TY - JOUR
T1 - Primates in peril
T2 - The significance of Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for global primate conservation
AU - Estrada, Alejandro
AU - Garber, Paul A.
AU - Mittermeier, Russell A.
AU - Wich, Serge
AU - Gouveia, Sidney
AU - Dobrovolski, Ricardo
AU - Nekaris, K. A.I.
AU - Nijman, Vincent
AU - Rylands, Anthony B.
AU - Maisels, Fiona
AU - Williamson, Elizabeth A.
AU - Bicca-Marques, Julio
AU - Fuentes, Agustin
AU - Jerusalinsky, Leandro
AU - Johnson, Steig
AU - de Melo, Fabiano Rodrigues
AU - Oliveira, Leonardo
AU - Schwitzer, Christoph
AU - Roos, Christian
AU - Cheyne, Susan M.
AU - Kierulff, Maria Cecilia Martins
AU - Raharivololona, Brigitte
AU - Talebi, Mauricio
AU - Ratsimbazafy, Jonah
AU - Supriatna, Jatna
AU - Boonratana, Ramesh
AU - Wedana, Made
AU - Setiawan, Arif
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Estrada et al.
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Primates occur in 90 countries, but four-Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)-harbor 65% of the world's primate species (439) and 60% of these primates are Threatened, Endangered, or Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017-3). Considering their importance for global primate conservation, we examine the anthropogenic pressures each country is facing that place their primate populations at risk. Habitat loss and fragmentation are main threats to primates in Brazil, Madagascar, and Indonesia. However, in DRC hunting for the commercial bushmeat trade is the primary threat. Encroachment on primate habitats driven by local and global market demands for food and non-food commodities hunting, illegal trade, the proliferation of invasive species, and human and domestic-animal borne infectious diseases cause habitat loss, population declines, and extirpation. Modeling agricultural expansion in the 21st century for the four countries under a worstcase- scenario, showed a primate range contraction of 78% for Brazil, 72% for Indonesia, 62% for Madagascar, and 32% for DRC. These pressures unfold in the context of expanding human populations with low levels of development. Weak governance across these four countries may limit effective primate conservation planning. We examine landscape and local approaches to effective primate conservation policies and assess the distribution of protected areas and primates in each country. Primates in Brazil and Madagascar have 38% of their range inside protected areas, 17% in Indonesia and 14% in DRC, suggesting that the great majority of primate populations remain vulnerable. We list the key challenges faced by the four countries to avert primate extinctions now and in the future. In the short term, effective law enforcement to stop illegal hunting and illegal forest destruction is absolutely key. Long-term success can only be achieved by focusing local and global public awareness, and actively engaging with international organizations, multinational businesses and consumer nations to reduce unsustainable demands on the environment. Finally, the four primate range countries need to ensure that integrated, sustainable land-use planning for economic development includes the maintenance of biodiversity and intact, functional natural ecosystems.
AB - Primates occur in 90 countries, but four-Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)-harbor 65% of the world's primate species (439) and 60% of these primates are Threatened, Endangered, or Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017-3). Considering their importance for global primate conservation, we examine the anthropogenic pressures each country is facing that place their primate populations at risk. Habitat loss and fragmentation are main threats to primates in Brazil, Madagascar, and Indonesia. However, in DRC hunting for the commercial bushmeat trade is the primary threat. Encroachment on primate habitats driven by local and global market demands for food and non-food commodities hunting, illegal trade, the proliferation of invasive species, and human and domestic-animal borne infectious diseases cause habitat loss, population declines, and extirpation. Modeling agricultural expansion in the 21st century for the four countries under a worstcase- scenario, showed a primate range contraction of 78% for Brazil, 72% for Indonesia, 62% for Madagascar, and 32% for DRC. These pressures unfold in the context of expanding human populations with low levels of development. Weak governance across these four countries may limit effective primate conservation planning. We examine landscape and local approaches to effective primate conservation policies and assess the distribution of protected areas and primates in each country. Primates in Brazil and Madagascar have 38% of their range inside protected areas, 17% in Indonesia and 14% in DRC, suggesting that the great majority of primate populations remain vulnerable. We list the key challenges faced by the four countries to avert primate extinctions now and in the future. In the short term, effective law enforcement to stop illegal hunting and illegal forest destruction is absolutely key. Long-term success can only be achieved by focusing local and global public awareness, and actively engaging with international organizations, multinational businesses and consumer nations to reduce unsustainable demands on the environment. Finally, the four primate range countries need to ensure that integrated, sustainable land-use planning for economic development includes the maintenance of biodiversity and intact, functional natural ecosystems.
KW - Agricultural expansion
KW - Community forests
KW - Corruption and governance
KW - Deforestation
KW - Forest-risk commodity trade
KW - Hunting
KW - Illegal trade
KW - Logging
KW - Poaching
KW - Protected areas
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U2 - 10.7717/peerj.4869
DO - 10.7717/peerj.4869
M3 - Article
C2 - 29922508
AN - SCOPUS:85048588060
SN - 2167-8359
VL - 2018
JO - PeerJ
JF - PeerJ
IS - 6
M1 - e4869
ER -