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Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on the Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli): Recommendations for Conservation

  • Chapter
Primates in Fragments

Abstract

Cross River State, Nigeria, is in the tropical moist forest zone (or Guinean forest region) and home to a diverse assemblage of primates (Figure 1). Detailed description of this tropical moist rain forest is given in Onochie (1979), Richards (1981), and Sayer et al. (1992). Increasing human population and the attendant desperate economic situation of the people following years of military rule and failing economy has led to unsustainable forest resource exploitation and destruction (Olajide and Eniang, 2000). Chapman and Lambert (2000) have shown that the tropical forest and the animals they support are being threatened by accelerating rates of forest conversion and degradation. Mittermeier (1988) ranked Nigeria as 8th among the countries of the world with the highest primate diversity and 7th in terms of degree of primate species endemism. Therefore, it becomes extremely necessary to pursue a multifaceted conservation strategy to save the myriads of primates and biodiversity inherent in the tropical moist forest ecosystem. The declining status of the tropical moist forest and wildlife, in general, and decimation of primates, in particular, requires urgent realistic and effective steps, including all people and factors involved. Eniang (1998) listed several factors as being responsible for the decline of non-human primate populations in southeastern Nigeria. The deplorable conservation status of the Cross River gorilla and other primates can be found in Oates (1996).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forestry and Wildlife, University of Uyo, PMB 1017, Uyo, Nigeria

    Edem A. Eniang

  2. Biodiversity Preservation Group, 93 Ndidem Usang Iso Road, H. E P. O. Box 990, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

    Edem A. Eniang

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  1. Edem A. Eniang
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA

    Laura K. Marsh

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Eniang, E.A. (2003). Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on the Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli): Recommendations for Conservation. In: Marsh, L.K. (eds) Primates in Fragments. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3770-7_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3770-7_22

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-3772-1

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