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Andres‐Bray TC, Smith J, Nichols I, Abwe EE, Gonder MK. Ecological correlates of chimpanzee termite fishing behavior in Mbam & Djerem National Park, Cameroon. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70080. [PMID: 39050659 PMCID: PMC11268952 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimpanzee insectivory is seasonally variable, with pronounced peaks or set seasonal periods of consumption observed in most chimpanzee communities. This variation is interesting given that chimpanzees invest considerable effort into complex tool-using behaviors to acquire insect prey. Evidence suggests this seasonal variation is related to insect behavior, but few studies have been done to empirically examine this relationship. In this study, we assessed whether a seasonal pattern of termite fishing by Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ellioti) in Mbam & Djerem National Park, Cameroon was driven by termite behavior. We measured termite presence and termite foraging activity monthly at seven termite mounds near Ganga Research Station from April 2022 to April 2023. Macroscopic fecal analysis and camera traps placed at each mound demonstrated termite fishing in this community occurred from March to June, with a rare smaller period of termite fishing in October 2021. Average monthly rainfall, average monthly temperature, and average monthly fruit availability were used to examine potential environmental factors that could impact termite fishing seasonality. Termite presence was significantly different between months with and without chimpanzee termite fishing (t-test, -6.569, p < .001). Termite presence was also significantly associated with average monthly rainfall (ANOVA, F = 13.9, p = .002, R 2 = .775). Termites in this region appear to respond to the transition from dry to wet seasons by moving closer to the soil surface. This corresponds with greater chimpanzee termite fishing, suggesting that termite accessibility may be driving seasonal variation in this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler C. Andres‐Bray
- Department of BiologyDrexel UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Cameroon Biodiversity Protection PlanYaoundéCameroon
| | - Jeffrey Smith
- Department of BiologyDrexel UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Ian Nichols
- Department of Forest Resources and Environmental ConservationVirginia TechBlacksburgVirginiaUSA
| | - Ekwoge E. Abwe
- Cameroon Biodiversity AssociationDoualaCameroon
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife AllianceSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Mary Katherine Gonder
- Cameroon Biodiversity Protection PlanYaoundéCameroon
- Department of Ecology and Conservation BiologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
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2
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de Oliveira JV, Vasquez VL, Beltrão-Mendes R, Pinto MP. Climate change effects on the distribution of yellow-breasted capuchin monkey (Sapajus xanthosternos (Wied-Neuwied, 1826)). Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23557. [PMID: 37812044 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The magnitude of recent climatic changes has no historical precedent and impacts biodiversity. Climatic changes may displace suitable habitats (areas with suitable climates), leading to global biodiversity decline. Primates are among the most affected groups. Most primates depend on forests and contribute to their maintenance. We evaluated the potential effects of climatic change on the distribution of Sapajus xanthosternos, a critically endangered primate whose geographical range encompasses three Brazilian biomes. We evaluated changes between baseline (1970-2000) and future (2081-2100) climates using multivariate analysis. Then, we compared current and future (2100) climatic suitability projections for the species. The climatic changes predicted throughout the S. xanthosternos range differed mostly longitudinally, with higher temperature increases in the west and higher precipitation reductions in the east. Climatic suitability for S. xanthosternos is predicted to decline in the future. Areas with highest current climatic suitability occur as a narrow strip in the eastern part of the geographic range throughout the latitudinal range. In the future, areas with highest values are projected to be located as an even narrower strip in the eastern part of the geographical range. A small portion of forest remnants larger than 150 ha located in the east has larger current and future suitability values. At this large scale, the spatial heterogeneity of the climate effects reinforce the importance of maintenance of current populations in different areas of the range. The possibility that phenotypic plasticity helps primates cope with reduced climatic suitability may be mediated by habitat availability, quality, and connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica Vargas de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Vagner Lacerda Vasquez
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Raone Beltrão-Mendes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), São Cristóvão, Brazil
| | - Míriam Plaza Pinto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
- Departamento de Ecologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
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3
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Harper CM, Roach CS, Goldstein DM, Sylvester AD. Morphological variation of the Pan talus relative to that of Gorilla. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 37300336 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Differences in talar articular morphology relative to locomotion have recently been found within Pan and Gorilla. Whole-bone talar morphology within, and shared variation among, Pan and Gorilla (sub)species, however, has yet to be investigated. Here we separately analyze talar external shape within Pan (P. t. troglodytes, P. t. schweinfurthii, P. t. verus, P. paniscus) and Gorilla (G. g. gorilla, G. b. beringei, G. b. graueri) relative to degree of arboreality and body size. Pan and Gorilla are additionally analyzed together to determine if consistent shape differences exist within the genera. MATERIALS AND METHODS Talar external shape was quantified using a weighted spherical harmonic analysis. Shape variation both within and among Pan and Gorilla was described using principal component analyses. Root mean square distances were calculated between taxon averages, and resampling statistics conducted to test for pairwise differences. RESULTS P. t. verus (most arboreal Pan) talar shape significantly differs from other Pan taxa (p < 0.05 for pairwise comparisons) driven by more asymmetrical trochlear rims and a medially-set talar head. P. t. troglodytes, P. t. schweinfurthii, and P. paniscus do not significantly differ (p > 0.05 for pairwise comparisons). All gorilla taxa exhibit significantly different talar morphologies (p < 0.007 for pairwise comparisons). The more terrestrial subspecies of G. beringei and P. troglodytes exhibit a superoinferiorly taller talar head/neck complex. DISCUSSION P. t. verus exhibits talar morphologies that have been previously related to more frequent arboreality. The adaptations in the more terrestrial G. beringei and P. troglodytes subspecies may serve to facilitate load transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Harper
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA
| | - Caleigh S Roach
- Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Deanna M Goldstein
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Adam D Sylvester
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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4
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Molina-Vacas G, Muñoz-Mas R, Amarasekaran B, Garriga RM. Reaffirming the Loma Mountains National Park in Sierra Leone as a critical site for the conservation of West African chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus). Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23469. [PMID: 36710071 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The population of West African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) is declining rapidly mostly due to the impact of human activities and habitat loss. Sierra Leone harbors the third largest population of this subspecies, recently reclassified as Critically Endangered in the 2016 IUCN Red List. Population monitoring provides crucial data for planning and evaluating conservation and management policies. Therefore, to assess the status of the population size inhabiting the Loma Mountains National Park (LMNP) in Sierra Leone, we performed a nest count survey and estimated chimpanzee density and abundance using distance sampling. In total, 34 × 2-km-line transects were surveyed, with transects being systematically distributed across the LMNP area (288.5 km2 ). Concurrently, we compiled environmental data, which were used to model nest distribution and infer the most relevant environmental and anthropogenic drivers of the observed nest abundances. We encountered 10.03 nests/km and estimated a density of 3.47 ± standard error (SE) 0.92 individuals/km2 (i.e., 1002 ± SE 266 individuals in total). Compared to the figures obtained from a systematic literature review, our results suggest that the density and abundance of chimpanzees in the LMNP is among the highest across Africa. Contrary to expectation, no specific anthropogenic features predicted nest distribution and abundance. However, the nest distribution model indicated preference for elevated and steep areas covered by closed evergreen forest, which could be an indication of human avoidance. Based on these results, we highlight the value of LMNP for the conservation of the chimpanzees in Sierra Leone and the urgent necessity of guarantying long-term funding for this park's management to ensure the survival of this critically endangered subspecies in West Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillem Molina-Vacas
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Rafael Muñoz-Mas
- Research Group in Continental Aquatic Ecology, GRECO, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Bala Amarasekaran
- Department of Conservation Research Consultant, Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Rosa M Garriga
- Department of Conservation Research Consultant, Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Freetown, Sierra Leone
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5
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Fotang C, Bröring U, Roos C, Dutton P, Tédonzong LRD, Willie J, Angwafo TE, Yuh YG, Schierack P, Birkhofer K. Mapping suitable habitat for Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees in Kom-Wum Forest Reserve, North-Western Cameroon. Primates 2023; 64:339-350. [PMID: 36808317 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-023-01054-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
Great apes lose suitable habitats required for their reproduction and survival due to human activities across their distribution range in Africa. Little is known about habitat suitability of the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee [Pan troglodytes ellioti (Matschie, 1914)], particularly for populations inhabiting forest reserves in North-West Cameroon. To address this knowledge gap, we employed a common species distribution model (MaxEnt) to map and predict suitable habitats for the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee in Kom-Wum Forest Reserve, North-West Cameroon, based on environmental factors that potentially affect habitat suitability. We related these environmental factors to a dataset of chimpanzee occurrence points recorded during line transect and reconnaissance (recce) surveys in the forest reserve and surrounding forests. Up to 91% of the study area is unsuitable for chimpanzees. Suitable habitats only represented 9% of the study area, with a high proportion of highly suitable habitats located outside the forest reserve. Elevation, secondary forests density, distance to villages and primary forests density were the most important predictors of habitat suitability for the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee. The probability of chimpanzee occurrence increased with elevation, secondary forest density and distance from villages and roads. Our study provides evidence that suitable chimpanzee habitat in the reserve is degraded, suggesting that efforts to maintain protected areas are insufficient. The reserve management plan needs to be improved to conserve the remaining suitable habitat and to avoid local extinction of this endangered subspecies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chefor Fotang
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 6, 03046, Cottbus, Germany.
