Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Yazezew, Dereje
• Bekele, Afework
• Fashing, Peter
• Nguyen, Nga
• Ibrahim, Hussein
• Moges, Amera
• Eppley, Timothy M
• Mekonnen, Addisu

Titel

Feeding Ecology of Omo River Guerezas (Colobus guereza guereza) in Natural Versus Plantation Forests in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia

Ist Teil von

• International journal of primatology, 2023

Erscheinungsjahr

2023

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Understanding the impacts of habitat modification on primate feeding ecology is essential to design effective conservation management strategies. The dietary guild (e.g., frugivore, folivore, insectivore, and omnivore) of primates and their degree of ecological flexibility impacts their ability to cope with human-modified habitats. The Omo River guereza (Colobus guereza guereza) is a subspecies of eastern black-and-white colobus monkey endemic to the western Rift Valley forests of Ethiopia, where it faces increasing anthropogenic change. While there is some understanding of how this subspecies copes with anthropogenic pressures, we compared the feeding ecology of Omo River guerezas in natural and human-modified habitats. Specifically, we collected data on two neighbouring guereza groups that inhabit adjacent plantation and natural forest habitats over 12 months in Wof-Washa Natural State Forest in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Furthermore, we conducted vegetation surveys on the botanical composition and vertical structure of both habitat types. The monthly food availability index of young leaves was higher in the natural forest than in plantation forest habitat. We observed guerezas feeding on 30 plant species in the natural forest but only 18 species in the plantation forest. Guerezas in both forest types consumed mostly young leaves, but the natural forest group relied more on mature leaves and shoots, and less on fruits and stems, than the plantation forest group. Maesa lanceolata leaves contributed a greater proportion of the overall diet for the plantation forest group, whereas Vernonia leopoldi accounted for the largest proportion of the guereza diet for the natural forest group. The top five species consumed comprised 83% of the diet in the plantation forest group and 70% in the natural forest group, indicating that relatively few plant species dominate guereza diets in these habitats. Conservation of both natural and plantation forests, especially the plant species most intensively exploited by guerezas, should be prioritized to assist in Omo River guereza conservation efforts.