scholarly journals High density of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) and habitat quality in the Taboga Forest of Costa Rica

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Tinsley Johnson ◽  
Marcela E. Benítez ◽  
Alexander Fuentes ◽  
Celia R. McLean ◽  
Ariek B. Norford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Anthropogenic Disturbance ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Cebus Capucinus ◽  
High Density ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Tropical Dry Forests ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Key Resources

ABSTRACTAcross the globe, primate species and habitats are threatened by human activity. This is especially true for species found in tropical dry forests, which are widely distributed and comprise diverse habitats that remain largely unprotected. Evidence suggests that some primate species endemic to tropical dry forests may be more sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance than others, but our ability to predict primate abundance in the face of disturbance also depends on the specific variables for each site. Here, we consider the factors that explain the high density of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) found in the Taboga Forest, Costa Rica, a relatively small fragment of tropical dry forest surrounded by agricultural fields. Our analyses suggest that, for capuchins (and potentially for mantled howler monkeys, Alouatta palliata), the size and disturbance of a forest fragment may matter less than the composition and availability of key resources, like above-ground water. Group sightings for both species were higher near permanent water sources, but group sightings did not vary between edge and interior forest. These findings help explain why some primate species can flourish even alongside anthropogenic disturbance and thus carry important implications for conservation efforts. Smaller forest fragments, like Taboga, may be able to support high densities of some species because they provide a mosaic of habitats and key resources that buffer adverse ecological conditions. Future studies will assess the extent to which primates in the Taboga Forest rely on the canals versus the river and will consider how the high density of capuchins in Taboga influences ranging patterns, home range overlap, and the frequency and intensity of intergroup encounters.RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTSHere we introduce a new white-faced capuchin study site in the Taboga Forest, Costa Rica, a fragmented tropical dry forest.Forest fragments like Taboga may support high primate densities because they provide a mosaic of habitats and key resources.

scholarly journals Lepidoptera are Relevant Bioindicators of Passive Regeneration in Tropical Dry Forests

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luc Legal ◽  
Marine Valet ◽  
Oscar Dorado ◽  
Jose Maria de Jesus-Almonte ◽  
Karime López ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anthropogenic Disturbance ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Tropical Dry Forests ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
Study Zone ◽  
Butterfly Communities ◽  
Passive Regeneration ◽  
Different Levels

Most evaluations of passive regeneration/natural succession or restoration have dealt with tropical rain forest or temperate ecosystems. Very few studies have examined the regeneration of tropical dry forests (TDF), one of the most damaged ecosystem types in the world. Owing to their species diversity and abundance, insects have been widely used as bioindicators of restoration. Butterflies were among the most abundant and useful groups. We sampled four sites with different levels of anthropogenic disturbance in a Mexican TDF (Morelos State) and compared butterfly communities. A first goal was to examine whether adult butterflies were significant bioindicators owing to their specificity to restricted habitats. A second aim was to determine if differences exist in butterfly communities between some fields abandoned from 4–8, 8–15 and 15–30 years and a reference zone considered as primary forest. We found 40% to 50% of the species of butterflies were specifically related to a habitat and/or a level of anthropogenic disturbance. The time it takes for passive regeneration and recovery of the Mexican tropical dry forest is much higher than 25 years (our older zone), considering that almost none of the butterflies found in our conserved reference zone were present in our 25 year aged study zone.

Seed dispersal and defecation patterns of Cebus capucinus and Alouatta palliata: consequences for seed dispersal effectiveness

2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 535-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabet V. Wehncke ◽  
Catherine Numa Valdez ◽  
César A. Domínguez
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Cebus Capucinus ◽  
Alouatta Palliata ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Seed Fate ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Seed Processing ◽  
Seed Dispersers

Primates are primary seed dispersers for many tropical tree species. Different species of primates vary considerably in ranging and feeding behaviour, seed processing, and in seed defecation patterns. Here we compare the role of two arboreal primate species, howlers (Alouatta palliata), and white-faced monkeys (Cebus capucinus) as seed dispersers in a tropical dry forest in Costa Rica. We found that Cebus produce smaller defecations, spend shorter times feeding per tree, have longer seed dispersal distances, and produce a more scattered pattern of seed deposition in the forest than Alouatta. In addition, Cebus moved more frequently between trees, and consumed fruits of more species than Alouatta. We examined the consequences of the contrasting defecation patterns produced by Cebus and Alouatta on the early seed fate of Acacia collinsii. We found that quantity, but not the identity (Cebus vs. Alouatta) of faecal material affected post-dispersal activity. Seeds in scattered faeces, sufficiently apart from each other (the common defecation pattern of white-faced monkeys), had higher short-term survival than seeds in clumped patterns of faeces (the pattern associated with Alouatta).