| | - Udo Bröring
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 6, 03046, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Christian Roos
- German Primate Center, Gene Bank of Primates and Primate Genetics Laboratory, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Jacob Willie
- Centre for Research and Conservation (CRC), Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA), Antwerp, Belgium
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Department of Biology, Ghent University (UGent), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tsi Evaristus Angwafo
- Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences (FASA), University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Yisa Ginath Yuh
- Hochschule fur nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde, Forestry and Environment, Schicklerstraße 5, 16225, Eberswalde, Germany
- Szkola Glowna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787, Warsaw, Poland
- Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Peter Schierack
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 6, 03046, Cottbus, Germany
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6
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Whytock RC, Abwe EE, Mfossa DM, Ketchen ME, Abwe AE, Nguimdo VR, Maisels F, Strindberg S, Morgan BJ. Mammal distribution and trends in the threatened Ebo 'intact forest landscape', Cameroon. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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7
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Barratt CD, Lester JD, Gratton P, Onstein RE, Kalan AK, McCarthy MS, Bocksberger G, White LC, Vigilant L, Dieguez P, Abdulai B, Aebischer T, Agbor A, Assumang AK, Bailey E, Bessone M, Buys B, Carvalho JS, Chancellor R, Cohen H, Danquah E, Deschner T, Dongmo ZN, Doumbé OA, Dupain J, Duvall CS, Eno-Nku M, Etoga G, Galat-Luong A, Garriga R, Gatti S, Ghiurghi A, Goedmakers A, Granjon AC, Hakizimana D, Head J, Hedwig D, Herbinger I, Hermans V, Jones S, Junker J, Kadam P, Kambi M, Kienast I, Kouakou CY, N Goran KP, Langergraber KE, Lapuente J, Laudisoit A, Lee KC, Maisels F, Mirghani N, Moore D, Morgan B, Morgan D, Neil E, Nicholl S, Nkembi L, Ntongho A, Orbell C, Ormsby LJ, Pacheco L, Piel AK, Pintea L, Plumptre AJ, Rundus A, Sanz C, Sommer V, Sop T, Stewart FA, Sunderland-Groves J, Tagg N, Todd A, Ton E, van Schijndel J, VanLeeuwe H, Vendras E, Welsh A, Wenceslau JFC, Wessling EG, Willie J, Wittig RM, Yoshihiro N, Yuh YG, Yurkiw K, Boesch C, Arandjelovic M, Kühl H. Quantitative estimates of glacial refugia for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) since the Last Interglacial (120,000 BP). Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23320. [PMID: 34402081 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Paleoclimate reconstructions have enhanced our understanding of how past climates have shaped present-day biodiversity. We hypothesize that the geographic extent of Pleistocene forest refugia and suitable habitat fluctuated significantly in time during the late Quaternary for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Using bioclimatic variables representing monthly temperature and precipitation estimates, past human population density data, and an extensive database of georeferenced presence points, we built a model of changing habitat suitability for chimpanzees at fine spatio-temporal scales dating back to the Last Interglacial (120,000 BP). Our models cover a spatial resolution of 0.0467° (approximately 5.19 km2 grid cells) and a temporal resolution of between 1000 and 4000 years. Using our model, we mapped habitat stability over time using three approaches, comparing our modeled stability estimates to existing knowledge of Afrotropical refugia, as well as contemporary patterns of major keystone tropical food resources used by chimpanzees, figs (Moraceae), and palms (Arecacae). Results show habitat stability congruent with known glacial refugia across Africa, suggesting their extents may have been underestimated for chimpanzees, with potentially up to approximately 60,000 km2 of previously unrecognized glacial refugia. The refugia we highlight coincide with higher species richness for figs and palms. Our results provide spatio-temporally explicit insights into the role of refugia across the chimpanzee range, forming the empirical foundation for developing and testing hypotheses about behavioral, ecological, and genetic diversity with additional data. This methodology can be applied to other species and geographic areas when sufficient data are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Barratt
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jack D Lester
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paolo Gratton
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Roma, Italy
| | - Renske E Onstein
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ammie K Kalan
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Maureen S McCarthy
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gaëlle Bocksberger
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lauren C White
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Linda Vigilant
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paula Dieguez
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Barrie Abdulai
- Research for Evidence-based and Achievable Decisions Sierra Leone (READ-SL), Sierra Leone
| | - Thierry Aebischer
- Conservation et Plan d'aménagement de l'Aire de Conservation de Chinko, African Parks Network, Chinko Project, Kocho, RCA and active collaborator of the University of Fribourg, WegmannLab, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Anthony Agbor
- African Parks Centurion Building, Lonehill, South Africa
| | - Alfred K Assumang
- Department of Wildlife and Range Management, Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Emma Bailey
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mattia Bessone
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Joana S Carvalho
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rebecca Chancellor
- Departments of Anthropology & Sociology and Psychology, West Chester University, West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Heather Cohen
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Emmanuel Danquah
- Department of Wildlife and Range Management, Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | - Jef Dupain
- Antwerp Zoo Foundation, Antwerp Zoo Society, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Chris S Duvall
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Manasseh Eno-Nku
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Panda House Bastos, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Gilles Etoga
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Panda House Bastos, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Anh Galat-Luong
- IRD (The French National Research Institute for Development), France
| | - Rosa Garriga
- Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Sylvain Gatti
- West African Primate Conservation Action (WAPCA), Accra, Ghana
| | | | | | - Anne-Céline Granjon
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Josephine Head
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniela Hedwig
- Elephant Listening Project, Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Veerle Hermans
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, CSRS, Abidjan, Ivory Coast.,Centre for Research and Conservation, Antwerp Zoo Society, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Sorrel Jones
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jessica Junker
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Parag Kadam
- Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mohamed Kambi
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ivonne Kienast
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Kouamé P N Goran
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Panda House Bastos, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Kevin E Langergraber
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.,Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Juan Lapuente
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Comoé Chimpanzee Conservation Project, Comoé National Park, Kakpin, Ivory Coast
| | - Anne Laudisoit
- Ecohealth Alliance, New York City, New York, USA.,Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Kevin C Lee
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Fiona Maisels
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Bronx, New York, USA.,Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK
| | - Nadia Mirghani
- Jane Goodall Institute Spain and Senegal, Dindefelo Biological Station, Dindefelo, Kedougou, Senegal
| | - Deborah Moore
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Bethan Morgan
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK.,San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, California, USA.,Ebo Forest Research Project, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - David Morgan
- Lester E Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Emily Neil
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sonia Nicholl
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Louis Nkembi
- Environment and Rural Development Foundation, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Anne Ntongho
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Panda House Bastos, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | | | - Lucy Jayne Ormsby
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Alex K Piel
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Andrew J Plumptre
- Key Biodiversity Area Secretariat, c/o BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK
| | - Aaron Rundus
- Department of Psychology, West Chester University, West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Crickette Sanz
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.,Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Volker Sommer
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK.,Gashaka Primate Project, Serti, Taraba State, Nigeria
| | - Tenekwetche Sop
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Fiona A Stewart
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.,Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | | | - Nikki Tagg
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Antwerp Zoo Society, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | | | - Els Ton
- Chimbo Foundation, Oudemirdum, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Elleni Vendras
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Adam Welsh
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Erin G Wessling
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jacob Willie
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Antwerp Zoo Society, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Taï Chimpanzee Project, CSRS, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
| | | | - Yisa Ginath Yuh
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Geography, Planning and Environmental Studies, University of Concordia, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Kyle Yurkiw
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Pan Verus Project, Outamba-Kilimi National Park, Sierra Leone
| | - Christophe Boesch
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mimi Arandjelovic
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hjalmar Kühl
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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8
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Frazier AE, Honzák M, Hudson C, Perlin R, Tohtsonie A, Gaddis KD, Sousa C, Larsen TH, Junker J, Nyandwi S, Trgovac AB. Connectivity and conservation of Western Chimpanzee (
Pan troglodytes verus
) habitat in Liberia. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Celio Sousa
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USA
- Universities Space Research Association Columbia MD USA
| | | | - Jessica Junker
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Institute of BiologyMartin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg Leipzig Germany
