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<p>Primates behave differently in response to habitats with varying levels of modification, particularly in human-dominated landscapes. Boutourline's blue monkey (<i>Cercopithecus mitis boutourlinii</i>), a threatened primate endemic to western Ethiopia and southeastern South Sudan, inhabits tropical forests that are increasingly disturbed, including conversion for agriculture and plantations. Given the rapid rate of landscape conversion in the region, we investigated the activity budget, ranging ecology, and habitat use patterns of two groups of Boutourline's blue monkeys in Hamuma Coffee Forest, Ethiopia. Over 15 months (November 2016–January 2018), we studied the two groups ranging across three forest types: undisturbed natural coffee forest, shade coffee forest, and open canopy coffee forest. One group, Low Disturbance group, comprising 55–58 individuals, primarily occupied undisturbed natural and lightly disturbed shade coffee forest, whereas the other, High Disturbance group, consisting of 32–35 individuals, occupied mostly heavily disturbed open canopy coffee forest and lightly disturbed shade coffee forest. The groups did not differ significantly in time spent feeding, traveling, or resting, but social activity was significantly higher in the Low Disturbance group, possibly owing to the greater number of potential social partners available in this group. High Disturbance group occupied a larger home range and a larger core area, while Low Disturbance group used a smaller area more intensively, although daily path lengths did not differ significantly between the groups either seasonally or annually. Both groups showed a strong preference for undisturbed coffee forest areas and avoided open canopy areas in their ranges, suggesting habitat preferences are consistent across the groups although the relative abundance of the habitat types available to them differs. Overall, the groups showed similar patterns in habitat use, activity budget, and ranging despite differences in habitat composition and group size. A future study of more groups would offer more conclusive insights into the impacts of habitat disturbance on Boutourline’s blue monkey behavior and ecology. Given the increasing anthropogenic disturbance throughout their range, their ability to inhabit varied coffee forest habitats and to tolerate habitat modification may facilitate the long-term sustainability of Boutourline’s blue monkey populations.</p>

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Activity, Ranging, and Habitat Use Patterns of Two Groups of Boutourline’s Blue Monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis boutourlinii) in Habitats with Different Levels of Anthropogenic Modification in Hamuma Coffee Forest, Ethiopia

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月30日

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  • Meseret Chane,
  • Afework Bekele,
  • Peter J. Fashing,
  • Colin A. Chapman,
  • Dereje Yazezew,
  • Hussein Ibrahim,
  • Amera Moges,
  • Nga Nguyen,
  • Timothy M. Eppley,
  • Vivek V. Venkataraman,
  • Addisu Mekonnen

摘要

Primates behave differently in response to habitats with varying levels of modification, particularly in human-dominated landscapes. Boutourline's blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis boutourlinii), a threatened primate endemic to western Ethiopia and southeastern South Sudan, inhabits tropical forests that are increasingly disturbed, including conversion for agriculture and plantations. Given the rapid rate of landscape conversion in the region, we investigated the activity budget, ranging ecology, and habitat use patterns of two groups of Boutourline's blue monkeys in Hamuma Coffee Forest, Ethiopia. Over 15 months (November 2016–January 2018), we studied the two groups ranging across three forest types: undisturbed natural coffee forest, shade coffee forest, and open canopy coffee forest. One group, Low Disturbance group, comprising 55–58 individuals, primarily occupied undisturbed natural and lightly disturbed shade coffee forest, whereas the other, High Disturbance group, consisting of 32–35 individuals, occupied mostly heavily disturbed open canopy coffee forest and lightly disturbed shade coffee forest. The groups did not differ significantly in time spent feeding, traveling, or resting, but social activity was significantly higher in the Low Disturbance group, possibly owing to the greater number of potential social partners available in this group. High Disturbance group occupied a larger home range and a larger core area, while Low Disturbance group used a smaller area more intensively, although daily path lengths did not differ significantly between the groups either seasonally or annually. Both groups showed a strong preference for undisturbed coffee forest areas and avoided open canopy areas in their ranges, suggesting habitat preferences are consistent across the groups although the relative abundance of the habitat types available to them differs. Overall, the groups showed similar patterns in habitat use, activity budget, and ranging despite differences in habitat composition and group size. A future study of more groups would offer more conclusive insights into the impacts of habitat disturbance on Boutourline’s blue monkey behavior and ecology. Given the increasing anthropogenic disturbance throughout their range, their ability to inhabit varied coffee forest habitats and to tolerate habitat modification may facilitate the long-term sustainability of Boutourline’s blue monkey populations.