SpringerLink
Log in

Feeding Ecology of Omo River Guerezas (Colobus guereza guereza) in Natural Versus Plantation Forests in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia

  • Published:
International Journal of Primatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Understanding the impacts of habitat modification on primate feeding ecology is essential to design effective conservation management strategies. The dietary guild (e.g., frugivore, folivore, insectivore, and omnivore) of primates and their degree of ecological flexibility impacts their ability to cope with human-modified habitats. The Omo River guereza (Colobus guereza guereza) is a subspecies of eastern black-and-white colobus monkey endemic to the western Rift Valley forests of Ethiopia, where it faces increasing anthropogenic change. While there is some understanding of how this subspecies copes with anthropogenic pressures, we compared the feeding ecology of Omo River guerezas in natural and human-modified habitats. Specifically, we collected data on two neighbouring guereza groups that inhabit adjacent plantation and natural forest habitats over 12 months in Wof-Washa Natural State Forest in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Furthermore, we conducted vegetation surveys on the botanical composition and vertical structure of both habitat types. The monthly food availability index of young leaves was higher in the natural forest than in plantation forest habitat. We observed guerezas feeding on 30 plant species in the natural forest but only 18 species in the plantation forest. Guerezas in both forest types consumed mostly young leaves, but the natural forest group relied more on mature leaves and shoots, and less on fruits and stems, than the plantation forest group. Maesa lanceolata leaves contributed a greater proportion of the overall diet for the plantation forest group, whereas Vernonia leopoldi accounted for the largest proportion of the guereza diet for the natural forest group. The top five species consumed comprised 83% of the diet in the plantation forest group and 70% in the natural forest group, indicating that relatively few plant species dominate guereza diets in these habitats. Conservation of both natural and plantation forests, especially the plant species most intensively exploited by guerezas, should be prioritized to assist in Omo River guereza conservation efforts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Inclusion and Diversity Statement

The author list includes contributors from the location where the research was conducted, who participated in study conception, study design, data collection, analysis, and/or interpretation of the findings.

References

  • Altmann, J. (1974). Observational study of behavior: Sampling methods. Behaviour, 49, 227–267.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ashenafi, Z., & Leader-Williams, N. (2005). Indigenous common property resource management in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Human Ecology, 33, 539–563.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ayalew, A. T. (2018). Vegetation ecology and carbon stock of Wof-Washa Forest, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. PhD thesis, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

  • Ayalew, A. T., Soromessa, T., & Kelbessa, E. (2015). Structure and regeneration status of Menagesha Amba Mariam Forest in central highlands of Shewa, Ethiopia. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 4(4), 184–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bekele, T. (1993). Vegetation Ecology of Renunant Afromontane Forests on the Central Plateau of Shewa. Uppsala University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bocian, C. (1997). Niche separation of black-and-white colobus monkeys (Colobus angolensis and C. guereza) in the Ituri Forest. Ph.D. dissertation, City University of New York, New York.

  • Boyle, S., & Smith, A. (2010). Can landscape and species characteristics predict primate presence in forest fragments in the Brazilian Amazon? Biological Conservation, 143, 1134–1143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyle, S., Zartman, C., Spironello, W., & Smith, A. (2012). Implications of habitat fragmentation on the diet of bearded saki monkeys in central Amazonian forest. Journal of Mammalogy, 93, 959–976.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brockerhoff, E. G., Jactel, H., Parrotta, J. A., Quine, C. P., & Sayer, J. (2008). Plantation forests and biodiversity: Oxymoron or opportunity? Biodiversity and Conservation, 17, 925–951.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buchi, L., Wendling, M., Mouly, P., & Charles, R. (2018). Comparison of Visual Assessment and Digital Image Analysis for Canopy Cover Estimation. Agronomy Journal, 110, 1289–1295. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2017.11.0679