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Carvalho JS, Graham B, Bocksberger G, Maisels F, Williamson EA, Wich S, Sop T, Amarasekaran B, Barca B, Barrie A, Bergl RA, Boesch C, Boesch H, Brncic TM, Buys B, Chancellor R, Danquah E, Doumbé OA, Le‐Duc SY, Galat‐Luong A, Ganas J, Gatti S, Ghiurghi A, Goedmakers A, Granier N, Hakizimana D, Haurez B, Head J, Herbinger I, Hillers A, Jones S, Junker J, Maputla N, Manasseh E, McCarthy MS, Molokwu‐Odozi M, Morgan BJ, Nakashima Y, N’Goran PK, Nixon S, Nkembi L, Normand E, Nzooh LD, Olson SH, Payne L, Petre C, Piel AK, Pintea L, Plumptre AJ, Rundus A, Serckx A, Stewart FA, Sunderland‐Groves J, Tagg N, Todd A, Vosper A, Wenceslau JF, Wessling EG, Willie J, Kühl HS. Predicting range shifts of African apes under global change scenarios. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
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10
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Fotang C, Bröring U, Roos C, Enoguanbhor EC, Abwe EE, Dutton P, Schierack P, Angwafo TE, Birkhofer K. Human Activity and Forest Degradation Threaten Populations of the Nigeria–Cameroon Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) in Western Cameroon. INT J PRIMATOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00191-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
AbstractIncreased human activities such as commodity-led deforestation, extension of agriculture, urbanization, and wildfires are major drivers of forest loss worldwide. In Cameroon, these activities cause a loss of suitable primate habitat and could ultimately threaten the survival of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). We derived independent estimates of the population size of the Endangered Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) in Kom-Wum Forest Reserve, Cameroon, and surrounding unprotected forest areas through 1) direct observations, 2) camera trapping, 3) distance sampling, 4) marked nest counts, and 5) standing crop nest counts. In addition, we georeferenced signs of chimpanzee and human activity along line transects. We used a generalized linear mixed model to predict the occurrence of chimpanzees in response to edge length (measured as the perimeter of core forest patches), core area of forest patches (measured as area of forest patches beyond an edge width of 100 m), habitat perforation (measured as the perimeter of nonforested landscape within core forest patches), patch size(measured as area of forest patches), and forest cover. Chimpanzee density estimates ranged from 0.1 (direct observation) to 0.9 (distance sampling) individuals km−2 depending on estimation method with a mean nest group size of 7 ± 5.4 (SD). The mean encounter rate for signs of chimpanzee activity was significantly higher in mature forests (2.3 signs km−1) than in secondary forests (0.3 signs km−1) and above 1000 m elevation (4.0 signs km−1) than below 1000 m (1.0 signs km−1). The mean encounter rate for signs of human activity was significantly higher in secondary (8.0 signs km−1) than in mature forests (0.9 signs km−1). Secondary forests, habitat perforation, and edge length had a significant negative effect on the occurrence of chimpanzee signs. Overall, human activity and forest degradation affected the number of observed chimpanzee signs negatively. Regular antipoaching patrols and reforestation programs in degraded areas could potentially reduce threats to populations of endangered species and may increase suitable habitat area.
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Chitayat AB, Wich SA, Lewis M, Stewart FA, Piel AK. Ecological correlates of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) density in Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246628. [PMID: 33577598 PMCID: PMC7880473 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the ecological factors that drive animal density patterns in time and space is key to devising effective conservation strategies. In Tanzania, most chimpanzees (~75%) live outside national parks where human activities threaten their habitat's integrity and connectivity. Mahale Mountains National Park (MMNP), therefore, is a critical area for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the region due to its location and protective status. Yet, despite its importance and long history of chimpanzee research (>50 years), a park-wide census of the species has never been conducted. The park is categorized as a savanna-woodland mosaic, interspersed with riparian forest, wooded grassland, and bamboo thicket. This heterogeneous landscape offers an excellent opportunity to assess the ecological characteristics associated with chimpanzee density, a topic still disputed, which could improve conservation plans that protect crucial chimpanzee habitat outside the park. We examined the influence of fine-scale vegetative characteristics and topographical features on chimpanzee nest density, modeling nest counts using hierarchical distance sampling. We counted 335 nests in forest and woodland habitats across 102 transects in 13 survey sites. Nests were disproportionately found more in or near evergreen forests, on steep slopes, and in feeding tree species. We calculated chimpanzee density in MMNP to be 0.23 ind/km2, although density varied substantially among sites (0.09-3.43 ind/km2). Density was associated with factors related to the availability of food and nesting trees, with topographic heterogeneity and the total basal area of feeding tree species identified as significant positive predictors. Species-rich habitats and floristic diversity likely play a principal role in shaping chimpanzee density within a predominately open landscape with low food abundance. Our results provide valuable baseline data for future monitoring efforts in MMNP and enhance our understanding of this endangered species' density and distribution across Tanzania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne B. Chitayat
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Serge A. Wich
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Lewis
- Loango Gorilla Project (Gabon), Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Fiona A. Stewart
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alex K. Piel
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Ginath Yuh Y, N'Goran PK, Dongmo ZN, Tracz W, Tangwa E, Agunbiade M, Kühl HS, Sop T, Fotang C. Mapping suitable great ape habitat in and around the Lobéké National Park, South-East Cameroon. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:14282-14299. [PMID: 33391715 PMCID: PMC7771158 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
As a result of extensive data collection efforts over the last 20-30 years, there is quite a good understanding of the large-scale geographic distribution and range limits of African great apes. However, as human activities increasingly fragment great ape spatial distribution, a better understanding of what constitutes suitable great ape habitat is needed to inform conservation and resource extraction management. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) inhabit the Lobéké National Park and its surrounding forest management units (FMUs) in South-East Cameroon. Both park and neighboring forestry concessions require reliable evidence on key factors driving great ape distribution for their management plans, yet this information is largely missing and incomplete. This study aimed at mapping great ape habitat suitability in the area and at identifying the most influential predictors among three predictor categories, including landscape predictors (dense forest, swampy forest, distance to water bodies, and topography), human disturbance predictors (hunting, deforestation, distance to roads, and population density), and bioclimatic predictor (annual precipitation). We found that about 63% of highly to moderately suitable chimpanzee habitat occurred within the Lobéké National Park, while only 8.4% of similar habitat conditions occurred within FMUs. For gorillas, highly and moderately suitable habitats occurred within the Lobéké National Park and its surrounding FMUs (82.6% and 65.5%, respectively). Key determinants of suitable chimpanzee habitat were hunting pressure and dense forest, with species occurrence probability optimal at relatively lower hunting rates and at relatively high-dense forest areas. Key determinants of suitable gorilla habitat were hunting pressure, dense forests, swampy forests, and slope, with species occurrence probability optimal at relatively high-dense and swampy forest areas and at areas with mild slopes. Our findings show differential response of the two ape species to forestry activities in the study area, thus aligning with previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisa Ginath Yuh
- Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS‐SGGW)WarszawaPoland
- Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE)EberswaldeGermany
- University of ConcordiaMontréalQCCanada
| | - Paul K. N'Goran
- Regional Office for Africa – Yaoundé HubWorld Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)YaoundéCameroon
| | - Zacharie N. Dongmo
- Cameroon Country Program OfficeWorld Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)YaoundéCameroon
| | - Wiktor Tracz
- Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS‐SGGW)WarszawaPoland
| | - Elvis Tangwa
- Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS‐SGGW)WarszawaPoland
- Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE)EberswaldeGermany
| | - Michael Agunbiade
- Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS‐SGGW)WarszawaPoland
- Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE)EberswaldeGermany
| | - Hjalmar S. Kühl
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN)LeipzigGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Leipzig‐JenaLeipzigGermany
| | - Tenekwetche Sop
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN)LeipzigGermany
| | - Chefor Fotang
- Department of EcologyBrandenburg University of TechnologyCottbusGermany
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13
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Wessling EG, Dieguez P, Llana M, Pacheco L, Pruetz JD, Kühl HS. Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) Density and Environmental Gradients at Their Biogeographical Range Edge. INT J PRIMATOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00182-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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14
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Environmental variability supports chimpanzee behavioural diversity. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4451. [PMID: 32934202 PMCID: PMC7493986 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18176-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Large brains and behavioural innovation are positively correlated, species-specific traits, associated with the behavioural flexibility animals need for adapting to seasonal and unpredictable habitats. Similar ecological challenges would have been important drivers throughout human evolution. However, studies examining the influence of environmental variability on within-species behavioural diversity are lacking despite the critical assumption that population diversification precedes genetic divergence and speciation. Here, using a dataset of 144 wild chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) communities, we show that chimpanzees exhibit greater behavioural diversity in environments with more variability — in both recent and historical timescales. Notably, distance from Pleistocene forest refugia is associated with the presence of a larger number of behavioural traits, including both tool and non-tool use behaviours. Since more than half of the behaviours investigated are also likely to be cultural, we suggest that environmental variability was a critical evolutionary force promoting the behavioural, as well as cultural diversification of great apes. Environmental variability is one potential driver of behavioural and cultural diversity in humans and other animals. Here, the authors show that chimpanzee behavioural diversity is higher in habitats that are more seasonal and historically unstable, and in savannah woodland relative to forested sites.
