Chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes Schweinfurthii) Behavioral Responses to Resource Scarcity in the Savanna-woodland Environment of Issa Valley, Tanzania PDF Download
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Author: Samantha M. Russak Publisher: ISBN: Category : Chimpanzees Languages : en Pages :
Book Description
Identifying the ecological role, or niche, that a species occupies within their larger community elucidates environmental adaptability and evolutionary success. This dissertation investigates the occupied niche of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) living in an open, dry savanna-woodland environment by examining patterns of resource use and interspecific interactions. Data were collected October 2010--November 2011 at Issa, in the Ugalla region of western Tanzania, which is one of the driest, most open, and seasonal habitats inhabited by chimpanzees. Unlike most primatological studies which employ methods that include focal follows, this study focused instead on observing 'resource patches' for chimpanzees. Patch focals allow for the observation of all animals within a study area; capture resources that are not used by the study species; and are particularly well suited for unhabituated communities. In order to better understand relationships between environment and behavior, data collected at Issa are compared with published data from other chimpanzee populations. Issa chimpanzees were expected to have broader resource use than forest chimpanzees, as well as increased competition with other fauna, due to fewer available resources. However, in contrast to the assumption of food scarcity in dry habitats, dietary resources were available throughout the year. Like other populations, the diet of Issa chimpanzees consisted of mostly fruit, but unlike at other sites, the majority of plants consumed were woodland species. Additionally, although chimpanzees and other fauna shared spatial and dietary resources, there was only nominal overlap. These results point to extremely low levels of indirect competition between chimpanzees and other fauna. Despite extensive study of forest chimpanzees, little is known about their role within their faunal community in open, dry habitats, nor about how greater seasonality affects resource use. This project addresses both of these important issues and fosters novel approaches in anthropological studies, especially in reference to chimpanzee ecology and evolution. Understanding current chimpanzee behavioral relationships with their environments shapes hypotheses about their pasts, and also informs predictions about behaviors of similar taxa in paleo-environments. Lastly, examining the ecological role of chimpanzees within their larger communities will influence the formation of, as well as evaluate, conservation strategies.
Author: Deborah L. Moore Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 304
Book Description
Socioecological models derive from the field of behavioral ecology, wherein social strategies are seen as adaptive responses to evolutionary and environmental forces. Chimpanzee social structure is largely explained by their dietary preference, however, little is known of chimpanzee adaptations to savanna-woodland environments. This dissertation tests the explanatory power of socioecological models on a chimpanzee population occupying the savanna-woodlands of Ugalla, Tanzania. By conducting a genetic survey across 624 km 2 , the following predictions are tested: (1) chimpanzees will occur at lower population densities than at forested sites, reflective of more diffusely distributed resources; (2) lower population densities, resulting in theoretically indefensible larger home ranges, will decrease benefits gained from male philopatry, resulting in a more continuous distribution of Y-chromosome haplotypes than is characteristic of populations studied in forested environments; and (3) genetic diversity will be lower, compared to other eastern chimpanzee populations, due to potential isolation. The population density of Ugalla is 0.25 (CI 0.16-0.38) individuals/km 2 , which is ten times less than the lowest forested site density. The Ugalla males appear to remain in their natal community, as geographic clusters of rare Y-chromosome haplotypes were found, suggesting the maintenance of male-philopatric communities. Relative genetic diversity of the Y-chromosome was exceptionally low among the males, and autosomal diversity was comparable to other eastern chimpanzee populations. These results indicate that although chimpanzees in Ugalla occur at much lower densities in response to a savanna-woodland habitat, male philopatry is maintained, suggesting this social structure is a highly conservative adaptation, and one which may have been shared with our earliest ancestors as they shifted to a similar environment.
Author: Geza Teleki Publisher: Bucknell University Press ISBN: 9780838777473 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 244
Book Description
Geza Teleki has spent two years observing wild chimpanzees at very close quarters in the Gombe National Park of Tanzania. He has compiled this report on predatory behavior, based in part upon a decade of observations by a research team living in the park, but primarily upon numerous episodes he observed since early 1968. Illustrated.
Author: Andrea Jo Socha Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 288
Book Description
Chimpanzees differentially utilize their environment for different activities. This study examines the use of habitat by western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) living in a savanna mosaic environment at Fongoli, Senegal through both behavioral observation and examination of nesting ecology via a comprehensive survey of nest sites. Specific questions addressed with reference to habitat use and nesting ecology include those of safety, resource defense and acquisition, and comfort. Habitat availability was determined by transect sampling. Habitat use was explored on multiple scales, including levels of habitat type, area features, and, with regard to nesting ecology, tree features. On a coarse scale, chimpanzees most preferred gallery forest for both daily activity and nesting. Woodland was also selectively utilized in both cases, while plateau was avoided. Evidence supports the selective utilization of areas with higher than average canopy cover and stem density for nesting. The availability of resources, both food and water, also influenced the location of nesting sites. The same general areas within the core range were often exploited repeatedly for nesting, but whether this is related to resource availability, habitat structure, or other factors has yet to be determined. On a finer scale, the chimpanzees selected nesting trees that were taller than average, had taller than average crowns, and had larger stem diameters than the average trees at Fongoli. They also preferred certain tree species for nesting, namely Cola cordifolia (taba) and Pterocarpus erinaceus (keno). It appears that resource location and safety considerations influence habitat selection on a coarse scale, while finer scale decisions (e.g., nest height, tree species) with regard to habitat use may be based more on comfort. Social factors also likely play a role in both coarse and fine scale habitat selection. The implications of conclusions about habitat use by savanna chimpanzees can contribute to models of habitat use by Plio-Pleistocene hominids; nesting ecology is specifically pertinent with regards to hominid sleeping sites and activities such as carcass processing that require similar attributes, such as safety and resources. Lastly, this multi-scale investigation into habitat use has direct relevance to chimpanzee conservation.
Author: Adam Clark Arcadi Publisher: ISBN: 1107197171 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 261
Book Description
An introduction to chimpanzee behavior and conservation, synthesizing findings from long-term field studies in the African rainforest belt.