Highs and Lows of Arboreal Life: Space use and Movement Strategies of Lion-Tailed Macaques (Macaca silenus) in the Western Ghats of India

IF 2 3区 生物学 Q1 ZOOLOGY
Sikha Hariharan, Krithi K. Karanth, Divya Vasudev
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus), endemic to the Western Ghats of India, are increasingly threatened by habitat loss and degradation, and are vulnerable to environmental change. Insights into their spatial ecology can reveal the strategies that enable these macaques to navigate and use spatially complex heterogeneous spaces. This is crucial for conservation, given the increasing human disturbance in and around the Western Ghats. This study, conducted in Silent Valley National Park between January and June of 2019, 2022, and 2023, focused on two macaque troops occupying habitats with varying human presence—in the park's core (Sairandhri) and in the buffer (Keeripara). The observed group sizes of the Sairandhri and Keeripara troops were 51 and 21, respectively. We examined differences in the spatial ecology of these troops by assessing their vertical space use, two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) home ranges, and using an integrated step-selection function to understand movement-based habitat selection. We observed similarities in movement patterns across the two troops, with notable differences mainly in their vertical use of the forest. The Keeripara troop, resident in a more disturbed area, utilized a smaller home range (1.80 km²). They spent 94.2% of their time in mid-level canopy (6–20 m), descending rarely (1.1%) into lower strata (≤ 5 m), likely due to perceived high risk from predators and humans, and proximity to roads. The Sairandhri troop, resident in the less disturbed area, had a larger home range (3.05 km²) and exhibited greater terrestriality (11.3%), with 84.2% observed time in mid-canopies. Both troops preferred areas with canopy cover and fruiting trees, displaying similar slow movements (indicated through small step lengths and large turning angles) near these resources. Our findings suggest that lion-tailed macaques may be less strictly arboreal than previously believed, displaying more terrestriality in less disturbed habitats. Strategic use of 3D space based on local ecological and anthropogenic conditions highlights the need for conservation efforts that maintain canopy connectivity to support the ecological flexibility of this vulnerable species.

Abstract Image

树栖生活的高潮和低谷:印度西高止山脉的狮尾猕猴(Macaca silenus)的空间利用和运动策略
印度西高止山脉特有的狮尾猕猴(Macaca silenus)日益受到栖息地丧失和退化的威胁,并且容易受到环境变化的影响。对其空间生态的深入了解可以揭示使这些猕猴能够导航和利用空间复杂的异质空间的策略。考虑到人类对西高止山脉及其周边地区的干扰日益增加,这对保护至关重要。这项研究于2019年1月至6月、2022年和2023年在寂静谷国家公园进行,重点研究了两支猕猴部队,它们占据了公园核心(Sairandhri)和缓冲区(Keeripara)不同人类存在的栖息地。观察到的Sairandhri和Keeripara部队的人数分别为51人和21人。我们通过评估它们的垂直空间利用、二维(2D)和三维(3D)活动范围,并使用综合阶梯选择函数来了解基于运动的栖息地选择,研究了这些部队的空间生态差异。我们观察到两支部队在行动模式上有相似之处,主要在他们对森林的垂直使用上有显著差异。Keeripara部队驻扎在一个更动荡的地区,使用了一个较小的范围(1.80平方公里)。它们在中层树冠(6-20米)中度过了94.2%的时间,很少(1.1%)下降到下层(≤5米),可能是由于天敌和人类的高风险,以及靠近道路。Sairandhri部队居住在较少受干扰的地区,有更大的活动范围(3.05 km²),并表现出更大的陆地性(11.3%),84.2%的观测时间在冠层中部。两支部队都喜欢有树冠和果树的地方,在这些资源附近表现出类似的缓慢移动(通过小的步长和大的转弯角度来表示)。我们的研究结果表明,狮子尾猕猴可能不像以前认为的那样严格地生活在树上,而是在较少受干扰的栖息地表现出更多的陆地性。基于当地生态和人为条件的3D空间战略利用强调了保护工作的必要性,以保持树冠的连通性,以支持这种脆弱物种的生态灵活性。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
4.50
自引率
8.30%
发文量
103
审稿时长
4-8 weeks
期刊介绍: The objective of the American Journal of Primatology is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and findings among primatologists and to convey our increasing understanding of this order of animals to specialists and interested readers alike. Primatology is an unusual science in that its practitioners work in a wide variety of departments and institutions, live in countries throughout the world, and carry out a vast range of research procedures. Whether we are anthropologists, psychologists, biologists, or medical researchers, whether we live in Japan, Kenya, Brazil, or the United States, whether we conduct naturalistic observations in the field or experiments in the lab, we are united in our goal of better understanding primates. Our studies of nonhuman primates are of interest to scientists in many other disciplines ranging from entomology to sociology.
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