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Abwe EE, Morgan BJ, Doudja R, Kentatchime F, Mba F, Dadjo A, Venditti DM, Mitchell MW, Fosso B, Mounga A, Fotso RC, Gonder MK. Dietary Ecology of the Nigeria–Cameroon Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti). INT J PRIMATOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00138-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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17
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Kamgang SA, Carme TC, Bobo KS, Abwe EE, Gonder MK, Sinsin B. Assessment of in situ nest decay rate for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ellioti Matschie, 1914) in Mbam-Djerem National Park, Cameroon: implications for long-term monitoring. Primates 2019; 61:189-200. [PMID: 31659555 PMCID: PMC7080673 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-019-00768-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Accurate assessment of great ape populations is a prerequisite for conservation planning. Indirect survey methods using nest and dung, and a set of conversion parameters related to nest decay rates, are increasingly used. Most surveys use the standing crop nest count (SCNC) method, whereby nests are counted along transects and the estimated nest density is converted into chimpanzee density using an often non-local nest decay rate. The use of non-local decay rate is thought to introduce substantial bias to ape population estimates given that nest decay rates vary with location, season, rainfall, nest shape, and tree species used. SCNC method has previously been applied in Mbam-Djerem National Park (MDNP) in Cameroon, for chimpanzee surveys using a non-local nest decay rate. This current study aimed to measure a local nest decay rate for MDNP and implications for chimpanzee population estimates in the MDNP. The mean nest decay rate estimated using a logistic regression analysis was 127 [95% CI (100–160)] days. Moreover, the results suggested that rainfall strongly influenced the nest decay rate over the early stage of the lifetime of the nests. The study confirms that estimates of chimpanzee density and abundance using non-local decay rates should be treated with caution. Our research emphasized the importance of using local nest decay rates and other survey methods which do not depend on decay rates to obtain more accurate estimates of chimpanzee densities in order to inform conservation strategies of these great apes in MDNP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge Alexis Kamgang
- Garoua Wildlife School, Face aéroport International de Garoua, PO Box 271, Garoua, Cameroon. .,Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, Yaoundé, Cameroun. .,Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Agricultural Science, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01, PO Box 526, Cotonou, Bénin.
| | - Tuneu Corral Carme
- Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kadiri Serge Bobo
- Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, PO Box 222, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Ekwoge Enang Abwe
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | | | - Brice Sinsin
- Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Agricultural Science, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01, PO Box 526, Cotonou, Bénin
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18
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Vu TT, Tran DV, Tran HTP, Nguyen MD, Do TA, Ta NT, Cao HT, Pham NT, Phan DV. An assessment of the impact of climate change on the distribution of the grey-shanked douc Pygathrix cinerea using an ecological niche model. Primates 2019; 61:267-275. [PMID: 31560091 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-019-00763-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Climate change can have many negative impacts on wildlife species, and species with narrow distributions are more likely to be significantly affected. In this study, we used ecological niche modeling for species (MaxEnt software) as well as species occurrence data and climate variables to assess the impacts of climate change on the distribution of the grey-shanked douc-an endemic and rare primate species of Vietnam. We used climate data at the current time and two future times (2050 and 2070). Climate data were generated for two climate scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, together with three climate models ACCESS1-0, GFDL-CM3, and MPI-ESM-LR. We predicted that the distribution of the grey-shanked douc would be sharply reduced by the effects of climate change. The species' suitable distribution range in the future tended to shift toward the center of their current range and to higher mountainous areas. A larger suitable area, in particular highly suitable areas to the north and west of its current potential distribution range, would become less suitable or even unsuitable in 2050 and 2070. Kon Cha Rang Nature Reserve and Kon Ka Kinh National Park should be given priority in conservation of the grey-shanked douc because they now support important populations of the species and are in the highly suitable area remaining for the species in the future. The establishment of a new protected area for grey-shanked douc conservation should be considered in Kon Plong District, Kom Tum Province, which will be the center of the species distribution range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thinh T Vu
- Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi, Vietnam.
| | - Dung V Tran
- Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Hoa T P Tran
- Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Manh D Nguyen
- Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Tuan A Do
- Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Nga T Ta
- Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Hien T Cao
- Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Nhung T Pham
- Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Dai V Phan
- Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi, Vietnam
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19
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Heinicke S, Mundry R, Boesch C, Amarasekaran B, Barrie A, Brncic T, Brugière D, Campbell G, Carvalho J, Danquah E, Dowd D, Eshuis H, Fleury-Brugière MC, Gamys J, Ganas J, Gatti S, Ginn L, Goedmakers A, Granier N, Herbinger I, Hillers A, Jones S, Junker J, Kouakou CY, Lapeyre V, Leinert V, Marrocoli S, Molokwu-Odozi M, N'Goran PK, Normand E, Pacheco L, Regnaut S, Sop T, Ton E, van Schijndel J, Vendras E, Vergnes V, Welsh A, Wessling EG, Kühl HS. Characteristics of Positive Deviants in Western Chimpanzee Populations. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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20
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Hendricks SA, Schweizer RM, Harrigan RJ, Pollinger JP, Paquet PC, Darimont CT, Adams JR, Waits LP, vonHoldt BM, Hohenlohe PA, Wayne RK. Natural re-colonization and admixture of wolves (Canis lupus) in the US Pacific Northwest: challenges for the protection and management of rare and endangered taxa. Heredity (Edinb) 2019; 122:133-149. [PMID: 29880893 PMCID: PMC6327037 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-018-0094-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Admixture resulting from natural dispersal processes can potentially generate novel phenotypic variation that may facilitate persistence in changing environments or result in the loss of population-specific adaptations. Yet, under the US Endangered Species Act, policy is limited for management of individuals whose ancestry includes a protected taxon; therefore, they are generally not protected under the Act. This issue is exemplified by the recently re-established grey wolves of the Pacific Northwest states of Washington and Oregon, USA. This population was likely founded by two phenotypically and genetically distinct wolf ecotypes: Northern Rocky Mountain (NRM) forest and coastal rainforest. The latter is considered potentially threatened in southeast Alaska and thus the source of migrants may affect plans for their protection. To assess the genetic source of the re-established population, we sequenced a ~ 300 bp portion of the mitochondrial control region and ~ 5 Mbp of the nuclear genome. Genetic analysis revealed that the Washington wolves share ancestry with both wolf ecotypes, whereas the Oregon population shares ancestry with NRM forest wolves only. Using ecological niche modelling, we found that the Pacific Northwest states contain environments suitable for each ecotype, with wolf packs established in both environmental types. Continued migration from coastal rainforest and NRM forest source populations may increase the genetic diversity of the Pacific Northwest population. However, this admixed population challenges traditional management regimes given that admixture occurs between an adaptively distinct ecotype and a more abundant reintroduced interior form. Our results emphasize the need for a more precise US policy to address the general problem of admixture in the management of endangered species, subspecies, and distinct population segments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Hendricks
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, ID, 83844, USA.
