Potential Effects of Ateline Extinction and Forest Fragmentation on Plant Diversity and Composition in the Western Orinoco Basin, Colombia

Cattle and agricultural farming in the western Orinoco Basin began in 1555, and since then fragmentation of continuous forest has occurred. We evaluated the effects of the disturbances and the absence of large primates on plant community composition, diversity, and regeneration patterns. Atelines (...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of primatology 2008-04, Vol.29 (2), p.365-377
Main Authors: Stevenson, P. R., Aldana, A. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Ecology
Animal Genetics and Genomics
Anthropology
Ateles
Biodiversity
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Climatic conditions
Community composition
Endangered & extinct species
Evolutionary Biology
Farming
Forests
Human Genetics
Life Sciences
Monkeys & apes
Mountains
National parks
Plant communities
Plant diversity
Plant ecology
Plant populations
Primates
Rainforests
Wildlife conservation
Zoology
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Summary:Cattle and agricultural farming in the western Orinoco Basin began in 1555, and since then fragmentation of continuous forest has occurred. We evaluated the effects of the disturbances and the absence of large primates on plant community composition, diversity, and regeneration patterns. Atelines ( Lagothrix and Ateles ) inhabited the lowlands close to the Andean mountains, but no longer live in fragmented habitats. Their absence may have negative effects on plant populations because atelines play important roles as seed dispersers in neotropical forests, especially for large-seeded plants, which are rarely swallowed by other seed dispersers. We compared 2 1-ha vegetation plots in forest fragments north of the La Macarena Mountains with 7 plots in continuous forest in Tinigua National Park. Both sites share the same climatic conditions and have similar geological origins. There is floristic affinity between forests with similar ecological characteristics; the fragmented forests are also less diverse than the continuous forests. As predicted, the forest fragments have fewer individuals with large seeds. The results suggest that forest fragmentation and local ateline extinctions affect plant communities, reducing diversity and affecting large-seeded plants.
ISSN:0164-0291
1573-8604
DOI:10.1007/s10764-007-9177-x