The use of plants by human and non-human primates in altered landscapes: dietary flexibility or local adaptation?

Gameiro Aleixo Pais, Isa 2022. The use of plants by human and non-human primates in altered landscapes: dietary flexibility or local adaptation? PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Non-human primates foraging range and human populations currently overlap extensively in regions of extreme poverty. In these anthropogenic landscapes, people depend heavily on natural resources, sharing space and plants with sympatric non-human primates. To understand the complex social-ecological dynamics of such systems, an integrative approach was applied to evaluate the extent of wild plant overlap between co-existing humans, and western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) and western red colobus (Pilicolobus badius) in two national parks in West Africa. Despite being similar in area and demography, Gola Rainforest National Park in Sierra Leone is a semi-deciduous evergreen continuous forest devoid of villages and with low levels of human disturbance, and strong conservation enforcement. Cantanhez National Park in Guinea-Bissau is a mosaic of sub-humid and secondary forests, savanna, mangrove, and agricultural fields and settlements, with little formal protection of the forests and wildlife. High levels of wild plant use by humans were observed in both parks, with people from Cantanhez showing a greater ethnobotanical knowledge. Non-human primate diet across all populations revealed high plant species richness, generally higher in Gola forest. Primate populations at the disturbed site, demonstrated signs of dietary flexibility and consumed a greater number of cultivated items than primates in Gola. Overall, some wild and cultivated plant overlap was detected within each study site, but to a greater extent in the fragmented landscape of Cantanhez national park. Evidence produced in this research, together with local knowledge and expertise, can be incorporated to plan and implement ethical and sustainable conservation strategies and policies, that can conserve threatened primates and their habitat, and respond to people’s basic needs.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Biosciences
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General)
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	12 January 2023
Date of Acceptance:	12 January 2023
Last Modified:	06 Jan 2024 04:50
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/155807

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