Flexibility in positional behavior, strata use, and substrate utilization among Bale monkeys (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) in response to habitat fragmentation and degradation

Mekonnen, Addisu; Fashing, Peter J.; Sargis, Eric J.; Venkataraman, Vivek V.; Bekele, Afework; Hernández‐Aguilar, R. Adriana; Rueness, Eli Knispel; Stenseth, Nils Chr.

doi:10.1002/ajp.22760

Cited by 22 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…As in other primates [Cant, 1988;Gebo, 1992;McGraw, 2000;Chatani, 2003;Prates and Bicca-Marques, 2008;Grueter et al, 2013;Huang et al, 2015;Zhu et al, 2015;Mekonnen et al, 2018], and particularly in colobines, sitting was the most frequently used stationary posture for François' langurs in the limestone forest in this study (Table 3). However, sitting frequency varied seasonally.…”

Section: Discussion/conclusionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Positional Behaviours of François’ Langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) in the Limestone Forest of Nonggang, Guangxi, South-West China

Chen

Huang

et al. 2019

IJFP

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Primates' positional behaviours provide information for understanding relationships among morphology, ecology and behavioural flexibility. From September 2005 to August 2006, we collected data via instantaneous scan sampling on positional behaviours in François' langurs at Nonggang Nature Reserve, south-west China. We predicted that these langurs would use (1) leaping as the predominant locomotor mode and (2) bipedal standing more frequently in the rainy season than in the dry season. Our result showed that leaping was the dominant locomotor mode (38.38%), followed by quadrupedal walking (31.2%), vertical climbing (25.1%) and quadrupedal running (5.3%). The ground was the most frequently used stratum during movement (33.4%). Most locomotion through trees occurred on small-(48.7%) and medium-sized (47.6%) substrates. Locomotor mode, forest stratum use and substrate use during movement did not vary seasonally. When stationary, sitting was the most common posture (92.1%), followed by bipedal standing (3.7%), lying (3.5%), quadrupedal standing (0.6%), suspending (0.2%) and back-lying (< 0.1%). Posture varied significantly with the season. During resting, langurs used sitting and bipedal standing more frequently in the dry season, while adopting lying more frequently in the rainy season. During feeding, sitting was adopted more frequently in the rainy than in the dry season, whereas bipedal standing was used more frequently in the dry season. Langurs spent more feeding time on the ground in the dry than in the rainy season. Locomotor patterns in François' langurs are likely linked to morphological and anatomical characteristics, along with the limestone forest's structure. Our result completely supported prediction 1 but not prediction 2. This study suggests that seasonal variation in positional behaviour might result from the temporal difference in spatial distribution of foods and behavioural thermoregulation strategy. We found that François' langurs adjusted positional behaviour in response to seasonality, and this behavioural flexibility allows them to survive in a variety of habitats, including limestone forests.

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Section: Discussion/conclusionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Positional Behaviours of François’ Langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) in the Limestone Forest of Nonggang, Guangxi, South-West China

Chen

Huang

et al. 2019

IJFP

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“…Studies on behavioral responses to habitat differences and degradation are crucial for understanding animal tolerance to habitat change, and for developing conservation strategies for endangered species. For arboreal non-human primates, variances in habitat structure and resource distribution can lead to different strata-use patterns ( Campbell et al, 2005 ; Mekonnen et al, 2018 ; Riley, 2008 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living in forests: strata use by Indo-Chinese gray langurs (Trachypithecus crepusculus) and the effect of forest cover on Trachypithecus terrestriality

Xiong

Yang

et al. 2020

Zoological Research

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Studies on behavioral flexibility in response to habitat differences and degradation are crucial for developing conservation strategies for endangered species. Trachypithecus species inhabit various habitats and display different patterns of strata use; however, the effect of habitat structure on strata use remains poorly studied. Here, we investigated strata use patterns of Indo-Chinese gray langurs ( Trachypithecus crepusculus ) in a primary evergreen forest in Mt. Wuliang, southwest China, from June 2012 to January 2016. In addition, we compared T. crepusculus strata use and terrestriality with five other Trachypithecus species from previous studies. Unlike langurs living in karst forests, our study group was typically arboreal and spent only 2.9% of time on the ground. The group showed a preference for higher strata when resting and lower strata (<20 m) when moving. The langurs primarily used time on the ground for geophagy, but otherwise avoided the ground during feeding. These strata use patterns are similar to those of limestone langurs ( T. francoisi ) when using continuous forests. At the genus level ( n =6 species), we found a negative relationship between habitat forest cover and terrestriality. This negative relationship was also true for the five limestone langur species, implying limestone langurs increase territoriality in response to decreased forest cover. Our results document behavioral flexibility in strata use of Trachypithecus langurs and highlight the importance of the protection of continuous forests to promote langur conservation.

