Primate Conservation in South America: The~Human and Ecological Dimensions of the Problem

Abstract

South America is the fourth largest of the Earth’s seven continents (after Asia, Africa, and North America), occupying 17,820,900 sq km (6,880,700 sq mi), or 12 percent of the Earth’s land surface. The region holds the world’s interest as a result of having been the cradle of sophisticated civilizations of mankind such as the Valdivia (Ecuador), Chavin and: Chachapoyas-Aymaran kingdoms (Bolivia and southern Peru), Huari Empire (Central and northern Peru), Muisca (Colombia), and the Inca (Peru), among others (Encyclopedia Britannica 2006). South America is also considered to be one of the world’s most important centers of the origin of genetic diversity and of domestication of important agricultural crops. Its indigenous peoples bred potatoes, maize, squash, various beans, manioc, and chili peppers, among others, from wild species endemic to the region (FAO 2001), and domesticated llamas and alpacas in the highlands of the Andes ca 3500 BC (The The Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online 2005; Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006). A major geographical region contributing to the high biological diversity of South America is the Amazon basin. The basin encompasses an area about 7 million sq km in size. This vast equatorial ecosystem is home to one-fifth of the planet’s plant and animal species (CBD/UNDP 2006). South America is characterized by high biological richness and high ethnic and cultural diversity. A unique feature of its fauna is a lack of affinity with the fauna of other continents, including North America north of the Mexican Plateau. Found throughout are families of mammals strictly confined to the region, including many species of primates. South America harbors a high diversity of primates represented by about 200 taxa, many of which are only found in specific regions (IUCN/SSC/PSG 2006), and new species are still being discovered (e.g., van Roosmalen, van Roosmalen and Mittermeier 2002). This fauna is an important component of the native vegetation in the region and