Population modelling and ecology of Brachyteles arachnoides (Primates) in Estação Ecológica Juréia-Itatins

• Grant number: 22/10971-2
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants
• Duration: October 01, 2023 - September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Convênio/Acordo: Secretaria de Meio Ambiente, Infraestrutura e Logística - Fundação Florestal
• Principal Investigator: Angela Terumi Fushita
• Grantee: Angela Terumi Fushita
• Host Institution: Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas (CECS). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Edson Montilha de Oliveira ; Fabiano Rodrigues de Melo ; Karen Barbara Strier

Abstract

In São Paulo state, the Atlantic Forest has been reduced by approximately 80% of its original cover, mainly as a result of human occupation and agricultural activities. One of the best preserved stretches of remaining Atlantic Forest is the 84.425 ha Estação Ecológica Juréia-Itatins (EEJI), located along the southeastern coast of Brazil. Despite its ecological importance, very little is known about the endangered endemic species it supports. Among these is the Southern Muriqui (Brachyteses arachnoides), the largest primate of the Americas that has suffered from habitat loss and hunting pressures and is now the rarest and most threatened primate in the EEJI conservation unit. The objectives of this Project are to: survey the muriqui population; collect systematic data on the behavioral ecology and inter-group dynamics of a focal study group; and employ habitat modeling to infer the distribution of the species throughout the EEJI conservation unit. Results from this Project will permit us to model the occupation pattern and population demography, identify priorities for new studies, and contribute essential data that will be used in the Management Plan for the species (AU)