Using primates to establish priority conservation sites in Mexico.

Abstract

Suitable habitat for some of the most threatened species is dwindling fast and with limited conservation resources available, it is essential that we invest those resources in areas with great biodiversity value. The Uxpanapa Valley in Mexico is one of Mesoamerica's largest forest remnants, is considered as a main biodiversity hotspot and has recently been established as a Protected Area. However, only minimal research has been conducted on the distribution of species in the area and deforestation activities remain high. The initial management proposal lacked zonation as well as species sampling data and did not include a portion of the Uxpanapa Valley in which there are several threatened species, including two primates present in the region (Ateles geoffroyi and Alouatta palliata). The main aim of this project was to identify areas most suited to biodiversity protection and conservation based on primate distribution. This was achieved through the following steps: first, primate distribution and group sizes were established and primate presence/absence was associated with landscape attributes. Spider monkeys were found to be positively associated with tall forest. Second, threats present in the study area were quantified (fire incidents, hunting activities and natural predation) but no clear impacts of these factors were found on primate distributions. Third, the potential for primates to act as umbrella species for bat species was investigated, and a positive association was found between the distributions of endangered bats and spider monkeys. In the final analysis, all the above results were combined in a Systematic Conservation Planning approach, and Priority Conservation Sites were selected. The final output should contribute toward structuring an effective management plan for the Protected Area that will ensure maximum protection for biodiversity. Overall, this work provides information on the effectiveness of using primates for developing conservation strategies and their potential to be used as a proxy for ensuring tropical forest maintenance.