Identifying Important Forest Patches for the Long-Term Persistence of the Endangered Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus Chrysomelas)

Abstract

As habitat for the golden-headed lion tamarin (GHLT; Leontopithecus chrysomelas) in Brazil's Atlantic forest becomes smaller and more fragmented, remaining large forest patches may be critical to the persistence of the species. The objectives of our study were to identify the forest patch size that could support a viable population of GHLTs under a range of risk scenarios and to locate patches meeting these size requirements. We found the self-sustaining minimum viable population (MVP) size of GHLTs using the simulation program Vortex under a baseline model and under several anthropogenic disturbance models. We multiplied the MVP size determined in each model scenario by low, medium, and high GHLT population densities to estimate a minimum area requirement. We then used a forest cover map derived through a supervised classification of 2004-2008 Landsat 5TM imagery to locate forest patches meeting the range of minimum area requirements. We found that the MVP size of GHLTs is 70-960 individuals, requiring a forest patch size of 700-18,113 ha depending on the risk level or scenario considered. We found one forest patch that could support a genetically viable, selfsustaining population of GHLTs under the highest level of risk. However, only one federally protected reserve known to currently support GHLTs exists within the range of the species while continuing deforestation, land conversion, and construction projects are real and major threats to the remaining GHLT habitat. Research into the quality and occupancy of the largest patches highlighted here as well as additional protection of habitat needs to be a priority for GHLT conservation.

Occurrences of the Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecuschrysomelas) Above 500 Meters in Southern Bahia, Brazil and Implications for Conservation Planning

“…Assuming the higher-elevation habitat is -gia from the degradation and fragmentation of the lowland forests. If high elevation forests serve only as a conduit -a populations, this still has strong conservation implications, increasing the potential functional connectivity of existing metapopulation, which is at present extremely fragmented Zeigler et al 2010).…”

“…The authors suggest these regions will become important for species conservation and must be included in updated estimates of the species range (Baumgarten and Williamson 2007). 300-500 m, 500-700 m and > 700 m) on a forest cover map of the L. chrysomelas range elaborated by Zeigler et al (2010), we determined that forested areas under 500 m in the L. chrysomelas range (880,179 ha) represented 91.2% of the total forest cover including all elevations (965,861 ha; Fig. 3).…”

Identifying and prioritizing forest patches key for the survival of the golden-headed lion tamarin (<i>Leontopithecus chrysomelas</i>)

“…Zeigler et al, (2010) created a binary forest/non-forest map of the species' range using supervised classification of Landsat 5TM remotely sensed imagery taken from 2004-2008 (the '2007 forest map'). They determined that only 5% of forest patches were greater than 36ha, the smallest recorded territory size for a group of GHLTs in primary and degraded habitat (Rylands, 1989).…”

“…9.3 (ESRI). In the first layer, I gave each forest patch a point if it was large enough to support a minimum viable population under baseline conditions according to Zeigler et al (2010;22 patches). In the second layer, I gave forest patches a point if they were large enough to support a genetically viable population under baseline conditions, also according to Zeigler et al (2010;2 patches).…”

Diurnal frugivores on the Bromeliaceae Aechmea depressa L.B. Sm. from Northeastern Brazil: the prominent role taken by a small forest primate

“…It is likely that the long term success of A. depressa (and possibly other members of the subgenus) in Southern Bahia depends on the continued persistence of GHLTs in the region. However, the GHLT range is declining with local imminent extinctions (Raboy et al 2010), and few forest patches are expected to support viable GHLT populations in the long term without significant conservation action (Zeigler et al 2010).…”