| | - Rena M Schweizer
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Ryan J Harrigan
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, 300 LaKretz Hall, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - John P Pollinger
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, 300 LaKretz Hall, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Paul C Paquet
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, BC, V8L 3Y3, Canada
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Box 1700, Stn CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Chris T Darimont
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, BC, V8L 3Y3, Canada
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Box 1700, Stn CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Jennifer R Adams
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, ID, 83844, USA
| | - Lisette P Waits
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, ID, 83844, USA
| | - Bridgett M vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, M151 Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Paul A Hohenlohe
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, ID, 83844, USA
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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21
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Abwe EE, Morgan BJ, Tchiengue B, Kentatchime F, Doudja R, Ketchen ME, Teguia E, Ambahe R, Venditti DM, Mitchell MW, Fosso B, Mounga A, Fotso RC, Gonder MK. Habitat differentiation among three Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ellioti) populations. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:1489-1500. [PMID: 30805176 PMCID: PMC6374666 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological niche models (ENMs) are often used to predict species distribution patterns from datasets that describe abiotic and biotic factors at coarse spatial scales. Ground-truthing ENMs provide important information about how these factors relate to species-specific requirements at a scale that is biologically relevant for the species. Chimpanzees are territorial and have a predominantly frugivorous diet. The spatial and temporal variation in fruit availability for different chimpanzee populations is thus crucial, but rarely depicted in ENMs. The genetic and geographic distinction within Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) populations represents a unique opportunity to understand fine scale species-relevant ecological variation in relation to ENMs. In Cameroon, P. t. ellioti is composed of two genetically distinct populations that occupy different niches: rainforests in western Cameroon and forest-woodland-savanna mosaic (ecotone) in central Cameroon. We investigated habitat variation at three representative sites using chimpanzee-relevant environmental variables, including fruit availability, to assess how these variables distinguish these niches from one another. Contrary to the assumption of most ENM studies that intact forest is essential for the survival of chimpanzees, we hypothesized that the ecotone and human-modified habitats in Cameroon have sufficient resources to sustain large chimpanzee populations. Rainfall, and the diversity, density, and size of trees were higher at the rainforest. The ecotone had a higher density of terrestrial herbs and lianas. Fruit availability was higher at Ganga (ecotone) than at Bekob and Njuma. Seasonal variation in fruit availability was highest at Ganga, and periods of fruit scarcity were longer than at the rainforest sites. Introduced and secondary forest species linked with anthropogenic modification were common at Bekob, which reduced seasonality in fruit availability. Our findings highlight the value of incorporating fine scale species-relevant ecological data to create more realistic models, which have implications for local conservation planning efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekwoge E. Abwe
- Department of BiologyDrexel UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvania
- Ebo Forest Research ProjectYaoundéCameroon
- San Diego Zoo GlobalSan DiegoCalifornia
| | - Bethan J. Morgan
- Ebo Forest Research ProjectYaoundéCameroon
- San Diego Zoo GlobalSan DiegoCalifornia
| | | | | | - Roger Doudja
- Ministry of Forestry and WildlifeYaoundéCameroon
| | | | - Eric Teguia
- Wildlife Conservation SocietyYaoundéCameroon
| | | | | | - Matthew W. Mitchell
- Department of BiologyDrexel UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvania
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvania
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Abstract
Environmental stress on primate populations can take many forms. Abiotic factors, such as temperature and precipitation, may directly influence the behavior of primates owing to physiological demands of thermoregulation or through indirect influences on vegetation that primates rely on for food. These effects can also scale up to the macro scale, impacting primate distributions and evolution. Primates also encounter stress during interactions within and between species (i.e., biotic interactions). For example, selective pressure from male-perpetrated infanticide can drive the development of female counterstrategies and can impact life-history traits. Predation on primates can modify group size, ranging behavior, and habitat use. Finally, humans have influenced primate populations for millennia. More recently, hunting, habitat disturbance, disease, and climate change have increased in frequency and severity with detrimental impacts on primate populations worldwide. These effects and recent evidence from camera traps emphasize the importance of maintaining protected areas for conserving primate populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M. Kamilar
- Department of Anthropology and Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002, USA
| | - Lydia Beaudrot
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Michigan Society of Fellows, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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Kamgang SA, Bobo KS, Maisels F, Ambahe RDD, Ambassa Ongono DE, Gonder MK, Johnson P, Marino J, Sinsin B. The relationship between the abundance of the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) and its habitat: a conservation concern in Mbam-Djerem National Park, Cameroon. BMC Ecol 2018; 18:40. [PMID: 30285707 PMCID: PMC6167774 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-018-0199-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the relationship between great apes and their habitat is essential for the development of successful conservation strategies. The chimpanzee Pan troglodytes ellioti is endemic to Nigeria and Cameroon, and occupies an ecologically diverse range of habitats from forests to forest-savannah mosaic in Mbam-Djerem National Park (MDNP) in Cameroon. The habitat variation in chimpanzees is poorly understood in MDNP which provides an excellent opportunity to assess ecological factors that shape the abundance and distribution patterns of P. t. ellioti over a small geographic scale. RESULTS We counted 249 nests along 132 km of transects in total. Of these, 119 nests along 68 km occurred in dense forest and 130 nests along 64 km in forest-savannah mosaic. Chimpanzee density was 0.88 [95% CI (0.55-1.41)] individuals/km2 in the dense forest and 0.59 [95% CI (0.19-1.76)] in the forest-savannah mosaic. Nest abundance varied with vegetation type and was higher in areas with dense canopy cover, steeper slopes and relatively higher altitudes. CONCLUSIONS Our estimates of chimpanzee densities were lower than reported in other studied populations in the range of the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee. However, we found that habitat features, slope and altitude likely play a role in shaping patterns of chimpanzee nesting ecology. Further studies need to be focused on nest decay rates and phenology of useful plants in order to model chimpanzee abundance and distribution in Mbam-Djerem National Park.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge Alexis Kamgang
- Garoua Wildlife School, Face aéroport international de Garoua, P.O. Box 271, Garoua, Cameroon.
- Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, Yaounde, Cameroon.
- Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 P.O.Box 526, Cotonou, Benin.
