Abstract
Non-human primates are highly threatened as a result of habitat destruction, agricultural expansion, industrial development, large-scale build-ups and wildlife trafficking. Nearly 60% of all primates are threatened and many are found in habitats with some form of human modifications (e.g., croplands and plantations). The adaptability of primates to survive in human-modified habitats is thus a key to determine their persistence in anthropogenic landscapes. In this study, we examined the population number and age-sex composition of the ‘Endangered’ Golden Langur Trachypithecus geei in a rubber plantation in the Kokrajhar District in Assam, India in 2016, and compared with past data of the langur population and demographics from the same location to better understand the population dynamics, demographic characters and persistence of the Golden Langurs in the rubber plantation. In 2016, we recorded six groups of Golden Langurs totaling 78 individuals with a mean group size of 13.00±4.00SD. Of the total population, 10.29% were adult males, 41.18% were adult females, 32.35% were juveniles and 16.18% were infants. The overall population growth from 1997 to 2016 was estimated to be 5.54% per year. Habitat matrices of rubber plantations with natural forest patches are important in the fragmented landscape for the persistence of Golden Langur populations. They may also act as a corridor for the langurs to move between the fragments and as food resources, highlighting the importance of such matrices for the langurs outside protected areas. Population monitoring and ecological studies in such matrices would therefore be needed for the successful implementation of targeted management strategies for the conservation of these threatened langurs.
Highlights
Forest loss and habitat degradation that is primarily driven by agricultural expansion and intensification (Gibbs et al 2010; Foley et al 2011), are the major threats to biodiversity (Maxwell et al 2016)
The rubber plantations started in 1985 and Golden Langurs were reported at the same time which indicated that the area was once the natural habitat of Golden Langurs (Medhi et al 2004)
By excluding the data from Group 1 where we were unsure of the demographics of some of the individuals, the age-sex composition of the population was 10.29% (N= 7) adult males, 41.18% (N= 28) adult females, 32.35% (N= 22) juveniles and 16.18% (N= 11) infants
Summary
Forest loss and habitat degradation that is primarily driven by agricultural expansion and intensification (Gibbs et al 2010; Foley et al 2011), are the major threats to biodiversity (Maxwell et al 2016). This anthropogenic modification of ecosystems is globally widespread, resulting in many primate species living in human-modified landscapes (Cowlishaw 1999; Cowlishaw & Dunbar 2000; Chapman & Peres 2001) with remnant patches of natural vegetation (Prevedello & Vieira 2010; Watling et al 2011). The lack of information on their ecological traits to utilize human-modified habitats greatly limits our ability to implement targeted landscape management strategies for their conservation
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