Biogeographical and floristic predictors of the presence and abundance of mantled howlers (Alouatta palliata mexicana) in rainforest fragments at Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

Abstract

This research focuses on identifying the principal habitat characteristics that influence the presence and abundance of mantled howlers in forest fragments. We provide information on the demography of several fragmented Alouatta palliata mexicana subpopulations at Los Tuxtlas, Mexico, and relate this to the biogeographical and floristic characteristics of the forest fragments inhabited. The most important habitat characteristics related to the presence and abundance of howlers in the fragments were fragment size and floristic diversity. On the other hand, some evidence suggests that given the conditions under which howlers in our study area live (i.e., small and degraded fragments with high densities), secondary vegetation may be beneficial for the survival of the howlers. Finally, we discuss the possibility that the very low immature-to-female ratio (IFR) in the groups, and the lack of juveniles found in many of the study groups may be due to high mortality rates in immatures. A reduction in food availability because of the high population densities of these groups may be responsible for this process.

Diet of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) in Mesoamerica: current knowledge and future directions

“…and Dendropanax spp., species, which also have been described as important food sources for other spider monkey species [Russo et al, 2005;van Roosmalen, 1985]. As other recent studies have demonstrated that the presence and abundance of several primate species are strongly associated with the presence of their most important food resources Balcomb et al, 2000;Cristóbal-Azkarate et al, 2005;Estrada & Coates-Estrada, 1996;Rovero & Struhsaker, 2007;Stevenson, 2001], it is crucial to consider these top food species as a priority for conservation to develop effective management and restoration plans.…”

Population Viability Analysis of Howler Monkeys (Alouatta Palliata Mexicana) in a Highly Fragmented Landscape in Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

“…In Los Tuxtlas, solitary males and females have been reported in continuous [60] and fragmented habitats [25]. However, Cristobal-Azkarate et al [29] suggested that the migration patterns of howlers may be depressed in the fragmented landscapes of Los Tuxtlas, and they reported only solitary adult males. Our results agree with these findings and the possibility that the solitary animals are transients searching for a non-natal group.…”

Cambios demograficos en poblaciones de primates de la region sur de Los Tuxtlas, Mexico: analisis longitudinal 1985–2008

“…Sin embargo, el porcentaje de infantes en la población de Ateles del sitio de estudio (3%) es mucho menor que el 11% y 25% reportado para esta especie por Freese (1976) y Milton y Hopkins (2005) respectivamente. La reducción en la proporción de inmaduros en grupos de ambas especies de primates puede ser causada por la baja proporción de hembras, por estrés reproductivo o por una alta mortalidad infantil, y se ha relacionado con la cantidad y calidad de hábitat disponible (Cristóbal-Azkarate et al, 2005). Una baja tasa de reemplazamiento poblacional, dada por la reducida proporción de hembras y la poca cantidad de inmaduros, puede considerarse como indicador de que procesos de declive demográfico están comenzando a suceder en las poblaciones de primates en esta zona (Clarke et al, 2002;Zucker y Clarke, 2003).…”