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“…Bale monkeys, unlike other green monkeys, are endemic to the southern Ethiopian Highlands, specialize on bamboo, and are mainly arboreal in continuous forest (Mekonnen, Bekele, Fashing, Hemson, & Atickem, ; Mekonnen, Bekele, Hemson, Teshome, & Atickem, ; Mekonnen, Fashing, Sargis, et al, ). Remarkably, a single species of bamboo ( Arundinaria alpina ) accounts for up to 81% of their annual diet (mostly young leaves and shoots) in the continuous forest (Mekonnen, Bekele, Fashing, et al, ; Mekonnen, Fashing, Bekele, et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our recent study found that habitat fragmentation and degradation significantly reduced food availability and habitat quality for Bale monkeys (Mekonnen et al, ; Mekonnen, Fashing, Bekele, et al, ). Such changes in habitat structure and food availability, along with associated changes in diet (Mekonnen, Fashing, Bekele, et al, ) and terrestrial behavior (Mekonnen, Fashing, Sargis, et al, ), might be expected to affect the consumption of cultivated foods and associated matrix use patterns by Bale monkeys.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of cultivated foods and matrix habitat by Bale monkeys in forest fragments: Assessing local human attitudes and perceptions

Mekonnen

Fashing

Bekele

et al. 2019

American J Primatol

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Primates inhabiting human-modified landscapes often exploit matrix habitat to supplement their diet with cultivated foods, at times resulting in economic losses and conflict with local people. Understanding human-nonhuman primate interactions and the attitudes and perceptions of local people towards crop feeding species are crucial to designing effective species-based management plans. Over a 12-month period, we used scan sampling to study the consumption of cultivated foods and matrix use patterns by two habituated groups of Bale monkeys (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis), Ethiopian-endemic bamboo specialists, in two forest fragments (Kokosa and Afursa) set amidst human settlements and farmland in the southern Ethiopian Highlands. Further, we conducted interviews with local people to document their attitudes and perceptions towards Bale monkeys at the two sites. We found that Bale monkeys at Kokosa, a more degraded habitat by most measures, consumed significantly more cultivated foods than their counterparts at Afursa. Moreover, Bale monkeys at Kokosa spent significantly more time in the matrix than in the forest habitat, while monkeys at Afursa spent significantly less time in the matrix than in the forest habitat. Not surprisingly, local people displayed a more negative attitude towards monkeys inhabiting Kokosa than those inhabiting Afursa.The differences in Bale monkey cultivated food consumption and matrix use patterns-as well as in local people's attitudes and perceptions towards Bale monkeys-between Kokosa and Afursa are probably associated with differences in habitat structure, degree of habitat alteration, and land-use practices between the sites. We conclude that to ensure long-term coexistence between Bale monkeys and local people in humanmodified landscapes, it is vital to incorporate nearby matrix habitats into management plans and to work closely with local communities to develop effective nonlethal crop protection strategies, thereby reducing the likelihood of negative interactions between Bale monkeys and humans. K E Y W O R D S behavioral flexibility, Chlorocebus djamdjamensis, crop feeding, Ethiopian Highlands, ethnoprimatology, habitat fragmentation ---

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Flexibility in positional behavior, strata use, and substrate utilization among Bale monkeys (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) in response to habitat fragmentation and degradation

Cited by 22 publications

References 75 publications

Positional Behaviours of François’ Langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) in the Limestone Forest of Nonggang, Guangxi, South-West China

Positional Behaviours of François’ Langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) in the Limestone Forest of Nonggang, Guangxi, South-West China

Living in forests: strata use by Indo-Chinese gray langurs (<i>Trachypithecus crepusculus</i>) and the effect of forest cover on <i>Trachypithecus</i> terrestriality

Use of cultivated foods and matrix habitat by Bale monkeys in forest fragments: Assessing local human attitudes and perceptions

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