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, C. A., & Chapman, L. J. (1999). Implications of small scale variation in ecological conditions for the diet and density of red colobus monkeys. Primates, 40, 215–231.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, C., & Chapman, L. J. (2002). Foraging challenges of red colobus monkeys: Inatural forest luence of nutrients and secondary compounds. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part a: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 133(3), 861–875.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, C. A., Balcomb, S. R., Gillespie, T. R., Skorupa, J. P., & Struhsaker, T. T. (2000). Long-term effects of logging on African primate communities: a 28- year comparison from Kibale National Park, Uganda. Conservation Biology, 14, from Kibale National Park, Uganda. Conservation Biology, 14, 207–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chivers, D. J. (1994). Functional anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract. In A. G. Davies, & J. F. Oates (Eds.), Colobine monkeys: Their ecology, behavior and evolution (pp. 205–227). Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clink, D. J., Dillis, C., Feilen, K. L., Beaudrot, L., & Marshall, A. J. (2017). Dietary diversity, feeding selectivity, and responses to fruit scarcity of two sympatric Bornean primates Hylobates albibarbis and Presbytis rubicunda rubida). PLoS ONE, 12(3), e0173369.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cristóbal-Azkarate, J., & Arroyo-Rodríguez, V. (2007). Diet and activity pattern of howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) in Los Tuxtlas, Mexico: Effects of habitat fragmentation and implications for conservation. American Journal of Primatology, 69, 1013–1029.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dasilva, G. L. (1994). Diet of Colobus polykomos on Tiwai Island: Selection of food in relation to its seasonal abundance and nutritional quality. International Journal of Primatology, 15(5), 655–680.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunbar, R. (1987). Habitat quality, population dynamics, and group composition in colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza). International Journal of Primatology, 8, 299–329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunbar, R. (1988). Primate Social Systems: Studies in Behavioural Adaptation. Springer Science & Business Media.

  • Dunbar, R., & Dunbar, E. (1974). Ecology and population dynamics of Colobus guereza in Ethiopia. Folia Primatologica, 21, 188–208.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dunham, N. T. (2017). Feeding ecology and dietary flexibility of Colobus angolensis palliatus in relation to habitat disturbance. International Journal of Primatology, 38, 553–571.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eppley, T. M., Donati, G., Ramanamanjato, J.-B., Randriatafika, F., Andriamandimbiarisoa, L. N., Rabehevitra, D., et al. (2015). The use of an invasive species habitat by a small folivorous primate: Implications for lemur conservation in Madagascar. PLoS ONE, 10(11), e0140981. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0140981

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Eppley, T. M., Balestri, M., Campera, M., Rabenantoandro, J., Ramanamanjato, J. B., Randriatafika, F., et al. (2017). Ecological flexibility as measured by the use of pioneer and exotic plants by two lemurids: Eulemur collaris and Hapalemur meridionalis. International Journal of Primatology, 38, 338–357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eppley, T. M., Borgerson, C., Patel, E. R., Herrera, J. P., Kirkby, A. E., Golden, C. D., et al. (2023). A habitat stronghold on the precipice: A call‐to‐action for supporting lemur conservation in northeast Madagascar. American Journal of Primatology, e23483. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23483

  • Eppley, T. M., & Goodman, S. M. (2022). Non-native habitat use by endemic terrestrial Malagasy mammals. In S. M. Goodman (Ed.), The New Natural History of Madagascar (pp. 1818–1821). Princeton University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Eppley, T. M., Santini, L., Tinsman, J. C., & Donati, G. (2020). Do functional traits offset the effects of fragmentation? The case of large-bodied diurnal lemur species. American Journal of Primatology, 82(4), e23104.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eppley, T. M., Hoeks, S., Chapman, C. A., Ganzhorn, J. U., Hall, K., et al. (2022). Descending from the trees: Factors favoring transitions to terrestriality in primates of Madagascar and the Americas. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 119(42), e2121105119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2121105119

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Estrada, A., Raboy, B. E., & Oliveira, L. C. (2012). Agroecosystems and primate conservation in the tropics: A review. American Journal of Primatology, 74, 696–711.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Estrada, A., Garber, P. A., & Chaudhary, A. (2019). Expanding global commodities trade and consumption place the world’s primates at risk of extinction. PeerJ, 7, e7068.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Estrada, A., Garber, P. A., Rylands, A. B., Roos, C., Fernandez-Duque, E., Di Fiore, A., et al. (2017). Impending extinction crisis of the world’s primates: Why primates matter. Science Advances, 3(1), e1600946.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Estrada, A., Garber, P. A., Gouveia, S., Fernández-Llamazares, Á., Ascensão, F., Fuentes, A., et al. (2022). Global importance of Indigenous Peoples, their lands, and knowledge systems for saving the world’s primates from extinction. Science Advances, 8(31), eabn2927.

