Non-human primates are coming into increasingly frequent contact with humans and with human-modified environments. The potential for monkeys to survive in such modified landscapes is questionable, and is likely related to a species' behavioral plasticity, particularly as it relates to diet. In this study, I explore the ways in which white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) adjust their diet and foraging behaviors in response to anthropogenic impact. I compare a troop of human-commensal monkeys and a similar troop of wild-feeding monkeys living within the Curú Wildlife Refuge in western Costa Rica for differences in overall diet composition and activity budgets to evaluate the impact of habitat change in this context. The commensal-living white-faced capuchins rely on raided coconut (Cocos nucifera) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) crops and provisioned or stolen human foods for over one-half of their total diet. Regardless of this highly anthropogenic diet, the two study troops do not significantly differ in their activity budgets, and the human-commensal troop maintains wild-foraging activities consistent with those of the wild-feeding troop. These data suggest that the white-faced capuchins at this site are responding to anthropogenic disturbance primarily through the exploitation of human food resources, but they do not yet appear to have lost the foraging skills required to survive in this modified landscape on their own. This study adds to our growing body of knowledge on primate survival in matrix habitats, and will hopefully inform primate management plans throughout the Neotropics.

Many nonhuman primates live in proximity to humans, and all studied primate populations are influenced in some ways by human interaction. While the effects of human interference on primate behavior and ecology are an important area of research in contemporary primatology, to date there is no systematic way to report the types or level of anthropogenic influence for a primate study population. In this paper, I introduce a diagnostic classification system that will allow primate field researchers to clearly and consistently report anthropogenic conditions at their study sites. This system provides a way to identify population conditions for four major variables: landscape, human-nonhuman primate interface, diet, and predation risk. The incredible diversity of the Order Primates necessitates a descriptive system that is applicable across a wide range of habitat types, social groupings, and ecological roles, so the proposed classification system has been specifically designed to avoid quantitative ranking. Instead, the system is intended to provide a standardized way to report a wealth of population and site information in a simple format. This will allow for meta-analysis of specific conditions across study sites, leading to a greater understanding of the effects of different forms of anthropogenic influence on primate behavior and ecology.

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In this chapter, we review how anthropogenic disturbance specifi cally impacts members of the genus Alouatta , one of the most geographically expansive and ecologically fl exible of platyrrhine groups. This report initiates with a brief discussion of the use of matrix landscapes, the effects of ecotourism, and the potential for crop-raiding by howler monkeys. We then present three case studies of howler monkey responses to these challenges. We found that tourism in Suriname leads to greater travel and foraging time and poorer health for A. macconnelli. A. palliata in Costa Rica living in an agricultural matrix respond to habitat modification through active crop-raiding, and A. pigra in Mexico provide an illustration of how to evaluate remnant monkey populations for potential ecotourism. The chapter concludes with recommendations for encouraging shared landscapes with howler monkeys, including ways to minimize crop damage by monkeys and ways to encourage sustainable, conservation-based ecotourism.Resumen En este capítulo, revisamos cómo los disturbios antropogénicos impactan de manera directa a los miembros del género Alouatta , los cuales son platirrinos con una amplia distribución geográfi ca y notable plasticidad ecológica para adaptarse a su entorno. Iniciamos con una breve discusión sobre el uso de la matriz del paisaje, un análisis de los efectos del ecoturismo y el papel de los monos aulladores en el uso de los recursos que contienen los agrosistemas. Presentamos tres casos de estudio en los que se muestra la respuesta de los monos aulladores a estos desafíos. Encontramos que el turismo en Surinam promueve un mayor tiempo de viaje y

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