destructive and may in fact have the potential to suppress the overgrowth of certain plant species. In addition, although macaques are unlikely to play the role of primary seed dispersers in forests because of functional redundancy, they can promote soil-seed accumulation by supporting the ecological function of dung beetles as secondary seed dispersers. Thus, recent research supports the possibility that the presence of macaques in forests is of essential importance in maintaining biological diversity in heavy snowfall regions.

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