  • Eustace, A., Kisingo, A., Kahana, L., & Lyimo, E. (2015). Activity patterns of black-and-white Colobus monkey (Colobus guereza caudatus) in Rau Forest Reserve, Tanzania. Research and Reviews: Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 3(4), 17–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment (2020). Main report. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

  • Fashing, P. (2001). Feeding ecology of guerezas in the Kakamega Forest, Kenya: The importance of Moraceae fruit in their diet. International Journal of Primatology, 22(4), 579–609.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fashing, P. J. (2022). Natural history of black-and-white colobus monkeys. In I. Matsuda, C. C. Grueter, & J. A. Teichroeb (Eds.), The Colobines: Natural History, Behaviour, and Ecology Diversity (pp. 128–145). Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Fashing, P. J., & Oates, J. F. (2013). Colobus guereza. In J. Kingdon, D. Happold, & T. Butynski (Eds.), Mammals of Africa (pp. 111–119). Bloomsbury Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fashing, P. J., Dierenatural Forest Eld, E. S., & Mowry, C. B. (2007). Inatural forest luence of plant and soil chemistry on food selection, ranging patterns, and biomass of Colobus guereza in Kakamega Forest, Kenya. International Journal of Primatology, 28(3), 673–703.

  • Fashing, P. J., Nguyen, N., Luteshi, P., Opondo, W., Cash, J. F., & Cords, M. (2012). Evaluating the suitability of planted forests for African forest monkeys: A case study from Kakamega Forest, Kenya. American Journal of Primatology, 74, 77–90.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fashing, P. J., Nguyen, N., Demissew, S., Gizaw, A., Atickem, A., Mekonnen, A., et al. (2022). Ecology, evolution, and conservation of Ethiopia’s biodiversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(50), e2206635119.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fashing, P., Nguyen, N., Venkataraman, V., & Kerby, J. (2014). Gelada feeding ecology in an intact ecosystem at Guassa, Ethiopia: Variability over time and implications for theropith and hominin dietary evolution. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 155(1), 1–16.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Felton, A. M., Felton, A., Wood, J. T., & Lindenmayer, D. B. (2008). Diet and feeding ecology of Ateles chamek in a Bolivian semihumid forest: The importance of Ficus as a staple food resource. International Journal of Primatology, 29(2), 379–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fernández, D., Kerhoas, D., Dempsey, A., Billany, J., McCabe, G., & Argirova, E. (2022). The current status of the world’s primates: Map** threats to understand priorities for primate conservation. International Journal of Primatology, 43(1), 15–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisaha, G., Hundera, K., & Dalle, G. (2013). Woody plants’ diversity, structural analysis and regeneration status of Wof-Washa natural forest. North-East Ethiopia. African Journal of Ecology, 51(4), 599–608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galan-Acedo, C., Arroyo-Rodríguez, V., Cudney-Valenzuela, S. J., & Fahrig, L. (2019). A global assessment of primate responses to landscape structure. Biological Reviews, 94, 1605–1618.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Galan-Acedo, C., Spaan, D., Bicca-Marques, J. C., de Azevedo, R. B., Villalobos, F., & Rosete-Vergés, F. (2021). Regional deforestation drives the impact of forest cover and matrix quality on primate species richness. Biological Conservation, 263, 109338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallegos, T. A., & Glimskar, A. (2009). Computer-aided calibration for visual estimation of vegetation cover. Journal of Vegetation Science, 20, 973–983. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2009.01111.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ganzhorn, J. U., Arrigo-Nelson, S. J., Carrai, V., Chalise, M. K., Donati, G., Droescher, I., et al. (2017). The importance of protein in leaf selection of folivorous primates. American Journal of Primatology, 79(4), e22550.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ganzhorn, J. U., Rakotondranary, S. J., & Ratovonamana, Y. R. (2011). Habitat description and phenology. In J. M. Setchell, & D. J. Curtis (Eds.), Field and laboratory methods in primatology (pp. 40–56). Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gebru, T. D. (2016). Deforestation in Ethiopia: Causes, Impacts and Remedy. International Journal of Engineering Development and Research, 4(2), 204–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerard, A., Ganzhorn, J. U., Kull, C. A., & Carrière, S. M. (2015). Possible roles of alien plants in native fauna conservation: Madagascar as a case study. Restoration Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grimes, K., & Paterson, J. D. (2000). Colobus guereza and exotic plant species in the Entebbe Botanical Gardens. American Journal of Primatology, 51, 59–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, Ø., Harper, D. A., & Ryan, P. D. (2001). PAST: Paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontologia Electronica, 4(1), 9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanya, G., & Chapman, C. A. (2013). Linking feeding ecology and population abundance: A review of food resource limitation on primates. Ecological Research, 28(2), 183–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawes, J. E., & Peres, C. A. (2014). Ecological correlates of trophic status and frugivory in neotropical primates. Oikos, 123(3), 365–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ibrahim, H., Bekele, A., Fashing, P. J., Nguyen, N., Yazezew, D., Moges, A., et al. (2023). Feeding ecology of a highland population of hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) at Borena-Sayint National Park, northern Ethiopia. Primates. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-023-01077-6

