Primate Conservation: Primates on the brink...

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Primate ConservationPrimates on the brink...
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Some facts...

• 80 million or more plants and animals make up
  worlds biodiversity
• Over half of these species are found in tropical
  rainforests
• Tropical rainforests make up only 7 of the
  worlds surface
• Extinction rate 137 species/day

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Rates of deforestation
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Rates of deforestation

• Vary by habitat Madagascar, Thailand example
• Patterns of forest loss (severe for future) See
  Figure 8.2 (coursepak reading)
• Rates are not slowing down.

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Habitat destruction

• Mostly due to anthropogenic disturbance (human
  induced) (table 8.1)
• Agriculture mainly (fires)
• Wood extraction (selective logging)
• Mining, hydroelectric plants

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Agriculture

• Permanent or shifting (rice, beans, coffee)

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Leads to slash and burn
Global fires
http//earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Observatory/Datas
ets/fires.avhrr.html
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Forestry
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Other forest products
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Mining and Hydroelectric plants
Petroleum camp, Africa
Near mining camp, SE Asia
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What happens...

• Obvious removal of forest area
• Creates fragmented habitat
• Limits dispersal
• Increases exposure (wind, fire)

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What happens...

• Selective logging
• Impacts surrounding trees
• Creates light gaps
• Fishbone pattern allows for inroads into more
  pristine forest
• Removes large patches- Figure 8.3

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Hunting

• Hunting pressures on animals increases
• Primates favored (Figure 9.1)
• But varies- Asia/Madagascar low, higher in New
  World/Africa (table 9.2)

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Types of Hunting

• Trapped or shot
• Impact on population will depend on area

Extinction...
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REASONS

• Bushmeat (Africa)
• Live Primates
• Primate parts