Abstract
Many primate populations inhabit anthropogenic landscapes. Understanding their long-term ability to persist in such environments and associated real and perceived risks for both primates and people is essential for effective conservation planning. Primates in forest–agricultural mosaics often consume cultivars to supplement their diet, leading to potentially negative encounters with farmers. When crossing roads, primates also face the risk of encounters with people and collision with vehicles. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Bossou, Guinea, West Africa, face such risks regularly. In this study, we aimed to examine their activity budget across habitat types and the influence of anthropogenic risks associated with cultivated fields, roads, and paths on their foraging behavior in noncultivated habitat. We conducted 6-h morning or afternoon follows daily from April 2012 to March 2013. Chimpanzees preferentially used forest habitat types for traveling and resting and highly disturbed habitat types for socializing. Wild fruit and crop availability influenced seasonal habitat use for foraging. Overall, chimpanzees preferred mature forest for all activities. They showed a significant preference for foraging at >200 m from cultivated fields compared to 0–100 m and 101–200 m, with no effect of habitat type or season, suggesting an influence of associated risk. Nevertheless, the chimpanzees did not actively avoid foraging close to roads and paths. Our study reveals chimpanzee reliance on different habitat types and the influence of human-induced pressures on their activities. Such information is critical for the establishment of effective land use management strategies in anthropogenic landscapes.
Highlights
IntroductionHabitat loss due to deforestation and land conversion are major causes of the decline of nonhuman primate (hereafter primate) species (Chapman and Peres 2001; Estrada 2013)
Habitat loss due to deforestation and land conversion are major causes of the decline of nonhuman primate species (Chapman and Peres 2001; Estrada 2013)
Our study revealed that the chimpanzee community inhabiting the highly heterogeneous anthropogenic landscape of Bossou used different habitat types with varying frequency depending on season and behavioral activity
Summary
Habitat loss due to deforestation and land conversion are major causes of the decline of nonhuman primate (hereafter primate) species (Chapman and Peres 2001; Estrada 2013). The continued degradation of forested areas, together with ongoing human population growth across most primate range countries, means that many primate populations occur in forest–agricultural mosaics (Estrada 2013) Primates inhabiting these landscapes face multiple challenges including habitat degradation and fragmentation, human infrastructures such as roads or settlements, and increased encounters with people (Hockings et al 2015). Recent studies have revealed that many primates prefer areas with lower disturbance levels [chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys): Brncic et al 2015; bonobos (Pan paniscus): Hickey et al 2013; chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas (Gorilla spp.): Junker et al 2012; chimpanzees: Plumptre et al 2010; mountain gorillas (G. beringei beringei): van Gils and Kayijamahe 2010; orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus): Wich et al 2012] These broad-scale studies have yielded important insights into the factors that influence the spatial distribution of a species on a national or regional scale. Such studies can help to inform land use planning aimed at balancing species conservation and development at a local scale in human-dominated environments
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