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jansson, C. (2011). The major food trees of the Angola black-andwhite colobus (Colobus angolensis palliatus) in Diani Forest, Kenya (No. 1652–280X). Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

  • Kamilar, J. M., & Paciulli, L. M. (2008). Examining the extinction risk of specialized folivores: A comparative study of colobine monkeys. American Journal of Primatology, 70, 816–827. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.20553

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kappeler, P. M., & Heymann, E. W. (1996). Nonconvergence in the evolution of primate life history and socio-ecology. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 59, 297–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kent, M., & Coker, P. (1992). Vegetation Description and Analysis. A practical approach London. Bolhaven Printing Press, John Wiley and Sons. Inc.

  • Kessler, M., Kebler, P. J. A., Gradstein, S. R., Bach, K., Schmull, M., & Pitopang, R. (2005). Tree diversity in primary forest and different land use systems in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversity Conservation, 14, 547–560.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Konersmann, C., Noromiarilanto, F., Ratovonamana, Y. R., Brinkmann, K., Jensen, K., Kobbe, S., et al. (2021). Using utilitarian plants for lemur conservation. International Journal of Primatology, 43, 1026–1045.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kool, K. M. (1989). Behavioural ecology of the silver leaf monkey, Trachypithecus auratus sondaicus, in the Pangandaran Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia. PhD thesis, the University of New South Wales.

  • Krebs, C. J. (1999). Ecological Methodology. Longman Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambert, J. E. (1998). Primate digestion: Interactions among anatomy, physiology, and feeding ecology. Evolutionary Anthropology, 7(1), 8–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambert, J. E. (2011). Primate nutritional ecology: feeding biology and diet at ecological and evolutionary scales. In C. Campbell, A. Fuentes, K. C. MacKinnon, M. Panger, S. Bearder, & R. Stumpf (Eds.), Primates in perspective (pp. 512–522). 2nd edn. Oxford University Press.

  • Lambert, J. E., & Rothman, J. M. (2015). Fallback foods, optimal diets, and nutritional targets: Primate responses to varying food availability and quality. Annual Review of Anthropology, 44, 493–512.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lim, J. Y., Wasserman, M. D., Veen, J., Despres-Einspenner, M. L., & Kissling, W. D. (2021). Ecological and evolutionary significance of primates’ most consumed plant families. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 288(1953), 20210737.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Machado, F. F., Jardim, L., Dinnage, R., Brito, D., & Cardillo, M. (2023). Diet disparity and diversity predict extinction risk in primates. Animal Conservation, 26, 331–339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, L. K., & Chapman, C. A. (2013). Primates in Fragments: Ecology and Conservation. Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, A., Boyko, C., Feilen, K., Boyko, R., & Leighton, M. (2009). Defining fallback foods and assessing their importance in primate ecology and evolution. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 140, 603–614.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Matsuda, I., Ihobe, H., Tashiro, Y., Yumoto, T., Baranga, D., & Hashimoto, C. (2020). The diet and feeding behavior of the black-and-white colobus (Colobus guereza) in the Kalinzu Forest, Uganda. Primates, 61, 473–484.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McLennan, M., & Hockings, K. (2014). Wild chimpanzees show group differences in selection of agricultural crops. Scientific Reports, 4(1), 5956. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep05956

