Primate Conservation Biology (original) (raw)
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The conservation of African primates: state of the art, problems and perspectives
Tlse irupoÉance of primates in the conseruation o;f Aftotropical ecoslstems ls hlghlighted alo g Loitb case studies illustuating their different roles as key elemenx in the fuxctioning of tropical foresî communities, as bioindicators, and as taryet species in tbe d.euelopmext of ecotourism. Since pimates, particular$ apes, are the focus of nanJ) coflseraatiofl proglammes and effolts, tbe prcsetuation of these flagship species often facilítates the conseruatlon of enthe forest ecosystems ubicb uould otheruise renain uflprotected.. Tbe airxs, techniques afld strategies of plimate conseruation projects are.critically vnall,zecl, togetbet aith tbe eualuatlox ctiteria of species conseruation printl.ties. The inportance ìx biodiuersitl conseruatiox planníng of geogtaphic aariation and subspecies is outÌined. The rcleoance of experimental rctearcb on dffirent populatlons in otder to achieue a better knouledge of genetic distance axd the phylogenetíc rclationsbips among plinrate taxa k empbasized. This objectíue, owing to tbe scarcity of funds aoailab/e for bíological conseruation, is rleemed. essextíal ir order to properly estimate the conseloation ualue of many taxa. Paúiculat emphasls ís giuen to the identifìcation of small forested areas uhere the occurrence of endemíc plimate taxa is often associated uitb euolutionary ticissitudis ahich haue also ínuolued many other lesser knoun organisms of great scientific íxterest. Finally, the role of pritnates as a food rcsource for many African peoples is described, as well as their importaxce ìx tbe tural economy as tmd.e and. excbange items, frotn hamlets to cities. Such exploìtation of game, together uith tbe carrent increase of hutxax populations and tbe auailability of guns, has led to the local extirpatíon of sone primate specíes long before destruction of habitats. Adequate etbnozoological research throughout tbe contíneflt is essential ta dttain a dctailed knowbdge of tbe paúicalar socío-economic reality of modern day Afríca, uhicb still requires the inteftse exploítatíofl of wildlife prcclucx at d.ìfferent leoelg sct as tct gualafltee the long-term success of biologìcal conseruation ptogtamrues.
Threatened primates of Africa: The IUCN red data book
Biological Conservation, 1990
tend to live in or near the area of their birth and thus cannot migrate to escape the effects of deleterious habitat changes. Behaviourally they are complex, living in structured social groups, often recognizing kin over several generations, forming long-lasting relationships with other individuals, and many require the exchange of individuals between groups before reproducing. The survival of primate taxa is thus markedly affected by individual reproductive potential, which in turn is influenced by an individual's ability to maintain long-term relationships within the context of its social group as well as that of the surrounding groups. Environmental changeshabitat destruction or hunting pressuresall decrease the reproductive potential of primates, and can lead to rapid local extinctions. Small, genetically and socially isolated populations tend to result from the fragmentation of habitats. Such populations show increas'id vulnerability to the problems of disease, inbreeding and human pressures, potentially resulting in rapid local extinctions. Primates thus can be indicators of the severity of the changes in a habitat. It is interesting that among the African primates, high levels of local genetic diversity and endemism have resulted from changes on the geological, rather than the human, time scale, and reflect the adaptations of primates to local ecological changes. Monitoring of the populations of primate species may allow us to assess the longer-term impact of human resource exploitation on the habitat as a whole. Primates are a major component of the tropical ecosystems within which they live, and in some areas make up a large proportion of the mammalian biomass. They can affect leaf production on tree species and serve as dispersal agents for many species of seeds. They are both predators of other small mammals (and some birds), and prey for large carnivores such as leopards, many species of raptors and snakes. Unfortunately, they are also prey for the human species, and this has led to declines in their numbers. Threatened Primates of Africa Most African primates do not exist as isolated taxa within an area of habitat but are intimately interrelated to the community as a whole. Many primate species associate with other primates while foraging and travelling; such associations can serve to minimize the effects of predation or increase information exchange about the locations of foods. Indeed, in some forests such as those in Sierra Leone, in the Cote d'lvoire, the Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda and Kibale Forest in