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When good neighbors don't need fences: temporal landscape partitioning among baboon social groups

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Abstract

Intraspecific competition is a key factor shaping space-use strategies and movement decisions in many species, yet how and when neighbors utilize shared areas while exhibiting active avoidance of one another is largely unknown. Here, we investigated temporal landscape partitioning in a population of wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus). We used global positioning system (GPS) collars to synchronously record the hourly locations of five baboon social groups for ∼900 days, and we used behavioral, demographic, and life history data to measure factors affecting use of overlap areas. Annual home ranges of neighboring groups overlapped substantially, as predicted (baboons are considered non-territorial), but home ranges overlapped less when space use was assessed over shorter time scales. Moreover, neighboring groups were in close spatial proximity to one another on fewer days than predicted by a null model, suggesting an avoidance-based spacing pattern. At all time scales examined (monthly, biweekly, and weekly), time spent in overlap areas was greater during time periods when groups fed on evenly dispersed, low-quality foods. The percent of fertile females in social groups was negatively correlated with time spent in overlap areas only during weekly time intervals. This suggests that broad temporal changes in ecological resources are a major predictor of how intensively overlap areas are used, and groups modify these ecologically driven spacing patterns at short time scales based on female reproductive status. Together, these findings offer insight into the economics of territoriality by highlighting the dynamics of spacing patterns at differing time scales.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the government of the Republic of Kenya, to the Kenya Wildlife Services, the staff and wardens of Amboseli National Park, and the local community of the Amboseli region. Tremendous thanks go to ABRP researchers for their contributions to data collection and outstanding dedication in the field: R. Mututua, S. Sayialel, J.K. Warutere, G. Marinka, B. Oyath, and I. Longida. We also thank M. Akinyi, L. Gesquiere, N. Learn, and L. Maryott for their invaluable assistance. T. Garin and Advanced Telemetry Systems, Inc. provided exceptional product support. I. Couzin, A. Dobson, D. Rubenstein, P. Waser, and M. Wikelski commented on an earlier draft of this manuscript. Financial support was provided by American Society of Primatologists (to A.C.M.), Animal Behavior Society (to A.C.M.), International Primatological Society (to A.C.M.), Max Planck Institute of Ornithology (to M. Wikelski), National Institute on Aging (R01AG034513-01 to J.A. and S.C.A.), National Science Foundation (IBN-0322613 to J.A. and S.C.A.; IOS-0919200 to S.C.A.; BCS-0851750 to J.A. and A.C.M.), and Sigma Xi (to A.C.M.). Support data from this project are available in the Dryad database.

Ethical standards

All project protocols complied with regulations in Kenya (Republic of Kenya Research Permits NCST/5/002/R/776 to J.A. and NCST/5/002/R/777 to S.C.A.) and in the USA (Princeton University IACUC 1649).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Guyot Hall, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA

    A. Catherine Markham, Vishwesha Guttal & Jeanne Altmann

  2. Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India

    Vishwesha Guttal

  3. Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Susan C. Alberts

  4. Institute for Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya

    Susan C. Alberts & Jeanne Altmann

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  1. A. Catherine Markham
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  2. Vishwesha Guttal
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  3. Susan C. Alberts
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  4. Jeanne Altmann
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Correspondence to A. Catherine Markham.

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Communicated by D. P. Watts

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Markham, A.C., Guttal, V., Alberts, S.C. et al. When good neighbors don't need fences: temporal landscape partitioning among baboon social groups. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 67, 875–884 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-013-1510-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-013-1510-0

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