Anthropogenic influences on primate antipredator behavior and implications for research and conservation

LaBarge, L. R.; Hill, R. A.; Berman, C. M.; Margulis, S. W.; Allan, A. T. L.

Abstract

Predation risk affects prey species' behavior, even in the absence of a direct threat, but human‐induced environmental change may disturb ecologically significant predator–prey interactions. Here, we propose various ways in which knowledge of antipredator tactics, behavioral risk effects, and primate–predator interactions could assist in identifying human‐caused disruption to natural systems. Using behavior to evaluate primate responses to the ongoing environmental change should be a potentially effective way to make species conservation more predictive by identifying issues before a more dramatic population declines. A key challenge here is that studies of predation on primates often use data collected via direct observations of habituated animals and human presence can deter carnivores and influence subjects' perception of risk. Hence, we also review various indirect data collection methods to evaluate their effectiveness in identifying where environmental change threatens wild species, while also minimizing observer bias.

Citation

LaBarge, L. R., Hill, R. A., Berman, C. M., Margulis, S. W., & Allan, A. T. L. (2020). Anthropogenic influences on primate antipredator behavior and implications for research and conservation. American Journal of Primatology, 82(2), Article e23087. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23087

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 6, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Jan 1, 2020
• Publication Date: Feb 28, 2020
• Deposit Date: Dec 10, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 1, 2021
• Journal: American Journal of Primatology
• Print ISSN: 0275-2565
• Electronic ISSN: 1098-2345
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 82
• Issue: 2
• Article Number: e23087
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23087
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1281356