Uganda, as many as nine primate species co-exist, interact, and live at high densities. The mammalian diversity of these forests is accounted for primarily by the primates. With the maintenance of biological diversity being of the highest conservation concern, then an understanding of the role of primates within their community is an essential conservation priority. The community dynamics of African forest ecosystems are in the process of being examined, and are still poorly understood. Primates play a major role in structuring the community in some forested habitats, through interactions with trees and other food plants, in their role as predators, and as prey. Their removal through extinctions will increase the vulnerability of the entire system. Primates thus cannot be viewed as isolated components of a community; their presence or absence has imphcations for the continuance of a variety of plant, invertebrate and vertebrate species. The lUCN Red Data Book DATA SHEETS The organization of the data sheets The data sheets usually describe a single species. Each listing gives the common English name (where known), the scientific name, the assessment of its lUCN category (see below) and a brief summary of the information available on the species' distribution, population sizes, habitats and ecology, threats, and conservation measures. Each of these topics is then covered in detail, and followed by a statement of captive breeding, and remarks on description of the species, taxonomy and acknowledgements. References to published information and correspondence with consulting experts complete each sheet (see Appendix A). In cases where a subspecies is known to be "Endangered" while the species as a whole is less at risk, information is given separately for that subspecies. In some cases, the data sheets present information for a species on a country by country basis, since the laws pertaining to wildlife and the problems faced by a species may be specific to a particular nation. This is especially true when a species is found in many different countriessuch as the Chimpanzee {Pan troglodytes) which occurs in 25 nations. Legislation covering African Primates Many of the species considered in this book are covered by national wildlife, conservation, or hunting regulations. Wherever possible, the relevant legislation has been presented. The lUCN Environmental Law Centre: Wildlife Laws has been consulted for appropriate national laws and regulations. A further source of information is the lUCN/WWF (Traffic (U.S.A.) publication The International Primate Trade, Vol. L (1984), edited by D. Mack and R.A. Mittermeier. Two international agreements restrict the killing, capture and trade in African primate species. The first is that of the African Convention (1969), signed by 28 nations and signed but not ratified by a further 14. This agreement undertakes the signatories to adopt measures necessary to ensure conservation, utilization and development, and to accord special protection to those animal and plant species that are threatened with extinction, or which may become so, and to the habitats necessary for their survival. Protected species are designated in Class A of the Convention, and may be hunted, killed, captured or collected only on the authorization of the highest competent authority, if required in the national interest or for scientific purposes. All other primates, except the common Baboon {Papio species) are considered under Class B of the Convention, and may be hunted, killed, captured or collected only under special authorization granted by the competent authority. The second international agreement is that of the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Species are listed in two appendices. Appendix 1 lists species threatened with extinction. Trade in the species or their products listed on Appendix 1 is subject to strict regulation by ratifying nations, and trade for primarily commercial purposes is banned. Appendix 2 lists species that could become endangered if trade is not controlled. Trade between ratifying nations in species or their products listed on Appendix 2 is subject to regulation and monitoring of its effects. Species that are difficult to distinguish from listed species are also included on Appendix 2, to prevent illegal trade through misidentification. The protection given to each species under the two agreements is listed on the separate data sheets. In Appendix B, those species protected from trade, and from hunting or capture are presented, along with a number of "Endangered" species whose status should be reconsidered. Request for further information The data sheets are continually reviewed and updated. No statement is definitiveexcept, possibly, for that of extinction. While the data sheets are as accurate as possible, they do rely on information that must be provided by those in the field, and conditions are seldom constant Perodicticus potto Subfamily Galaginae Galago alleni Galago demidovii Galago thomasi Galago