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Interspecific primate associations in Amazonian flooded and unflooded forests

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Abstract

Stable associations between two or more primate species are a prominent feature of neotropical forest vertebrate communities and many studies have addressed their prevalence, and their costs and benefits. However, little is known about the influence of different habitat types on the frequency, seasonality, and composition of mixed-species groups in Amazonian forest primates. Here we examine the features of interspecific primate groups in a large mosaic of flooded (várzea and igapó) and unflooded (terra firme) forest in central Amazonia. In total, 12 primate species occurred in the study area, nine of which were observed in mixed-species associations. Primates were more than twice as likely to form associations in várzea forest than in terra firme forest. Squirrel monkeys were most frequently found in mixed-species groups in all forest types, most commonly in association with brown capuchins. Another frequent member of interspecific associations was the buffy saki, which often formed mixed-species groups with tamarins or brown capuchins. There was no seasonality in the frequency of associations in terra firme forest whereas associations in várzea forest were twice as frequent during the late-dry and early-wet seasons than in the late-wet and early-dry seasons. Interspecific primate associations were common in all forest types, but the degrees to which different species associate varied between these environments. We suggest that the temporal variation of várzea forest associations is connected with seasonal changes in habitat structure and resource abundance. However, more work is needed to pinpoint the underlying causes of mixed-species associations in all forest types and their strong seasonality in várzea forest.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support for the Lago Uauaçu study was provided by small grants from the Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF-US and the Amazon Conservation Team. Logistical help was provided by the Amazon Association for the Preservation of Areas of High Biodiversity. Special thanks to Marilene, Edivar, Zé, and Evineu for their invaluable help in the field and Richard Bischof for help with data analysis. P. Judge prepared Fig. 1. Two anonymous reviewers provided helpful comments that much improved the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway

    Torbjørn Haugaasen

  2. Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK

    Torbjørn Haugaasen & Carlos A. Peres

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  1. Torbjørn Haugaasen
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  2. Carlos A. Peres
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Correspondence to Torbjørn Haugaasen.

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Haugaasen, T., Peres, C.A. Interspecific primate associations in Amazonian flooded and unflooded forests. Primates 50, 239–251 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-009-0135-4

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