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mekonnen, A., Bekele, A., Fashing, P. J., Hemson, G., & Atickem, A. (2010). Diet, activity patterns, and ranging ecology of the Bale monkey (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) in Odobullu Forest, Ethiopia. International Journal of Primatology, 31(3), 339–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mekonnen, A., Fashing, P. J., Sargis, E. J., Venkataraman, V. V., Bekele, A., Hernandez-Aguilar, R. A., et al. (2018a). Flexibility in positional behavior, strata use, and substrate utilization among Bale monkeys (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) in response to habitat fragmentation and degradation. American Journal of Primatology, 80, e22760.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mekonnen, A., Fashing, P. J., Bekele, A., Hernandez-Aguilar, R. A., Rueness, E. K., & Stenseth, N. C. (2018b). Dietary fexibility of Bale monkeys (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) in southern Ethiopia: Efects of habitat degradation and life in fragments. BMC Ecology, 18(1), 4.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mekonnen, A., Fashing, P. J., Bekele, A., Hernandez-Aguilar, R. A., Rueness, E. K., Nguyen, N., et al. (2017). Impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation on the activity budget, ranging ecology and habitat use of Bale monkeys (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) in the southern Ethiopian Highlands. American Journal of Primatology, 79(7), e22644.

  • Mekonnen, A., Fashing, P. J., Chapman, C. A., Venkataraman, V. V., & Stenseth, N. C. (2022). The value of flagship and umbrella species for restoration and sustainable development: Bale monkeys and bamboo forest in Ethiopia. Journal for Nature Conservation, 65, 126117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merker, S., & Yustian, I. (2008). Habitat use analysis of Dian’s tarsier (Tarsius dianae) in a mixed-species plantation in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Primates, 49, 161–164.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nowak, K., & Lee, P. C. (2013). "Specialist” primates can be flexible in response to habitat alteration. In L. K. Marsh, & C. A. Chapman (Eds.), Primates in fragments: complexity and resilience (pp. 199–211). Springer Science & Business Media.

  • Nyssen, J., Frankl, A., Haile, M., Hurni, H., Descheemaeker, K., Crummey, D., et al. (2014). Environmental conditions and human drivers for changes to north Ethiopian mountain landscapes over 145 years. Science of the Total Environment, 485, 164–179.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oates, J. (1977a). The guereza and its food. In T. H. Clutton-Brock (Ed.), Primate Ecology: Studies of Feeding and Ranging Behavior in Lemurs, Monkeys and Apes (pp. 275–321). Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oates, J. F. (1977b). The guereza and man. In H.R.H. Prince III & G.H. Bourne (eds.), Primate Conservation. Academic Press.

  • Onderdonk, D. A., & Chapman, C. A. (2000). Co** with forest fragmentation: The primates of Kibale National Park, Uganda. International Journal of Primatology, 21, 587–611.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Onyekwelu, J. C., Mosandl, R., & Stimm, B. (2008). Tree species diversity and soil status of primary and degraded tropical rainatural forest orest ecosystems in South-Western Nigeria. Journal of Tropical Forest Science, 20, 193–204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinheiro, H. L. N., & Pontes, A. R. (2015). Home range, diet, and activity patterns of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) in very small and isolated fragments of the Atlantic forest of northeastern Brazil. International Journal of Ecology, 2015, 685816.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pliosungnoen, M., Gale, G., & Savini, T. (2010). Density and microhabitat use of Bengal slow loris in primary forest and non-native plantation forest. American Journal of Primatology, 72(12), 1108–1117.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Plumptre, A. J. (2006). The diets, preferences, and overlap of the primate community in the Budongo forest reserve, Uganda. In N.E. Newton-Fisher, H. Notman, J.D. Paterson, & V. Reynolds (Eds), Primates of Western Uganda, Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects (pp. 345–371). New York, NY, Springer.

  • Redei, T., Csecserits, A., Lhotsky, B., Barabás, S., Kröel-Dulay, G., Ónodi, G., & Botta-Dukát, Z. (2020). Plantation forests cannot support the richness of forest specialist plants in the forest-steppe zone. Forest Ecology and Management, 461, 117964.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rothman, J. M., & Bryer, M. A. (2019). The effects of humans on the primate nutritional landscape. In A. Behie, J. A. Teichroeb, & N. Malone (Eds.), Primate Research and Conservation in the Anthropocene (pp. 199–215). Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, A. M., Chapman, C. A., & Rothman, J. M. (2013). How do differences in species and part consumption affect diet nutrient concentrations? A test with red colobus monkeys in Kibale National Park, Uganda. African Journal of Ecology, 51(1), 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sobuj, N. A., & Rahman, M. (2011). Comparison of plant diversity of natural forest and plantations of Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary of Bangladesh. Journal of Forest Science, 27(3), 127–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teelen, S. (2007). Primate abundance along five transect lines at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. American Journal of Primatology, 69(9), 1030–1044.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tesfaye, D., Fashing, P. J., Meshesha, A. A., Bekele, A., & Stenseth, N. C. (2021). Feeding ecology of the Omo River guereza (Colobus guereza guereza) in habitats with varying levels of fragmentation and disturbance in the southern Ethiopian Highlands. International Journal of Primatology, 42(1), 64–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torres-Romero, E. J., Nijman, V., Fernández, D., & Eppley, T. M. (2023). Human-modified landscapes driving the global primate extinction crisis. Global Change Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16902

