Primates in peril: the significance of Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for global primate conservation

Author(s):Show less -

Estrada, Alejandro ^[1] ; Garber, Paul A. ^[2] ; Mittermeiee, Russell A. ^[3] ; Wich, Serge ^{[4, 5, 6]} ; Gouveia, Sidney ^[7] ; Dobrovolski, Ricardo ^[8] ; Nekaris, K. A. I. ^[9] ; Nijman, Vincent ^[9] ; Rylands, Anthony B. ^[3] ; Maisels, Fiona ^{[10, 11]} ; Williamson, Elizabeth A. ^[10] ; Bicca-Marques, Julio ^[12] ; Fuentes, Agustin ^[13] ; Jerusalinsky, Leandro ^[14] ; Johnson, Steig ^[15] ; de Melo, Fabiano Rodrigues ^{[16, 17]} ; Oliveira, Leonardo ^[18] ; Schwitzer, Christoph ^[19] ; Roos, Christian ^[20] ; Cheyne, Susan M. ^{[21, 22]} ; Martins Kierulff, Maria Cecilia ^{[23, 24]} ; Raharivololona, Brigitte ^[25] ; Talebi, Mauricio ^[26] ; Ratsimbazafy, Jonah ^[27] ; Supriatna, Jatna ^[28] ; Boonratana, Ramesh ^[29] ; Wedana, Made ^[30] ; Setiawan, Arif ^[31]

Affiliation:Show less -

^[1] Natl Autonomous Univ Mexico UNAM, Inst Biol, Mexico City, DF - Mexico

^[2] Univ Illinois, Dept Anthropol, Urbana, IL - USA

^[3] Global Wildlife Conservat, Austin, TX - USA

^[4] Liverpool John Moores Univ, Sch Nat Sci & Psychol, Liverpool, Merseyside - England

^[5] Liverpool John Moores Univ, Inst Biodivers & Ecosyst Dynam, Liverpool, Merseyside - England

^[6] Univ Amsterdam, Liverpool, Merseyside - England

^[7] Univ Fed Sergipe, Dept Ecol, Sao Cristovao - Brazil

^[8] Univ Fed Bahia, Dept Zool, Salvador, BA - Brazil

^[9] Oxford Brookes Univ, Dept Social Sci, Oxford - England

^[10] Univ Stirling, Fac Nat Sci, Stirling - Scotland

^[11] Wildlife Conservat Soc, Global Conservat Program, New York, NY - USA

^[12] Pontificia Univ Catolica Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

^[13] Univ Notre Dame, Dept Anthropol, Notre Dame, IN 46556 - USA

^[14] Minist Meio Ambiente, Inst Chico Mendes Conserv Biodivers, Brasilia, DF - Brazil

^[15] Univ Calgary, Dept Anthropol & Archaeol, Calgary, AB - Canada

^[16] Univ Fed Goias, Campus UFV, Vicosa, MG - Brazil

^[17] Univ Fed Vicosa, Dept Eng Florestal, Campus UFV, Vicosa, MG - Brazil

^[18] Univ Estado Rio de Janeiro, DCIEN FFP UERJ, Dept Ciencias, Fac Formacao Professores, Rio De Janeiro - Brazil

^[19] Bristol Zool Soc, Bristol, Avon - England

^[20] Leibniz Inst Primate Res, Deutsch Primatenzentrum, Gottingen - Germany

^[21] Oxford Brookes Univ, Oxford - England

^[22] Borneo Nat Fdn, Palangka Raya - Indonesia

^[23] Univ Fed Espirito Santo, Inst Pri Matas, Belo Horizonte, MG - Brazil

^[24] Ctr Univ Norte Espirito Santo, Belo Horizonte, MG - Brazil

^[25] Univ Antananarivo, Ment Anthropobiol & Dev Durable, Antananarivo - Madagascar

^[26] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[27] Gerp, Antananarivo - Madagascar

^[28] Univ Indonesia, Grad Program Conservat Biol, Dept Biol FMIPA, Depok - Indonesia

^[29] Mahidol Univ Int Coll, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom - Thailand

^[30] Aspinall Fdn Indonesia Program, Bandung, West Java - Indonesia

^[31] SwaraOwa, Coffee & Primate Conservat Project, Java, Central Java - Indonesia

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PeerJ; v. 6, JUN 15 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 23

Abstract

Primates occur in 90 countries, but four-Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)-harbor 65% of the world's primate species (439) and 60% of these primates are Threatened, Endangered, or Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017-3). Considering their importance for global primate conservation, we examine the anthropogenic pressures each country is facing that place their primate populations at risk. Habitat loss and fragmentation are main threats to primates in Brazil, Madagascar, and Indonesia. However, in DRC hunting for the commercial bushmeat trade is the primary threat. Encroachment on primate habitats driven by local and global market demands for food and non-food commodities hunting, illegal trade, the proliferation of invasive species, and human and domestic-animal borne infectious diseases cause habitat loss, population declines, and extirpation. Modeling agricultural expansion in the 21st century for the four countries under a worstcase-scenario, showed a primate range contraction of 78% for Brazil, 72% for Indonesia, 62% for Madagascar, and 32% for DRC. These pressures unfold in the context of expanding human populations with low levels of development. Weak governance across these four countries may limit effective primate conservation planning. We examine landscape and local approaches to effective primate conservation policies and assess the distribution of protected areas and primates in each country. Primates in Brazil and Madagascar have 38% of their range inside protected areas, 17% in Indonesia and 14% in DRC, suggesting that the great majority of primate populations remain vulnerable. We list the key challenges faced by the four countries to avert primate extinctions now and in the future. In the short term, effective law enforcement to stop illegal hunting and illegal forest destruction is absolutely key. Long-term success can only be achieved by focusing local and global public awareness, and actively engaging with international organizations, multinational businesses and consumer nations to reduce unsustainable demands on the environment. Finally, the four primate range countries need to ensure that integrated, sustainable land-use planning for economic development includes the maintenance of biodiversity and intact, functional natural ecosystems. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/08422-0 - International Primatological Society and the American Society of Primatologists
• Grantee: Mauricio Talebi Gomes
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Meeting - Abroad