Abstract
The transformation and depletion of primary forest over the past few decades have placed almost half of the world’s primate species under the threat of extinction. Developing any successful conservation program for primates requires distribution and demography data, as well as an understanding of the relationships between these factors and their habitat. Between March and June 2010 and 2011 we collected data on the presence and demographic parameters of howler and spider monkeys by carrying out surveys, and validated our findings using local knowledge. We then examined the relationship between forest type and the presence of these primates at 54 sites in the northern area of the Selva Zoque Corridor, Mexico. We detected 86 spider monkey groups across 31 plots and censused 391 individuals (mean ± SD = 5.9 ± 3.0 individuals per sub-group, n = 67 sub-groups). We also detected 69 howler monkey groups across 30 plots and censused 117 individuals (mean ± SD = 5.3 ± 2.4 individuals per group, n = 22 groups). Howler monkey presence was not related to any specific vegetation type, while spider monkeys were present in areas with a higher percentage of tall forest (trees > 25 m high). Overall, spider monkeys were more prevalent than howler monkeys in our sampling sites and showed demographic characteristics similar to those in better protected areas, suggesting that the landscape features in the Uxpanapa Valley are suitable for their needs. Conversely, howler monkey presence was found to be more limited than in other regions, possibly due to the extended presence of spider monkeys.
Highlights
The degradation of tropical habitats has reduced the population sizes of many species to critical levels (Volis and Deng 2020)
The percentage of tall evergreen forest (TEF) was the strongest predictor of spider monkey presence (β = 0.12, SE = 0.05, z-value = 2.73, p = 0.01; Supplementary Table S5), while percentage of secondary forest (SF) showed a negative association with presence (β = − 0.07, SE = 0.03, z-value = − 2.16, p = 0.03)
We found more plots occupied by spider than howler monkeys, despite spider monkeys being considered highly vulnerable to forest loss (Galán-Acedo et al 2019b; Ramos-Fernandez and Wallace 2008; Spaan et al 2020), whilst howler monkeys show adaptability to altered landscapes (Alcocer-Rodríguez et al 2020; BiccaMarques 2003)
Summary
The degradation of tropical habitats has reduced the population sizes of many species to critical levels (Volis and Deng 2020) This is true for non-human primates (hereafter ‘primates’), with 75% of primate species decreasing globally (Cuarón et al 2020; Estrada et al 2017, 2020). Verified primate distribution and demographic data are still limited in several regions of Mexico, including the Selva Zoque Corridor This area was highlighted as a priority location for the collection of Mexican mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata mexicana) and spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) population data by the Mexican Primate Conservation Assessment and Management Plan and the Species at Risk Conservation Program [Rodríguez-Luna et al 2009; Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) 2012]. There is an urgent need for further demographic surveys, as the data obtained from these may be key to the future management and conservation of these primates (Dunn et al 2014)
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