Population dynamics of the Manyara monkey ( Cercopithecus mitis manyaraensis ) and vervet monkey ( Chlorocebus pygerythrus ) in Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania

[摘要] Estimating population densities and their trends overtime is essential for understanding primate ecology and for guidingconservation efforts. From 2011 through to 2019, we counted two guenon speciesduring seasonal road transect surveys in Lake Manyara National Park: theTanzania-endemic Manyara monkey Cercopithecus mitis manyaraensis (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, IUCN, Red List category of “endangered”) and thevervet monkey Chlorocebus pygerythrus (Red List category of “least concern”). To account for imperfect detectability, weanalysed the data in a line distance sampling framework, fittedspecies-specific detection functions, and subsequently estimated seasonaldensities. To test for seasonal differences and yearly trends in thespecies-specific density estimates, we fitted generalized additive models.Seasonal point density estimates fluctuated considerably during the 9 years(2011–2019) of our study, ranging from3 to 29 individuals km −2 forManyara monkeys and from 19 to 83 individuals km −2 for vervet monkeys.Densities of both taxa did not differ seasonally, and we did not detectmarked directional population trends. Our study illustrates the utility andlimitations of line distance sampling for long-term primate monitoring.Beyond informing primate ecology and management, our results highlight theconservation importance of Lake Manyara National Park for primateconservation.

[学科分类] 计算机科学（综合）