Life history characteristics and rarity of woody plants in tropical dry forest fragments of Central America

1999 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 637-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas W. Gillespie
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Central America ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Tropical Dry Forests ◽  
Similar Proportion ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
Dioecious Species ◽  
Life History Characteristics

Breeding systems and dispersal mechanisms of plants (≥ 2.5 cm dbh) were examined in fragments of tropical dry forest in Central America to identify life-history characteristics associated with rarity. In particular, the richness and abundance of dioecious and mammal-dispersed trees and shrubs were examined to identify potential associations with precipitation, anthropogenic disturbance, and area. Plots totalling 1000 m2 per site were established in seven nature reserves in Costa Rica (two sites) and Nicaragua (five sites). Overall, tropical dry forests of Central America have a similar proportion of dioecious species to other lowland neotropical forests and a similar proportion of wind-dispersed plants to other tropical dry forests around the world. However, the number of dioecious and mammal-dispersed species declined with decreasing forest cover within each reserve. Although dioecious species were rare in smaller forest fragments, some of these species will not be threatened with regional extinction because they are early successional plants, they have large geographic ranges, and they are not restricted to the tropical dry forest life zone. Mammal-dispersed plants were rare in small fragments, but it is not clear whether this was due to the loss of dispersal vectors or other life-history characteristics.

Distribution of the community of frugivorous birds along a successional gradient in a tropical dry forest in south-western Mexico

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Carlos Almazán-Núñez ◽  
María del Coro Arizmendi ◽  
Luis E. Eguiarte ◽  
Pablo Corcuera
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Frugivorous Birds ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
Western Mexico ◽  
Successional Forests

Abstract:Few reports have described the relationship between the distribution of frugivorous birds and vegetation successional changes in dry forests. We assessed the abundance and behaviour of frugivorous birds in early, intermediate and mature dry forests in the Balsas river basin, Guerrero, Mexico. We selected nine dry-forest fragments, three fragments per stage, in these three stages of succession. We analysed the vegetation, estimated bird abundances in 10-min count periods, and recorded the way birds process fruits in circular plots (11–15 plots per fragment, 123 plots in total). Birds were classified as seed predators (15% of all individuals in this study), pulp consumers (15%) or legitimate dispersers (70%). Bird abundance was higher in mature forests in the dry season, while abundance and richness of legitimate dispersers and seed predators were positively related to vegetation complexity. Mature forests have a high vegetation complexity and a high cover ofBurseraspecies that produce fruit during the dry season. During the rains, abundance was higher in early-successional sites when the zoochorous plants produced fruit. Legitimate disperser migrants (i.e.Tyrannus vociferans, Myiarchus cinerascensandM. tyrannulus) were widespread, helping the establishment of zoochorous trees such asBurseraspp. in early-successional forests.

The nutritional importance of invertebrates to female Cebus capucinus imitator in a highly seasonal tropical dry forest

2019 ◽  
Vol 170 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mackenzie L. Bergstrom ◽  
Jeremy D. Hogan ◽  
Amanda D. Melin ◽  
Linda M. Fedigan
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Cebus Capucinus ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Nutritional Importance

Seed Banks in Savanna, Forest Fragments, and Continuous Forest Edges Differ in a Tropical Dry Forest in Madagascar

Biotropica ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 435-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Valenta ◽  
Travis S. Steffens ◽  
Radoniaina R. Rafaliarison ◽  
Colin A. Chapman ◽  
Shawn M. Lehman
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Continuous Forest

Use of Trill Vocalizations To Coordinate Troop Movement Among White-Faced Capuchins: a Second Field Test

Behaviour ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 132 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 875-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimee F. Campbell ◽  
Sue Boinski
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Cebus Capucinus ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Forest Site ◽  
La Selva ◽  
Behavioural Effects ◽  
Specific Direction ◽  
Group Members

AbstractThe white-faced capuchin, Cebus capucinus, employed a specialized vocalization, the trill, to coordinate troop movement at La Selva, an Atlantic wet-forest study site in Costa Rica. We analyse the contexts in which this intra-group vocalization was emitted, including responses elicited from other group members. A cumulative 26.6 hours of continuous samples and 3,314 spectrograms (including 1,295 trills) were analysed from a study troop with 16 focal subjects. These results generally corroboratc the conclusions of a comparable field study of white-faced capuchins at Santa Rosa, a Pacific coast dry-forest site in Costa Rica (BOINSKI, 1993, Amer. J. Primatol. 30, p. 85-100). At both sites, (I) trills were closely associated with the initiation of movement by a stationary troop in a specific direction. (2) Trills were emitted at a much higher rate in the leading edge of a travelling troop than in following positions. (3) Individuals often reinforced the efforts of other troop members to coordinate troop movement. (4) Lack of consensus among troop members over the travel route was evident. (5) In rare instances trills were employed in tactical maneuvers suggestive of intentionality and the ability to anticipate behavioural effects. Differences in the usage of trills at these two sites were also detected. (1) At La Selva all troop members, with the exception of infants, used trills in the coordination of troop movement, whereas at Santa Rosa marked age, sex and rank distinctions in the extent of participation were apparent. (2) Capuchins at Santa Rosa altered the trajectory of travelling troops with trills, even reversing directions, but not at La Selva. These disparities may follow from differences between the sites in the extent of visual and auditory contact typical among troop members, social structure, susceptibility to predation, and possible genetic variation.

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