Understanding the impacts of habitat modification on primate feeding ecology is essential to design effective conservation management strategies. The dietary guild (e.g., frugivore, folivore, ...insectivore, and omnivore) of primates and their degree of ecological flexibility impacts their ability to cope with human-modified habitats. The Omo River guereza (Colobus guereza guereza) is a subspecies of eastern black-and-white colobus monkey endemic to the western Rift Valley forests of Ethiopia, where it faces increasing anthropogenic change. While there is some understanding of how this subspecies copes with anthropogenic pressures, we compared the feeding ecology of Omo River guerezas in natural and human-modified habitats. Specifically, we collected data on two neighbouring guereza groups that inhabit adjacent plantation and natural forest habitats over 12 months in Wof-Washa Natural State Forest in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Furthermore, we conducted vegetation surveys on the botanical composition and vertical structure of both habitat types. The monthly food availability index of young leaves was higher in the natural forest than in plantation forest habitat. We observed guerezas feeding on 30 plant species in the natural forest but only 18 species in the plantation forest. Guerezas in both forest types consumed mostly young leaves, but the natural forest group relied more on mature leaves and shoots, and less on fruits and stems, than the plantation forest group. Maesa lanceolata leaves contributed a greater proportion of the overall diet for the plantation forest group, whereas Vernonia leopoldi accounted for the largest proportion of the guereza diet for the natural forest group. The top five species consumed comprised 83% of the diet in the plantation forest group and 70% in the natural forest group, indicating that relatively few plant species dominate guereza diets in these habitats. Conservation of both natural and plantation forests, especially the plant species most intensively exploited by guerezas, should be prioritized to assist in Omo River guereza conservation efforts.
Following the introduction of DNA fingerprinting in the 1980s, studies have repeatedly revealed mismatches between the mating system inferred from social behaviour and the mating system revealed ...through genetic relationships. In this study, we examined the occurrence of extragroup paternities (EGPs) in gelada monkeys at Guassa, Ethiopia and explored how EGPs may be acquired in this species, which is conventionally considered to have a single breeding male (‘leader’) per social group (‘unit’). We found that while leaders sired most offspring, a substantial proportion (17 of 88 offspring, 19%) were sired by extra-unit males. Offspring were more likely to be sired by extra-unit males when they were: (1) conceived in the 6 months following the start of peak rainfall (July–December) and (2) the first successful conception for a mother. Furthermore, eight of the 17 extra-unit paternities were directly or indirectly the result of a single infertile leader, indicating that infertility plays an important role in the occurrence of EGPs. Compiling published data revealed that the 19% EGP rate observed among Guassa geladas was also the median for polygynous nonhuman primates (range 0–57%, N=5 populations), in contrast to geladas in the Simien Mountains, where EGPs are absent or rare. Thus, intraspecific variation in EGP rates in geladas encompasses much of the range described across polygynous primates more broadly. The Guassa gelada EGP rate was similar to the median rate reported for mammals. Primates generally had a lower median rate of EGPs, more similar to the median rate reported for birds. Understanding variation in EGP rates requires understanding the outcomes of competing interests of males and females within the same species, as well as how these features contribute to the evolution of social systems and influence variation in EGP rates at higher taxonomic levels.
•Geladas at Guassa have higher extra-unit paternity rates than reported elsewhere.•Seasonal variation, parity and infertility influence extragroup paternity (EGP).•Polygynous primates have the highest median EGP rate.•Multimale groups better prevent EGPs but risk sharing paternity with group members.•Humans generally have low EGP rates compared to other primates.
We conducted a study of spatial variation in tree community structure and composition in the Kakamega Forest of western Kenya. We compared the tree communities at two sites, Buyangu and Isecheno, ...separated by approximately 11 km of contiguous forest. All trees ≥15 cm d.b.h. were censused along transects covering 4.95 ha at Buyangu and 4.15 ha at Isecheno. The structure of the forest at the two sites was similar as mean d.b.h. was comparable and stem size class distribution did not differ significantly. However, species richness and stem density were both much higher at Buyangu. The disparity in stem density may be because of the greater abundance at Isecheno of a semi‐woody undergrowth species, Brillantaisia nitens Lindau, believed to inhibit the establishment of tree seedlings. Floristic composition varied strikingly between sites, with 52% of the species occurring only at one site. Densities of those species present at both sites often differed markedly between sites. Potential sources of these intersite differences in floristic composition include small disparities in rainfall, soil composition, elevation, and temperature as well as past differences in anthropogenic disturbance and in large mammal distribution and abundance. Floristic differences between Buyangu and Isecheno appear to be at least partly responsible for the substantial dietary differences between redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius Audebert) at these sites.