| | - Kadiri Serge Bobo
- Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, P.O. Box 222, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Fiona Maisels
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY, 10460, USA
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK
| | | | | | | | - Paul Johnson
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney, Oxford, UK
| | - Jorgelina Marino
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney, Oxford, UK
| | - Brice Sinsin
- Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 P.O.Box 526, Cotonou, Benin
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Mitchell MW, Locatelli S, Abwe EE, Ghobrial L, Gonder MK. Male-Driven Differences in Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) Population Genetic Structure Across Three Habitats in Cameroon and Nigeria. INT J PRIMATOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-018-0053-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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25
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Strindberg S, Maisels F, Williamson EA, Blake S, Stokes EJ, Aba’a R, Abitsi G, Agbor A, Ambahe RD, Bakabana PC, Bechem M, Berlemont A, Bokoto de Semboli B, Boundja PR, Bout N, Breuer T, Campbell G, De Wachter P, Ella Akou M, Esono Mba F, Feistner ATC, Fosso B, Fotso R, Greer D, Inkamba-Nkulu C, Iyenguet CF, Jeffery KJ, Kokangoye M, Kühl HS, Latour S, Madzoke B, Makoumbou C, Malanda GAF, Malonga R, Mbolo V, Morgan DB, Motsaba P, Moukala G, Mowawa BS, Murai M, Ndzai C, Nishihara T, Nzooh Z, Pintea L, Pokempner A, Rainey HJ, Rayden T, Ruffler H, Sanz CM, Todd A, Vanleeuwe H, Vosper A, Warren Y, Wilkie DS. Guns, germs, and trees determine density and distribution of gorillas and chimpanzees in Western Equatorial Africa. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaar2964. [PMID: 29707637 PMCID: PMC5916511 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar2964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We present a range-wide assessment of sympatric western lowland gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla and central chimpanzees Pan troglodytes troglodytes using the largest survey data set ever assembled for these taxa: 59 sites in five countries surveyed between 2003 and 2013, totaling 61,000 person-days of fieldwork. We used spatial modeling to investigate major drivers of great ape distribution and population trends. We predicted density across each taxon's geographic range, allowing us to estimate overall abundance: 361,900 gorillas and 128,700 chimpanzees in Western Equatorial Africa-substantially higher than previous estimates. These two subspecies represent close to 99% of all gorillas and one-third of all chimpanzees. Annual population decline of gorillas was estimated at 2.7%, maintaining them as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List. We quantified the threats to each taxon, of which the three greatest were poaching, disease, and habitat degradation. Gorillas and chimpanzees are found at higher densities where forest is intact, wildlife laws are enforced, human influence is low, and disease impacts have been low. Strategic use of the results of these analyses could conserve the majority of gorillas and chimpanzees. With around 80% of both subspecies occurring outside protected areas, their conservation requires reinforcement of anti-poaching efforts both inside and outside protected areas (particularly where habitat quality is high and human impact is low), diligent disease control measures (including training, advocacy, and research into Ebola virus disease), and the preservation of high-quality habitat through integrated land-use planning and implementation of best practices by the extractive and agricultural industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Strindberg
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Fiona Maisels
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Stephen Blake
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, Macelwane Hall, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Emma J. Stokes
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Rostand Aba’a
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Gaspard Abitsi
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Anthony Agbor
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | - Ruffin D. Ambahe
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Parfait C. Bakabana
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Martha Bechem
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)–Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE), MIKE Subregional Office, Yaoundé, BP 5506, Cameroon
| | - Antoine Berlemont
- Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | | | - Patrick R. Boundja
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Nicolas Bout
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Thomas Breuer
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Genevieve Campbell
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Pauwel De Wachter
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Marc Ella Akou
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Fidel Esono Mba
- Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Forestal y Gestión del Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas, Bata, Equatorial Guinea
| | - Anna T. C. Feistner
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Bernard Fosso
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Roger Fotso
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - David Greer
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Clement Inkamba-Nkulu
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Calixte F. Iyenguet
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Kathryn J. Jeffery
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK
| | - Max Kokangoye
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Hjalmar S. Kühl
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Robert Bosch Junior Professor, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Leipzig-Jena, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stephanie Latour
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
- The Jane Goodall Institute, 1595 Spring Hill Road, Suite 550, Vienna, VA 22182, USA
| | - Bola Madzoke
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Calixte Makoumbou
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Guy-Aimé F. Malanda
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Richard Malonga
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Victor Mbolo
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - David B. Morgan
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
| | - Prosper Motsaba
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Gabin Moukala
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Brice S. Mowawa
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Mizuki Murai
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | - Christian Ndzai
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Tomoaki Nishihara
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Zacharie Nzooh
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Lilian Pintea
- The Jane Goodall Institute, 1595 Spring Hill Road, Suite 550, Vienna, VA 22182, USA
| | - Amy Pokempner
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Hugo J. Rainey
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Tim Rayden
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Heidi Ruffler
- Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | - Crickette M. Sanz
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Angelique Todd
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Hilde Vanleeuwe
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Ashley Vosper
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Ymke Warren
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - David S. Wilkie
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
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Fitzgerald M, Coulson R, Lawing AM, Matsuzawa T, Koops K. Modeling habitat suitability for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Greater Nimba Landscape, Guinea, West Africa. Primates 2018. [PMID: 29524002 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-018-0657-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Tropical forests and the biodiversity within them are rapidly declining in the face of increasing human populations. Resource management and conservation of endangered species requires an understanding of how species perceive and respond to their environments. Species distribution modeling (SDM) is an appropriate tool for identifying conservation areas of concern and importance. In this study, SDM was used to identify areas of suitable chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) habitat within the Greater Nimba Landscape, Guinea, West Africa. This location was ideal for investigating the effects of landscape structure on habitat suitability due to the topographic variation of the landscape and the Critically Endangered status of the Western chimpanzee. Additionally, this is the only mountainous, long-term chimpanzee study site and little is known about the effects of topography on chimpanzee behavior. Suitable habitat was predicted based on the location of direct and indirect signs of chimpanzee presence and the spatial distribution of 12 biophysical variables within the study area. Model performance was assessed by examining the area under the curve. The overall predictive performance of the model was 0.721. The variables most influencing habitat suitability were the normalized difference vegetation index (37.8%), elevation (27.3%), hierarchical slope position (11.5%), surface brightness (6.6%), and distance to rivers (5.4%). The final model highlighted the isolation and fragmentation of chimpanzee habitat within the Greater Nimba Landscape. Understanding the factors influencing chimpanzee habitat suitability, specifically the biophysical variables considered in this study, will greatly contribute to conservation efforts by providing quantitative habitat information and improving survey efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maegan Fitzgerald
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - Robert Coulson
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.,Knowledge Engineering Laboratory, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - A Michelle Lawing
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | | | - Kathelijne Koops
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Campos FA, Morris WF, Alberts SC, Altmann J, Brockman DK, Cords M, Pusey A, Stoinski TS, Strier KB, Fedigan LM. Does climate variability influence the demography of wild primates? Evidence from long-term life-history data in seven species. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:4907-4921. [PMID: 28589633 DOI: 10.10.1111/gcb.13754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Earth's rapidly changing climate creates a growing need to understand how demographic processes in natural populations are affected by climate variability, particularly among organisms threatened by extinction. Long-term, large-scale, and cross-taxon studies of vital rate variation in relation to climate variability can be particularly valuable because they can reveal environmental drivers that affect multiple species over extensive regions. Few such data exist for animals with slow life histories, particularly in the tropics, where climate variation over large-scale space is asynchronous. As our closest relatives, nonhuman primates are especially valuable as a resource to understand the roles of climate variability and climate change in human evolutionary history. Here, we provide the first comprehensive investigation of vital rate variation in relation to climate variability among wild primates. We ask whether primates are sensitive to global changes that are universal (e.g., higher temperature, large-scale climate oscillations) or whether they are more sensitive to global change effects that are local (e.g., more rain in some places), which would complicate predictions of how primates in general will respond to climate change. To address these questions, we use a database of long-term life-history data for natural populations of seven primate species that have been studied for 29-52 years to investigate associations between vital rate variation, local climate variability, and global climate oscillations. Associations between vital rates and climate variability varied among species and depended on the time windows considered, highlighting the importance of temporal scale in detection of such effects. We found strong climate signals in the fertility rates of three species. However, survival, which has a greater impact on population growth, was little affected by climate variability. Thus, we found evidence for demographic buffering of life histories, but also evidence of mechanisms by which climate change could affect the fates of wild primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando A Campos
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jeanne Altmann
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Diane K Brockman
