O efeito da estrutura do habitat na abundância de populações de macaco-barrigudo (Lagothrix cana) no interflúvio Purus-Madeira, Amazônia Central

Abstract

The woolly monkey is currently at risk of extinction in some areas of its distribution, due to habitat loss and hunting. Roads are one of the main causes of this impact because they favor access to previously inaccessible locations. So these sites, density estimates are essential to the conservation of the species, although variations in the abundance of primates occur locally owing to environmental characteristics, such as habitat structure. The great primates use larger trees, higher and lower canopy openness that provides better mobility, greater group cohesion and lower risk of predation. Method was used to transect census and population estimates for the Distance program were estimated densities of L. cana in the region, the area of influence of the Highway BR-319, the Madeira-Purus interfluve, State of Amazonas. The density estimate was 1.91 groups/km2 and 15.1 individuals/km2 to the region of the middle Purus-Madeira interfluve. Among the variables of habitat structure collected only the abundance of the species was related to the abundance of trees Fabacea family (N = 18, R2 = 0.22, p = 0.048). The abundance of the species was lower closer to the road and human communities. Early estimates show a large density of population still preserved in the region. However the repaving the BR-319 and increased human settlement in the area may be the main threat to the conservation of populations of L. cana.