The conservation value of human-modified landscapes for the world’s primates

Carmen Galán-Acedo (), Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez (), Ellen Andresen, Luis Verde Arregoitia, Ernesto Vega, Carlos A. Peres and Robert M. Ewers
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Carmen Galán-Acedo: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Ellen Andresen: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Luis Verde Arregoitia: Universidad Austral de Chile
Ernesto Vega: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Carlos A. Peres: University of East Anglia
Robert M. Ewers: Imperial College London

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Land-use change pushes biodiversity into human-modified landscapes, where native ecosystems are surrounded by anthropic land covers (ALCs). Yet, the ability of species to use these emerging covers remains poorly understood. We quantified the use of ALCs by primates worldwide, and analyzed species’ attributes that predict such use. Most species use secondary forests and tree plantations, while only few use human settlements. ALCs are used for foraging by at least 86 species with an important conservation outcome: those that tolerate heavily modified ALCs are 26% more likely to have stable or increasing populations than the global average for all primates. There is no phylogenetic signal in ALCs use. Compared to all primates on Earth, species using ALCs are less often threatened with extinction, but more often diurnal, medium or large-bodied, not strictly arboreal, and habitat generalists. These findings provide valuable quantitative information for improving management practices for primate conservation worldwide.

Date: 2019
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-08139-0

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-08139-0

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