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Marina Cords
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne Pusey
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tara S Stoinski
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Karen B Strier
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Linda M Fedigan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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28
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Campos FA, Morris WF, Alberts SC, Altmann J, Brockman DK, Cords M, Pusey A, Stoinski TS, Strier KB, Fedigan LM. Does climate variability influence the demography of wild primates? Evidence from long-term life-history data in seven species. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:4907-4921. [PMID: 28589633 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Earth's rapidly changing climate creates a growing need to understand how demographic processes in natural populations are affected by climate variability, particularly among organisms threatened by extinction. Long-term, large-scale, and cross-taxon studies of vital rate variation in relation to climate variability can be particularly valuable because they can reveal environmental drivers that affect multiple species over extensive regions. Few such data exist for animals with slow life histories, particularly in the tropics, where climate variation over large-scale space is asynchronous. As our closest relatives, nonhuman primates are especially valuable as a resource to understand the roles of climate variability and climate change in human evolutionary history. Here, we provide the first comprehensive investigation of vital rate variation in relation to climate variability among wild primates. We ask whether primates are sensitive to global changes that are universal (e.g., higher temperature, large-scale climate oscillations) or whether they are more sensitive to global change effects that are local (e.g., more rain in some places), which would complicate predictions of how primates in general will respond to climate change. To address these questions, we use a database of long-term life-history data for natural populations of seven primate species that have been studied for 29-52 years to investigate associations between vital rate variation, local climate variability, and global climate oscillations. Associations between vital rates and climate variability varied among species and depended on the time windows considered, highlighting the importance of temporal scale in detection of such effects. We found strong climate signals in the fertility rates of three species. However, survival, which has a greater impact on population growth, was little affected by climate variability. Thus, we found evidence for demographic buffering of life histories, but also evidence of mechanisms by which climate change could affect the fates of wild primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando A Campos
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jeanne Altmann
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Diane K Brockman
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Marina Cords
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne Pusey
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tara S Stoinski
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Karen B Strier
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Linda M Fedigan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Ntie S, Davis AR, Hils K, Mickala P, Thomassen HA, Morgan K, Vanthomme H, Gonder MK, Anthony NM. Evaluating the role of Pleistocene refugia, rivers and environmental variation in the diversification of central African duikers (genera Cephalophus and Philantomba). BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:212. [PMID: 28877669 PMCID: PMC5585889 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-1054-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study aims to assess the role that Pleistocene refugia, rivers and local habitat conditions may have played in the evolutionary diversification of three central African duiker species (Cephalophus dorsalis, C. callipygus and Philantomba monticola). Genetic data from geo-referenced feces were collected from a wide range of sites across Central Africa. Historical patterns of population genetic structure were assessed using a ~ 650 bp fragment of the mitochondrial control region and contemporary patterns of genetic differentiation were evaluated using 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Results Mitochondrial analyses revealed that populations of C. callipygus and P. monticola in the Gulf of Guinea refugium are distinct from other populations in west central Africa. All three species exhibit signatures of past population expansion across much of the study area consistent with a history of postglacial expansion. There was no strong evidence for a riverine barrier effect in any of the three species, suggesting that duikers can readily cross major rivers. Generalized dissimilarity models (GDM) showed that environmental variation explains most of the nuclear genetic differentiation in both C. callipygus and P. monticola. The forest-savanna transition across central Cameroon and the Plateaux Batéké region in southeastern Gabon show the highest environmentally-associated turnover in genetic variability. A pattern of genetic differentiation was also evident between the coast and forest interior that may reflect differences in precipitation and/or vegetation. Conclusions Findings from this study highlight the historical impact of Pleistocene fragmentation and current influence of environmental variation on genetic structure in duikers. Conservation efforts should therefore target areas that harbor as much environmentally-associated genetic variation as possible in order to maximize species’ capacity to adapt to environmental change. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-017-1054-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Ntie
- Department of Biology, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, B.P.943, Franceville, Gabon.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA
| | - Anne R Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA
| | - Katrin Hils
- Cheetah Conservation Fund, P.O. Box 1755, Otjiwarongo, Namibia.,Comparative Zoology, Institute for Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Patrick Mickala
- Department of Biology, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, B.P.943, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Henri A Thomassen
- Comparative Zoology, Institute for Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katy Morgan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA
| | - Hadrien Vanthomme
- Département Ecologie et Gestion de la Biodiversité, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS UMR 7179, Avenue du Petit Château, 91800, Brunoy, France
| | - Mary K Gonder
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Nicola M Anthony
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA.
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30
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Portik DM, Leaché AD, Rivera D, Barej MF, Burger M, Hirschfeld M, Rödel M, Blackburn DC, Fujita MK. Evaluating mechanisms of diversification in a Guineo‐Congolian tropical forest frog using demographic model selection. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:5245-5263. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M. Portik
- Department of Biology The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington TX USA
| | - Adam D. Leaché
- Department of Biology University of Washington Seattle WA USA
- Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture University of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Danielle Rivera
- Department of Biology The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington TX USA
| | - Michael F. Barej
- Museum für Naturkunde – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Berlin Germany
| | - Marius Burger
- African Amphibian Conservation Research Group Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management North‐West University Potchefstroom South Africa
- Flora Fauna & Man Ecological Services Ltd. Tortola British Virgin Island
| | - Mareike Hirschfeld
- Museum für Naturkunde – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Berlin Germany
| | - Mark‐Oliver Rödel
- Museum für Naturkunde – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Berlin Germany
| | - David C. Blackburn
- Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Matthew K. Fujita
- Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington TX USA
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FitzGerald AM. Division within the North American boreal forest: Ecological niche divergence between the Bicknell's Thrush ( Catharus bicknelli) and Gray-cheeked Thrush ( C. minimus). Ecol Evol 2017; 7:5285-5295. [PMID: 28770067 PMCID: PMC5528206 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Revised: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sister species that diverged in allopatry in similar environments are expected to exhibit niche conservatism. Using ecological niche modeling and a multivariate analysis of climate and habitat data, I test the hypothesis that the Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) and Gray‐cheeked Thrush (C. mimimus), sister species that breed in the North American boreal forest, show niche conservatism. Three tree species that are important components of breeding territories of both thrush species were combined with climatic variables to create niche models consisting of abiotic and biotic components. Abiotic‐only, abiotic+biotic, and biotic‐only models were evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) criterion. Abiotic+biotic models had higher AUC scores and did not over‐project thrush distributions compared to abiotic‐only or biotic‐only models. From the abiotic+biotic models, I tested for niche conservatism or divergence by accounting for the differences in the availability of niche components by calculating (1) niche overlap from ecological niche models and (2) mean niche differences of environmental values at occurrence points. Niche background similarity tests revealed significant niche divergence in 10 of 12 comparisons, and multivariate tests revealed niche divergence along 2 of 3 niche axes. The Bicknell's Thrush breeds in warmer and wetter regions with a high abundance of balsam fir (Abies balsamea), whereas Gray‐cheeked Thrush often co‐occurs with black spruce (Picea mariana). Niche divergence, rather than conservatism, was the predominant pattern for these species, suggesting that ecological divergence has played a role in the speciation of the Bicknell's Thrush and Gray‐cheeked Thrush. Furthermore, because niche models were improved by the incorporation of biotic variables, this study validates the inclusion of relevant biotic factors in ecological niche modeling to increase model accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa M FitzGerald
- Department of Biological Sciences University at Albany Albany NY USA.,New York State Museum 3140 Cultural Education CenterAlbany NY USA
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Johnson SA, Ober HK, Adams DC. Are keystone species effective umbrellas for habitat conservation? A spatially explicit approach. J Nat Conserv 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Estrada A, Garber PA, Rylands AB, Roos C, Fernandez-Duque E, Di Fiore A, Nekaris KAI, Nijman V, Heymann EW, Lambert JE, Rovero F, Barelli C, Setchell JM, Gillespie TR, Mittermeier RA, Arregoitia LV, de Guinea M, Gouveia S, Dobrovolski R, Shanee S, Shanee N, Boyle SA, Fuentes A, MacKinnon KC, Amato KR, Meyer ALS, Wich S, Sussman RW, Pan R, Kone I, Li B. Impending extinction crisis of the world's primates: Why primates matter. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1600946. [PMID: 28116351 PMCID: PMC5242557 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1600946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 595] [Impact Index Per Article: 85.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Nonhuman primates, our closest biological relatives, play important roles in the livelihoods, cultures, and religions of many societies and offer unique insights into human evolution, biology, behavior, and the threat of emerging diseases. They are an essential component of tropical biodiversity, contributing to forest regeneration and ecosystem health. Current information shows the existence of 504 species in 79 genera distributed in the Neotropics, mainland Africa, Madagascar, and Asia. Alarmingly, ~60% of primate species are now threatened with extinction and ~75% have declining populations. This situation is the result of escalating anthropogenic pressures on primates and their habitats-mainly global and local market demands, leading to extensive habitat loss through the expansion of industrial agriculture, large-scale cattle ranching, logging, oil and gas drilling, mining, dam building, and the construction of new road networks in primate range regions. Other important drivers are increased bushmeat hunting and the illegal trade of primates as pets and primate body parts, along with emerging threats, such as climate change and anthroponotic diseases. Often, these pressures act in synergy, exacerbating primate population declines. Given that primate range regions overlap extensively with a large, and rapidly growing, human population characterized by high levels of poverty, global attention is needed immediately to reverse the looming risk of primate extinctions and to attend to local human needs in sustainable ways. Raising global scientific and public awareness of the plight of the world's primates and the costs of their loss to ecosystem health and human society is imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Estrada
