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Measuring fruit patch size for three sympatric indonesian primate species
S A Wich1, G Fredriksson, E H M Sterck
1Utrecht University Social Ethology Group, P. O. Box 80086, 3508 TB, The Netherlands.
Primates; Journal of Primatology
|July 2, 2002
Summary
Estimating primate food availability using tree size is complex. While phenology data is useful, animal foraging behavior reveals species-specific tree size preferences, impacting reliability.
Area of Science:
- Primate Ecology
- Behavioral Ecology
- Tropical Biology
Background:
- Food availability is crucial for primate density and socioecology, but accurately assessing it remains challenging.
- Two primary methods for estimating food availability include analyzing phenology data and observing animal foraging behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of phenology data versus animal foraging behavior in estimating food availability for sympatric primates.
- To investigate how tree size influences foraging decisions among Thomas langurs, long-tailed macaques, and orangutans.
Main Methods:
- Refined phenology data by considering tree size, species, and fruit production.
- Assessed food availability by measuring the size of trees actually visited by primates (foraging trees).
- Compared these measures across three sympatric primate species at Ketambe Research Station, Sumatra.
Main Results:
- Fruiting and foraging trees were larger than potential trees, with similar sizes for potential and fruiting trees across species.
- Thomas langurs foraged in trees similar in size to fruiting trees, while macaques and orangutans used larger trees.
- Tree use patterns suggest species-specific foraging decisions, potentially influenced by food competition.
Conclusions:
- Sympatric primates exhibit different foraging strategies regarding tree size selection.
- Behavioral measures of food availability, relying on observed foraging, may be less reliable than refined phenology data due to these differing decisions.