Assessing Forest Connectivity for Primates in Fragmented Landscapes

评估破碎景观中灵长类动物的森林连通性

• 批准号: RGPIN-2014-04964
• 负责人: Raboy, Becky
• 金额: $ 1.89万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=662833
• 关键词: Assessing; Forest; Connectivity; Primates; Fragmented

I study habitat fragmentation and the ecological and demographic responses that animals have to this in forest ecosystems undergoing anthropogenic change. My work integrates field studies and computer modeling of threatened biodiversity impacted by habitat loss in agricultural landscapes to understand implications for species persistence. I focus on primates from Southern Bahia, Brazil, where the prevalence of shade-cocoa agroforestry and cattle ranching has created a heterogeneous landscape offering a natural experimental design to test human influence on populations, species, and communities. Arboreal primates that once resided in continuous forests now live in quite unnaturally fragmented landscapes with restricted dispersal. As a result, populations are going locally extinct and overall population sizes are declining. In addition to factors such as habitat quality and landscape availability that constrain movement, primates' sociality (e.g. defending territories, attracting mates and intergroup dispersal) also has implications on how animals move. In particular, our main focal species, golden-headed lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysomelas), are cooperative breeders that rely on helpers to successfully rear offspring. At small population sizes and in fragmented habitats, it can be difficult for individuals to achieve reproductive success. My research program for the next 5 years will emphasize the study of habitat connectivity (or lack of it) and animals' responses to this. My students and I will use a combination of spatial analyses, Geographic Information Science (GIS) and computer modeling to simulate populations under various scenarios of potential conservation action (such as building corridors or retaining forest in certain areas). Results from models with varying landscape design will be evaluated to determine the best outcomes for species persistence and maintenance of genetic diversity given both physical and social constraints. In the field, we will study social structure, mating and dispersal patterns and their resulting effects on population demographics (such as birth and mortality rates) in light of habitat and landscape variation, and incorporate this into our landscape models. Our aims are to 1) quantify functional connectivity in the existing landscape for species with differing abilities to use the matrix, 2) understand the roles of demographics, sociality, and animal movement in predicting how animals move around and interact with their landscape, 3) use models to assess varied corridor implementation strategies to increase long-term species survival, 4) use models to prioritize currently forested areas for retention given the continued forest loss and 5) validate primates' use of corridors by radio tracking group movement in newly afforested areas in Brazil. Though the work I will conduct in the next 5 years is species and region specific, its applicability and impact are far reaching. The spatiotemporal modeling we develop can be implemented to study other threatened species and will be useful to conservation practitioners seeking to understand processes and solutions to ameliorate biodiversity loss in fragmented ecosystems. For example, implications from the work are imperative for evaluating the benefits of forest restoration initiatives. Moreover, from a theoretical standpoint, we will gain a better understanding of the impact that matrix quality has on dispersing individuals and processes that affect a population's ability to rebound or further sink into extinction vortices. The training I will provide to students within this framework will undoubtedly contribute to expanding science-based conservation practice within Canada and elsewhere.

我研究了正在经历人为变化的森林生态系统中的栖息地碎片化以及动物对此的生态和人口反应。我的工作结合了实地研究和对农业景观中栖息地丧失所影响的受到威胁的生物多样性的计算机建模，以了解对物种持久性的影响。我的重点是来自巴西南部巴伊亚的灵长类动物，那里树荫可可农林和养牛场的盛行创造了一个异质的景观，提供了一个自然的实验设计，以测试人类对种群、物种和社区的影响。曾经生活在连绵不断的森林中的树栖灵长类动物现在生活在非常不自然的支离破碎的地貌中，分散受到限制。其结果是，种群正在局部灭绝，总体人口规模正在下降。除了栖息地质量和景观可获得性等限制动物活动的因素外，灵长类的社会性(例如保卫领土、吸引配偶和群体间扩散)也对动物的活动方式有影响。特别是，我们的主要重点物种金头狮罗望鱼(Leontopithecus ChrySomelas)是合作繁殖者，依靠帮手成功繁育后代。在种群规模较小和栖息地支离破碎的情况下，个体可能很难实现繁殖成功。我未来5年的研究计划将重点研究栖息地的连通性(或缺乏连通性)和动物对此的反应。我和我的学生将使用空间分析、地理信息科学(GIS)和计算机建模的组合来模拟各种潜在保护行动(如在某些地区修建走廊或保留森林)情景下的种群。将对不同景观设计模型的结果进行评估，以确定在自然和社会限制下物种持久性和维持遗传多样性的最佳结果。在实地，我们将根据栖息地和景观的变化，研究社会结构、交配和分散模式及其对种群人口统计(如出生率和死亡率)的影响，并将其纳入我们的景观模型。我们的目标是1)量化现有景观中具有不同使用矩阵能力的物种的功能连通性，2)了解人口统计、社会性和动物运动在预测动物如何在其景观中活动和互动中的作用，3)使用模型评估不同的走廊实施策略，以增加物种的长期生存，4)考虑到森林的持续丧失，使用模型来确定当前森林区域保留的优先顺序，5)通过无线电跟踪巴西新绿化地区的群体移动来验证灵长类动物对走廊的使用。虽然我将在未来5年进行的工作是针对物种和地区的，但其适用性和影响是深远的。我们开发的时空模型可用于研究其他受威胁物种，并将有助于保护从业者了解改善零散生态系统中生物多样性丧失的过程和解决方案。例如，这项工作的影响对于评估森林恢复倡议的效益至关重要。此外，从理论上讲，我们将更好地理解基质质量对分散个体的影响，以及影响种群反弹或进一步陷入灭绝漩涡的能力的过程。我将在这一框架内为学生提供的培训无疑将有助于在加拿大和其他地方扩大以科学为基础的保护实践。