Assessment of IUCN Red Listed Barbary macaque population health and numbers following multiple natural disasters within Morocco

巴巴里猕猴(Macaca Sylvanus)是世界上最濒危的灵长类动物之一。由于栖息地的丧失，它们的数量正在下降，2023年，摩洛哥(发现最多巴巴里猕猴的国家)经历了一系列自然灾害，大大缩小了这些猴子的生态范围。迫切需要充分了解这些灾难对保护的影响。因此，我们建议(I)量化摩洛哥境内主要国家公园中的巴巴里猕猴数量，并(Ii)确定这些种群的健康状况和生存能力。这是L国家生态林业协会和摩洛哥政府内部相关机构迫切需要的一份报告，以强调威胁和潜在的复原能力。截至10月11日，摩洛哥国家生态林业协会报告称，自1月份以来发生了395起森林火灾，摧毁了6420公顷森林2。在此之前，2022年发生了一场更具破坏性的森林火灾，在此期间，22800公顷的森林被烧毁。气候变化使摩洛哥在2023年创下了有史以来最高的夏季气温(50.4摄氏度)，这增加了自然发生的火灾的数量，此外，可能是人类活动造成的森林火灾。此外，2023年9月8日，一场大地震袭击了马拉喀什-萨菲地区，该地区包括图布卡尔国家公园，居住着摩洛哥境内较为孤立的巴巴里猕猴种群之一。在经历了几十年的下降之后，国际自然保护联盟最近升级了巴巴里猕猴的威胁级别。对巴巴里猕猴的主要威胁是栖息地丧失和碎片化，这导致摩洛哥和阿尔及利亚的许多巴巴里猕猴种群因担心遗传多样性和长期种群可持续性而变得孤立。最近的森林火灾和地震加剧了这些问题。研究小组(详情如下)正在为摩洛哥的“摩洛哥巴巴里猕猴保护国家行动计划”做出贡献，政府认为拟议的项目是一个紧迫的研究优先事项。我们请求为为期6个月的研究提供经费，包括3个月的实地工作和3个月的分析，以雇用一名研究助理--摩洛哥外勤助理，并购买实地和实验室设备，以实现两个关键项目目标。

Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) are one of world's most endangered primates. Their numbers are declining e due to habitat loss, and in 2023, Morocco (the country in which most Barbary macaques are found) experienced a series of natural disasters that has drastically reduced the ecological range of these monkeys. There is an urgent need to fully understand the conservation implications of these disasters. Therefore, we propose to (i) quantify Barbary macaque numbers in key national parks within Morocco, and (ii) determine the health status and viability of these populations. This is information is urgently needed for a report for L'Agence National des Eaux et Forets (ANEF) and related bodies within the Moroccan government to highlight the threats and potential resilience.As of 11th October, Morocco's ANEF reported 395 forest fires since January, destroying 6,420 hectares of forest2. This follows an even more devastating period of forest fires in 2022 during which 22,800 hectare of forest was lost. Climate change saw Morocco record the highest ever summer temperatures (50.4 C) in 2023, which increased the numbers of naturally occurring fires, on top of forest fires that may be attributable to human action. In addition, on 8th September 2023, a massive earthquake struck the Marrakesh-Safi region, which includes the Toubkal National Park, inhabited by one of the more isolated Barbary macaque populations within Morocco. The International Union for Conservation recently upgraded the threat status of Barbary macaques following decades of decline. The chief threat to Barbary macaques is habitat loss and fragmentation, which has led to many Barbary macaque populations across Morocco and Algeria becoming isolated with concerns about genetic diversity and long-term population sustainability. These issues have been exacerbated by recent forest fires and earthquake. The research team (details below) are contributing to Morocco's "National Action Plan for the Conservation of the Barbary Macaque in Morocco", with the government seeing the proposed project is an urgent research priority. We request funding for a 6-month study involving three months of field work and three months of analysis to hire a research assistant, Moroccan field assistants, and to purchase the field and laboratory equipment to deliver two key project objectives.