An intense predation event of the most abundant Amazon tree by capuchin monkeys

Martius, Lion Rafael, Ramos, Danielle Christine Tenório Leal, Sampaio, Mauricio Bonesso and Bittencourt, Paulo Roberto de Lima ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1618-9077 2026. An intense predation event of the most abundant Amazon tree by capuchin monkeys. Acta Amazonica 56 , e56bc26018. 10.1590/1809-4392202600181

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Abstract

Palms are among the most abundant trees in the Amazon and a key element in the structure and function of the forest. However, impacts of plant-herbivore interactions on this functionally important group, particularly under environmental disturbance, remain poorly understood. Here, we report, for the first time, an intense predation event of the palm Euterpe precatoria Mart., by capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella). The event was likely driven by an ENSO drought-driven food scarcity and resulted in 70% mortality of palm individuals from a population in Central Amazonia. While arborescent palms may often appear resilient to short-term drought due to access to shallow water tables or internal water storage, shifts in plant-herbivore interactions during these disturbances could weaken this resilience and potentially impact palm populations in tropical forests.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Physical, Chemical & Environmental Sciences Schools > Physics and Astronomy
ISSN:	1809-4392
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	2 November 2026
Date of Acceptance:	3 June 2026
Last Modified:	02 Nov 2026 11:46
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/190574

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