inustus Galago senegalensis Galago zandbaricus Galago elegantulus Galago crassicaudatus Galago gamettii Family CERCOPITHECroAE Subfamily Cercopithecinae Macaca sylvanus Cercocebus atys Cercocebus torquatus Cercocebus galeritus C. g. galeritus C. galeritus subspecies "sanjei" Cercocebus albigenia Cercocebus aterrimus Pajxo pajHO Papio cynocephalus Papio ursinus Papio hamadryas Theropithecus gelada Mandrillus sphinx Mandrillus leucophaeus Cercopithecus diana Cercopithecus salongo Cercopithecus neglectus CercojHthecus hamlyni Cercopithecus Ihoesti Cercopithecus preussi Cercopithecus solatus Cercopithecus albogularis Cercopithecus mitis Cercojxthecus nictitans Cercopithecus petaurista Cercopithecus erythrogaster Cercopithecus erythrotis Cercofdthecus cephus Cercopithecus ascanius Cercopithecus mono Cercojxthecus aethiops Miopithecus talapoin Allenopithecus nigroviridis Erythrocebus patas Angwantibo The lUCN Red Data Book Subfamily Colobinae
What hope for African primate diversity
Available empirical evidence suggests that many primate populations are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic actions and we present evidence to indicate that Africa is a continent of particular concern in terms of global primate conservation. We review the causes and consequences of decline in primate diversity in Africa and argue that the major causes of decline fall into four interrelated categories: deforestation, bushmeat harvest, disease and climate change. We go on to evaluate the rarity and distribution of species to identify those species that may be particularly vulnerable to threats and examine whether these species share any characteristic traits. Two factors are identified that suggest that our current evaluation of extinction risk may be overly optimistic; evidence suggests that the value of existing forest fragments may have been credited with greater conservation value in supporting primate populations than they actually have and it is clear that the extinction debt from historical deforestation has not being adequately considered. We use this evaluation to suggest what future actions will be advantageous to advance primate conservation in Africa and evaluate some very positive conservation gains that are currently occurring.
PeerJ, 2018
Primates occur in 90 countries, but four-Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)-harbor 65% of the world's primate species (439) and 60% of these primates are Threatened, Endangered, or Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017-3). Considering their importance for global primate conservation, we examine the anthropogenic pressures each country is facing that place their primate populations at risk. Habitat loss and fragmentation are main threats to primates in Brazil, Madagascar, and Indonesia. However, in DRC hunting for the commercial bushmeat trade is the primary threat. Encroachment on primate habitats driven by local and global market demands for food and non-food commodities hunting, illegal trade, the proliferation of invasive species, and human and domestic-animal borne infectious diseases cause habitat loss, population declines, and extirpation. Modeling agricultural expansion in the 21st century for the four c...
Impending extinction crisis of the world's primates: Why primates matter
Nonhuman primates, our closest biological relatives, play important roles in the livelihoods, cultures, and religions of many societies and offer unique insights into human evolution, biology, behavior, and the threat of emerging diseases. They are an essential component of tropical biodiversity, contributing to forest regeneration and ecosystem health. Current information shows the existence of 504 species in 79 genera distributed in the Neotropics, mainland Africa, Madagascar, and Asia. Alarmingly, ~60% of primate species are now threatened with extinction and ~75% have declining populations. This situation is the result of escalating anthropogenic pressures on primates and their habitats— mainly global and local market demands, leading to extensive habitat loss through the expansion of industrial agriculture , large-scale cattle ranching, logging, oil and gas drilling, mining, dam building, and the construction of new road networks in primate range regions. Other important drivers are increased bushmeat hunting and the illegal trade of primates as pets and primate body parts, along with emerging threats, such as climate change and anthroponotic diseases. Often, these pressures act in synergy, exacerbating primate population declines. Given that primate range regions overlap extensively with a large, and rapidly growing, human population characterized by high levels of poverty, global attention is needed immediately to reverse the looming risk of primate extinctions and to attend to local human needs in sustainable ways. Raising global scientific and public awareness of the plight of the world's primates and the costs of their loss to ecosystem health and human society is imperative.