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Veronika, S. (2008). Wof Washa – cave of bird Dynamics of a Forest at the Eastern Escarpment of the Ethiopian Highlands. University of Zurich.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wali, A., Alvira, D., Tallman, P. S., Ravikumar, A., & Macedo, M. O. (2017). A new approach to conservation: Using community empowerment for sustainable well-being. Ecology and Society, 22(4), 6. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-09598-220406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wasserman, M. D., & Chapman, C. A. (2003). Determinants of colobine monkey abundance: The importance of food energy, protein and fiber content. Journal of Animal Ecology, 72, 650–659.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yazezew, D., Bekele, A., Fashing, P. J., Nguyen, N., Ibrahim, H., Moges, A., et al. (in Prep.). Activity budget and ranging ecology of Omo River Guereza (Colobus guereza guereza) in natural and plantation forest of Wof-Washa, central highlands of Ethiopia.

  • Yazezew, D., Bekele, A., Fashing, P. J., Nguyen, N., Moges, A., Ibrahim, H., et al. (2022). Population size and habitat preference of the Omo River guereza (Colobus guereza guereza) in a multi-habitat matrix in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Primates, 63, 151–160.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zinner, D., Tesfaye, D., Stenseth, N. C., Bekele, A., Mekonnen, A., et al. (2019). Is Colobus guereza gallarum a valid endemic Ethiopian taxon? Primate Biology, 6, 7–16.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Debre Berhan University and Addis Ababa University for financial and logistical support. We also thank Primate Conservation Incorporated (PCI) (Grant No. PCI# 1230), Rufford Small Grant Foundation (Grant No. 16931-1), International Foundation for Science (IFS) (Grant No. D/5869-1), IDEA WILD for donating several field materials, and Thematic Research on Animal Diversity (Grant number TR-010-CNS) for funding to Dereje Yazezew. We are grateful to the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, the Amhara Region Forest and Wildlife Enterprise, and District Agriculture Offices (Tarmaber and Ankober) for granting permission to conduct this study. We thank local field assistants Lema Mamuye, Wondosen Getahun, Getnet Haile, Mamuye Gizaw, Mindahun Mekoya, and Kura Kassa. We are grateful for the valuable comments made by the editors and reviewers.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Debre Berhan University, P. O. Box 445, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia

    Dereje Yazezew

  2. Department of Zoological Sciences, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Dereje Yazezew, Afework Bekele & Hussein Ibrahim

  3. Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway

    Peter J. Fashing, Nga Nguyen & Addisu Mekonnen

  4. Department of Anthropology and Environmental Studies Program, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA

    Peter J. Fashing & Nga Nguyen

  5. Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Wollo University, P. O. Box 1145, Dessie, Ethiopia

    Hussein Ibrahim

  6. Department of Biology, College of Science, Bahir Dar University, P. O. Box 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

    Amera Moges

  7. Wildlife Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar

    Timothy M. Eppley

  8. Department of Anthropology, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

    Timothy M. Eppley

  9. Conservation Science & Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA, USA

    Timothy M. Eppley

  10. Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    Addisu Mekonnen

  11. Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

    Addisu Mekonnen

Authors
  1. Dereje Yazezew
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Afework Bekele
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Peter J. Fashing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Nga Nguyen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hussein Ibrahim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Amera Moges
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Timothy M. Eppley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Addisu Mekonnen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

DY, AB, PJF, NN, and AMe originally formulated the idea and designed this study. DY performed the fieldwork, organized, and analyzed the data. DY, AB, PJF, NN, HI, AMo, TME, and AMe wrote the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dereje Yazezew.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Joanna (Jo) M. Setchell

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 52 KB)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yazezew, D., Bekele, A., Fashing, P.J. et al. Feeding Ecology of Omo River Guerezas (Colobus guereza guereza) in Natural Versus Plantation Forests in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia. Int J Primatol 45, 282–307 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-023-00401-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-023-00401-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation