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Forest cover and matrix functionality drive the abundance and reproductive success of an endangered primate in two fragmented rainforests

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Abstract

Context

Understanding population responses to landscape structure is critical to improve landscape planning. Yet, large uncertainty remains about how such responses vary among regions with different disturbance intensity. This knowledge is particularly important for forest-specialist species, such as spider monkeys.

Objectives

Assessing the effect of landscape composition and configuration on the abundance and reproductive success of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) in two fragmented rainforests with different land-use intensity.

Methods

We calculated the encounter rate (relative abundance) and immature-to-female ratio (reproductive success) of spider monkeys in two Mexican rainforest regions (12 forest patches per region, ~ 1140 h of field observations), and assessed their responses to three landscape predictors (forest cover, matrix functionality, and forest patch density) considering the scale of effect in each region.

Results

Spider monkeys showed different responses to landscape structure in each region. Encounter rate increased strongly with matrix functionality in the more disturbed region, and tended to be negatively impacted by patch density in the best-preserved region, but this latter association was weak. Forest cover was positively related to immature-to-female ratio in both regions, but such association was stronger in the best-preserved region.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that forest loss has stronger negative effects on spider monkeys than forest fragmentation, especially in best-preserved rainforests. Matrix composition is relatively more important in more disturbed regions, where monkeys may be pushed to use the matrix more frequently for feeding and/or traveling. Preventing forest loss and improving matrix quality should be a priority for the conservation of this endangered species.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the landowners of Uxpanapa Valley and Marqués de Comillas region for allowing us to collect data on their properties. We thank the financial support provided by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT) (Project 2015-253946). C.G.A. obtained a scholarship from CONACyT, Mexico and a Rufford Small Grant (18689-1). We thank The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for the CLASlite software license. We also thank the support (infrastructure, logistics and administration team) provided by the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad (IIES-UNAM). Part of the writing was done while V.A.R. was on a sabbatical stay at Carleton University, funded by PASPA-DGAPA-UNAM. H. Ferreira, A. Valencia and A. López provided technical support. G.R.F. received logistic support from the Instituto Politécnico Nacional and travel support from the National Geographic Society.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Carmen Galán-Acedo & Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez

  2. Laboratorio de Primates, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico

    Alejandro Estrada

  3. Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional (CIIDIR) Unidad Oaxaca, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Oaxaca de Juárez, 71230, Oaxaca, Mexico

    Gabriel Ramos-Fernández

  4. Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), 04510, Mexico City, Mexico

    Gabriel Ramos-Fernández

Authors
  1. Carmen Galán-Acedo
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  2. Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez
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  3. Alejandro Estrada
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  4. Gabriel Ramos-Fernández
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez.

Ethics declarations

Research involving human and animal rights

This research was approved by the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) of Mexico (No. SGPA/DGVS/10837/14). No animals were captured or handled, so the research adhered to the American Society of Primatologists Principles for the Ethical Treatment of Non-Human Primates and the legal requirements of Mexico. All study patches are private lands, and we obtained all required permits to work on them from the landowners.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Galán-Acedo, C., Arroyo-Rodríguez, V., Estrada, A. et al. Forest cover and matrix functionality drive the abundance and reproductive success of an endangered primate in two fragmented rainforests. Landscape Ecol 34, 147–158 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-018-0753-6

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