- Institute of Biology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, CP 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Paul A. Garber
- Department of Anthropology, Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Anthony B. Rylands
- Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | - Christian Roos
- Gene Bank of Primates and Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Anthony Di Fiore
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78705, USA
| | | | - Vincent Nijman
- Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, U.K
| | - Eckhard W. Heymann
- Abteilung Verhaltensökologie und Soziobiologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Kellnerweg 4, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Joanna E. Lambert
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1350 Pleasant Street UCB 233, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Francesco Rovero
- Tropical Biodiversity Section, MUSE—Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
| | - Claudia Barelli
- Tropical Biodiversity Section, MUSE—Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
| | - Joanna M. Setchell
- Department of Anthropology, and Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, U.K
| | - Thomas R. Gillespie
- Departments of Environmental Sciences and Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 400 Dowman Drive, Math and Science Center, Suite E510, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | | | | | - Miguel de Guinea
- Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, U.K
| | - Sidney Gouveia
- Department of Ecology, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE 49100-000, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Dobrovolski
- Department of Zoology, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, BA 40170-290, Brazil
| | - Sam Shanee
- Neotropical Primate Conservation, 23 Portland Road, Manchester M32 0PH, U.K
- Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation Perú, 1187 Avenida Belaunde, La Esperanza, Yambrasbamba, Bongará, Amazonas, Peru
| | - Noga Shanee
- Neotropical Primate Conservation, 23 Portland Road, Manchester M32 0PH, U.K
- Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation Perú, 1187 Avenida Belaunde, La Esperanza, Yambrasbamba, Bongará, Amazonas, Peru
| | - Sarah A. Boyle
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, USA
| | - Agustin Fuentes
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Katherine C. MacKinnon
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Katherine R. Amato
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1810 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Andreas L. S. Meyer
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, C.P. 19020, Curitiba, PR 81531-990, Brazil
| | - Serge Wich
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, James Parsons Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, U.K
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Robert W. Sussman
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Ruliang Pan
- School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, University of Western Australia (M309), 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Inza Kone
- Centre Suisse des Recherches Scientifiques, Université de Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
| | - Baoguo Li
- Xi’an Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, No. 229, Taibai North Road, Xi’an 710069, China
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Locatelli S, Harrigan RJ, Sesink Clee PR, Mitchell MW, McKean KA, Smith TB, Gonder MK. Why Are Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ellioti) Free of SIVcpz Infection? PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160788. [PMID: 27505066 PMCID: PMC4978404 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 07/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) naturally infects two subspecies of chimpanzee: Pan troglodytes troglodytes from Central Africa (SIVcpzPtt) and P. t. schweinfurtii from East Africa (SIVcpzPts), but is absent in P. t. verus from West Africa and appears to be absent in P. t. ellioti inhabiting Nigeria and western Cameroon. One explanation for this pattern is that P. t. troglodytes and P. t schweinfurthii may have acquired SIVcpz after their divergence from P. t. verus and P. t. ellioti. However, all of the subspecies, except P. t. verus, still occasionally exchange migrants making the absence of SIVcpz in P. t. ellioti puzzling. Sampling of P. t. ellioti has been minimal to date, particularly along the banks of the Sanaga River, where its range abuts that of P. t. troglodytes. This study had three objectives. First, we extended the sampling of SIVcpz across the range of chimpanzees north of the Sanaga River to address whether under-sampling might account for the absence of evidence for SIVcpz infection in P. t. ellioti. Second, we investigated how environmental variation is associated with the spread and prevalence of SIVcpz in the two chimpanzee subspecies inhabiting Cameroon since environmental variation has been shown to contribute to their divergence from one another. Finally, we compared the prevalence and distribution of SIVcpz with that of Simian Foamy Virus (SFV) to examine the role of ecology and behavior in shaping the distribution of diseases in wild host populations. The dataset includes previously published results on SIVcpz infection and SFVcpz as well as newly collected data, and represents over 1000 chimpanzee fecal samples from 41 locations across Cameroon. Results revealed that none of the 181 P. t. ellioti fecal samples collected across the range of P. t. ellioti tested positive for SIVcpz. In addition, species distribution models suggest that environmental variation contributes to differences in the distribution and prevalence of SIVcpz and SFVcpz. The ecological niches of these two viruses are largely non-overlapping, although stronger statistical support for this conclusion will require more sampling. Overall this study demonstrates that SIVcpz infection is absent or very rare in P. t. ellioti, despite multiple opportunities for transmission. The reasons for its absence remain unclear, but might be explained by one or more factors, including environmental variation, viral competition, and/or local adaptation—all of which should be explored in greater detail through continued surveillance of this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Locatelli
- Unité Mixte Internationale 233, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, INSERM U1175, and University of Montpellier, 34394 Montpellier, France
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany – State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Ryan J. Harrigan
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States of America
| | - Paul R. Sesink Clee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany – State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States of America
| | - Matthew W Mitchell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany – State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States of America
| | - Kurt A. McKean
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany – State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, United States of America
| | - Thomas B. Smith
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States of America
| | - Mary Katherine Gonder
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany – State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States of America
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Mitchell MW, Locatelli S, Sesink Clee PR, Thomassen HA, Gonder MK. Environmental variation and rivers govern the structure of chimpanzee genetic diversity in a biodiversity hotspot. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:1. [PMID: 25608511 PMCID: PMC4314796 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0274-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The mechanisms that underlie the diversification of tropical animals remain poorly understood, but new approaches that combine geo-spatial modeling with spatially explicit genetic data are providing fresh insights on this topic. Data about the diversification of tropical mammals remain particularly sparse, and vanishingly few opportunities exist to study endangered large mammals that increasingly exist only in isolated pockets. The chimpanzees of Cameroon represent a unique opportunity to examine the mechanisms that promote genetic differentiation in tropical mammals because the region is home to two chimpanzee subspecies: Pan troglodytes ellioti and P. t. trogolodytes. Their ranges converge in central Cameroon, which is a geographically, climatically and environmentally complex region that presents an unparalleled opportunity to examine the roles of rivers and/or environmental variation in influencing the evolution of chimpanzee populations. Results We analyzed microsatellite genotypes and mtDNA HVRI sequencing data from wild chimpanzees sampled at a fine geographic scale across Cameroon and eastern Nigeria using a spatially explicit approach based upon Generalized Dissimilarity Modeling. Both the Sanaga River and environmental variation were found to contribute to driving separation of the subspecies. The importance of environmental variation differed among subspecies. Gene-environment associations were weak in P. t. troglodytes, whereas environmental variation was found to play a much larger role in shaping patterns of genetic differentiation in P. t. ellioti. Conclusions We found that both the Sanaga River and environmental variation likely play a role in shaping patterns of chimpanzee genetic diversity. Future studies using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data are necessary to further understand how rivers and environmental variation contribute to shaping patterns of genetic variation in chimpanzees. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-014-0274-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W Mitchell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia 19104, Pennsylvania, USA.
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The population genetics of wild chimpanzees in Cameroon and Nigeria suggests a positive role for selection in the evolution of chimpanzee subspecies. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:3. [PMID: 25608610 PMCID: PMC4314757 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0276-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) can be divided into four subspecies. Substantial phylogenetic evidence suggests that these subspecies can be grouped into two distinct lineages: a western African group that includes P. t. verus and P. t. ellioti and a central/eastern African group that includes P. t. troglodytes and P. t. schweinfurthii. The geographic division of these two lineages occurs in Cameroon, where the rages of P. t. ellioti and P. t. troglodytes appear to converge at the Sanaga River. Remarkably, few population genetic studies have included wild chimpanzees from this region. RESULTS We analyzed microsatellite genotypes of 187 wild, unrelated chimpanzees, and mitochondrial control region sequencing data from 604 chimpanzees. We found that chimpanzees in Cameroon and eastern Nigeria comprise at least two, and likely three populations. Both the mtDNA and microsatellite data suggest that there is a primary separation of P. t. troglodytes in southern Cameroon from P. t. ellioti north and west of the Sanaga River. These two populations split ~200-250 thousand years ago (kya), but have exchanged one migrant per generation since separating. In addition, P. t. ellioti consists of two populations that split from one another ~4 kya. One population is located in the rainforests of western Cameroon and eastern Nigeria, whereas the second population appears to be confined to a savannah-woodland mosaic in central Cameroon. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that there are as many as three genetically distinct populations of chimpanzees in Cameroon and eastern Nigeria. P. t. troglodytes in southern Cameroon comprises one population that is separated from two populations of P. t. ellioti in western and central Cameroon, respectively. P. t. ellioti and P. t. troglodytes appear to be characterized by a pattern of isolation-with-migration, and thus, we propose that neutral processes alone can not explain the differentiation of P. t. ellioti and P. t. troglodytes.
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