TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of climate variability on the demography of wild geladas
AU - Sloan, Evan T.
AU - Beehner, Jacinta C.
AU - Bergman, Thore J.
AU - Lu, Amy
AU - Snyder-Mackler, Noah
AU - Jacquemyn, Hans
N1 - Funding Information:
We are grateful to the Ethiopian Wildlife and Conservation Authority for granting us permission to conduct this research. We also want to thank the staff and wardens of the Simien Mountains National Park, our Ethiopian staff (Esheti Jejaw, Ambaye Fanta, Setey Girmay, Yeshi Dessie, Tariku W/Aregay, Shifarew Asrat), and our research assistants in the field (Clay Wilton, Julie Jarvey, Levi Morris, Tara Regan, Patsy DeLacey, Peter Clark, Liz Babbitt, and Maddie Melton). This research was funded by the following: The National Science Foundation (BCS‐0715179, BCS‐1723228, IOS‐1255974, IOS‐1854359, BCS‐1723237, and BCS‐2010309), the Leakey Foundation, the National Geographic Society (NGS‐8100‐06, NGS‐8989‐11, NGS‐1242, and NGS‐50409R‐18), the Fulbright Scholars Program, the University of Michigan, Stony Brook University, and Arizona State University.
Funding Information:
We are grateful to the Ethiopian Wildlife and Conservation Authority for granting us permission to conduct this research. We also want to thank the staff and wardens of the Simien Mountains National Park, our Ethiopian staff (Esheti Jejaw, Ambaye Fanta, Setey Girmay, Yeshi Dessie, Tariku W/Aregay, Shifarew Asrat), and our research assistants in the field (Clay Wilton, Julie Jarvey, Levi Morris, Tara Regan, Patsy DeLacey, Peter Clark, Liz Babbitt, and Maddie Melton). This research was funded by the following: The National Science Foundation (BCS-0715179, BCS-1723228, IOS-1255974, IOS-1854359, BCS-1723237, and BCS-2010309), the Leakey Foundation, the National Geographic Society (NGS-8100-06, NGS-8989-11, NGS-1242, and NGS-50409R-18), the Fulbright Scholars Program, the University of Michigan, Stony Brook University, and Arizona State University.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2022/3
Y1 - 2022/3
N2 - Nonhuman primates are an essential part of tropical biodiversity and play key roles in many ecosystem functions, processes, and services. However, the impact of climate variability on nonhuman primates, whether anthropogenic or otherwise, remains poorly understood. In this study, we utilized age-structured matrix population models to assess the population viability and demographic variability of a population of geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the Simien Mountains, Ethiopia with the aim of revealing any underlying climatic influences. Using data from 2008 to 2019 we calculated annual, time-averaged, and stochastic population growth rates (λ) and investigated relationships between vital rate variability and monthly cumulative rainfall and mean temperature. Our results showed that under the prevailing environmental conditions, the population will increase (λs = 1.021). Significant effects from rainfall and/or temperature variability were widely detected across vital rates; only the first year of infant survival and the individual years of juvenile survival were definitively unaffected. Generally, the higher temperature in the hot-dry season led to lower survival and higher fecundity, while higher rainfall in the hot-dry season led to increased survival and fecundity. Overall, these results provide evidence of greater effects of climate variability across a wider range of vital rates than those found in previous primate demography studies. This highlights that although primates have often shown substantial resilience to the direct effects of climate change, their vulnerability may vary with habitat type and across populations.
AB - Nonhuman primates are an essential part of tropical biodiversity and play key roles in many ecosystem functions, processes, and services. However, the impact of climate variability on nonhuman primates, whether anthropogenic or otherwise, remains poorly understood. In this study, we utilized age-structured matrix population models to assess the population viability and demographic variability of a population of geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the Simien Mountains, Ethiopia with the aim of revealing any underlying climatic influences. Using data from 2008 to 2019 we calculated annual, time-averaged, and stochastic population growth rates (λ) and investigated relationships between vital rate variability and monthly cumulative rainfall and mean temperature. Our results showed that under the prevailing environmental conditions, the population will increase (λs = 1.021). Significant effects from rainfall and/or temperature variability were widely detected across vital rates; only the first year of infant survival and the individual years of juvenile survival were definitively unaffected. Generally, the higher temperature in the hot-dry season led to lower survival and higher fecundity, while higher rainfall in the hot-dry season led to increased survival and fecundity. Overall, these results provide evidence of greater effects of climate variability across a wider range of vital rates than those found in previous primate demography studies. This highlights that although primates have often shown substantial resilience to the direct effects of climate change, their vulnerability may vary with habitat type and across populations.
KW - climate change
KW - demographic buffering
KW - environmental stochasticity
KW - primates
KW - vital rates
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U2 - 10.1002/ece3.8759
DO - 10.1002/ece3.8759
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85127345508
SN - 2045-7758
VL - 12
JO - Ecology and Evolution
JF - Ecology and Evolution
IS - 3
M1 - e8759
ER -