Habitat selection of an endangered primate, the samango monkey (Cercopithecus albogularis schwarzi): Integrating scales to prioritize habitat for wildlife management

• Published in: Ecology and evolution Vol. 11; no. 12; pp. 8014 - 8026
• Main Authors: Parker, Edwin J., Koyama, Nicola F., Hill, Russell A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-06-2021; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Biodiversity; Biodiversity loss; Canopies; Cercopithecus albogularis; Connectivity; Conservation; Conservation areas; Corridors; Data collection; Endangered animals; Forest conservation; Forests; habitat fragmentation; Habitat loss; Habitat preferences; Habitat selection; Habitats; Human populations; indigenous forest; Land settlement; Landscape; Monkeys; Mountains; Original Research; Population growth; Primates; Protected areas; resource selection function; samango monkey; Site selection; Species; Subpopulations; Wildlife conservation; Wildlife habitats; Wildlife management; South Africa; Africa; indigenous forest; conservation; connectivity; samango monkey; resource selection function; habitat fragmentation
• ISSN: 2045-7758; 2045-7758
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7631

Aim
As habitat loss continues to accelerate with global human population growth, identifying landscape characteristics that influence species occurrence is a key conservation priority in order to prevent global biodiversity loss. In South Africa, the arboreal samango monkey (Cercopithecus albogularis sp.) is threatened due to loss and fragmentation of the indigenous forests it inhabits. The aim of this study was to determine the habitat preferences of the samango monkey at different spatial scales, and to identify key conservation areas to inform management plans for this species.
Location
This study was carried out in the western Soutpansberg Mountains, which represents the northernmost population of samango monkeys within South Africa, and the only endangered subspecies (C. a. schwarzi).
Methods
We used sequentially collected GPS points from two samango monkey groups followed between 2012 and 2017 to quantify the used and available habitat for this species within the western Soutpansberg Mountains. We developed 2nd‐order (selection of ranging area), 3rd‐order (selection within range), and 4th‐order (feeding site selection) resource selection functions (RSFs) to identify important habitat features at each scale. Through scale integration, we identified three key conservation areas for samango monkeys across Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Results
Habitat productivity was the most important landscape variable predicting probability of use at each order of selection, indicating the dependence of these arboreal primates on tall‐canopy indigenous forests. Critical habitat across Limpopo was highly fragmented, meaning complete isolation between subpopulations is likely.
Main conclusions
Understanding the habitat characteristics that influence samango monkey distribution across South Africa is crucial for prioritizing critical habitat for this species. Our results indicated that large, contiguous patches of tall‐canopy indigenous forest are fundamental to samango monkey persistence. As such, protected area expansion of large forest patches and creation of forest corridors are identified as key conservation interventions for this species.
Identifying the landscape characteristics that influence species occurrence is a key conservation priority in order to prevent global biodiversity loss. We used samango monkey GPS locations over a 5‐year study period to determine the habitat characteristics most important to their distribution at multiple scales. We found that habitat productivity was the most important landscape variable predicting probability of use at each scale of selection, and delineate the probability of samango monkey use across their known range in Limpopo Province, South Africa, accordingly.