Résumé
Nous avons réalisé une étude de la variation spatiale de la structure et de la composition des communautés d'arbres dans la forêt de Kakamega, à l'ouest du Kenya. Nous avons comparé les communautés d'arbres à deux endroits, Buyangu et Isecheno, séparés par ∼11 km de forêt contiguë. Tous les arbres de ≥15 cm de diamètre à hauteur de poitrine (DBH) étaient recensés le long de transects couvrant 4,95 ha à Buyangu et 4,15 ha à Isecheno. La structure de la forêt était semblable aux deux endroits puisque le DBH était comparable et que les classes de distribution par taille des plants n’étaient pas significativement diffèrentes. Cependant, la richesse en espèces et la densité des troncs étaient beaucoup plus élevées à Buyangu. La disparité de densité des troncs pourrait être due à la plus grande abondance à Isecheno d'une espèce semi‐ligneuse de sous‐bois, Brillantesia nitens Lindau, dont on croit qu'elle inhibe l’établissement de jeunes plants d‘arbres. La composition floristique différait étonnamment entre les sites, 52% des espèces ne se trouvant qu’à un d'eux. La densité des espèces présentes aux deux endroits différait souvent nettement entre les sites. Les sources potentielles de ces différences dans la composition floristique incluent de légères différences de chutes de pluie, de la composition des sols, de l'altitude et de la température, ainsi que des différences anciennes relevant des perturbations anthropogènes et de la distribution et l'abondance des grands mammifères. Les différences floristiques entre Buyangu et Isecheno semblent être au moins en partie responsables des différences substantielles du régime alimentaire des cercopithèques ascagnes (Cercopithecus ascanius Audebert) de ces endroits.
Forest loss and degradation are the most significant threats to terrestrial biodiversity in the tropics. Promoting flagship or umbrella species is a strategy that can be used to conserve intact ...forests and restore degraded ecosystems, conserve biodiversity, and achieve sustainable development goals. The Bale monkey (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) is an arboreal, forest-dwelling, threatened primate restricted to a small range in the southern Ethiopian Highlands, which relies mostly on a single species of bamboo (Arundinaria alpina) and prefers bamboo forest habitat. Most of the Bale monkey’s range lies outside protected areas and most of its historical bamboo forest habitat is degraded or destroyed. The conservation of Bale monkeys and bamboo is highly inter-dependent; however, the value of using the Bale monkey as a flagship or umbrella species for forest restoration has not been evaluated. Here we use geographic range overlap and geospatial modeling to evaluate Bale monkeys as a flagship and/or umbrella species. We also assess if conservation intervention on behalf of Bale monkeys can help restore bamboo forest, while simultaneously providing a wide range of socioeconomic and environmental benefits. We found that Bale monkeys share their range with 52 endemic and/or threatened vertebrate species and at least 9 endemic and/or threatened plant species. Our results show that Bale monkeys meet both the flagship and umbrella species criteria to restore bamboo forest and conserve threatened co-occurring species. Since bamboo is fast-growing and can be harvested every year, we suggest that a science-based sustainable harvest and management regime for bamboo would help to improve the livelihood of both the local community and Ethiopians in general without significantly affecting the long-term survival of Bale monkeys and regional biodiversity. Further, a conservation management strategy protecting and restoring bamboo forest has the potential to achieve at least six of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Games academics play and their consequences Chapman, Colin A.; Bicca-Marques, Júlio César; Calvignac-Spencer, Sébastien ...
Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences,
12/2019, Letnik:
286, Številka:
1916
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Research is a highly competitive profession where evaluation plays a central role; journals are ranked and individuals are evaluated based on their publication number, the number of times they are ...cited and their h-index. Yet such evaluations are often done in inappropriate ways that are damaging to individual careers, particularly for young scholars, and to the profession. Furthermore, as with all indices, people can play games to better their scores. This has resulted in the incentive structure of science increasingly mimicking economic principles, but rather than amonetary gain, the incentive is a higher score. To ensure a diversity of cultural perspectives and individual experiences, we gathered a team of academics in the fields of ecology and evolution from around the world and at different career stages.We first examine how authorship, h-index of individuals and journal impact factors are being used and abused. Second, we speculate on the consequences of the continued use of thesemetrics with the hope of sparking discussions thatwill help our fieldsmove in a positive direction.Wewould like to see changes in the incentive systems, rewarding quality research and guaranteeing transparency. Senior faculty should establish the ethical standards, mentoring practices and institutional evaluation criteria to create the needed changes.
Eastern black and white colobus monkeys, or guerezas (Colobus guereza), are among the few primate species that have traditionally been regarded as not being adversely affected by habitat degradation. ...This view was recently challenged by von Hippel et al. (2000) who, using data from short-term censuses in 1992 and 1998, reported a striking decline in guereza density over a six-year period of light to moderate habitat degradation at Isecheno study site in the Kakamega Forest, Kenya. In this paper, I present evidence from my own more intensive study during the same period that suggests that the guereza population at Isecheno is actually quite robust and may in fact be increasing. I provide evidence to suggest that the census methods adopted by von Hippel and his colleagues are prone to overestimating density and that the decline in guereza density that they reported probably did not occur. My study suggests that brief censuses based on group counts over a given area, even when conducted by multiple observers, are not sufficient for accurately determining primate distributions and densities in rainforest environments. Data on animal distribution and density play a critical role in the development of conservation strategies and it is therefore important that these data be relatively accurate if biologists are to make informed conservation decisions.
