Abstract ID: 584

Primates in a mosaic of vegetation types in the northern Amazonia: the contribution of the PPBio grids for community studies

A primate community was studied in Viruá National Park, a region formed by a mosaic of six different vegetation types, from Terra Firme forest of hilltops to patches of seasonally-flooded campina, located in the northern Brazilian Amazonia. The study area comprises a 25 km2 grid system formed by six 5 km north-south, and 5 km east-west trails, forming 1 km2 quadrants, alphanumerically marked with metal tags at each 100m. Data was collected on the use of the different forest types by the primate communities through the line transect method. Two of the 5-km trails were surveyed each day between 6:30 and 11:00 h and 13:00 and 17:30 h by two experienced observers. 9 diurnal and one nocturnal primate species were registered. They all favoured Terra Firme forest. The most abundant were Cebus apella, followed by Saguinus midas and Chiropotes satanas, which were, nevertheless, habitat generalists, using most of the habitat types, except only to campina and campinarana patches. Polyspecific associations of up to three primate species were fairly common, either mixed groups or feeding assemblages, and involved any of the following species: C. apella, S. midas, C. satanas, Ateles paniscus, and Saimiri sciureus. The possibility of enlarging the size of the studied scenario through the PPBio grid enabled us to more rapidly and efficiently assess the mammalian biodiversity of the grid, and, additionally, to understand their use of the different habitat types, which may have important implication, especially regarding the establishment of conservation areas.

Session:  Biodiversity - Permanent plot networks for inventory of biodiversity and carbon stocks: integrating taxonomic and ecosystem objectives.

Presentation Type:  Oral