Abstract

GARCES-RESTREPO, Mario Fernando et al. Density and structure of populations of Cebus capucinus curtus (Primates:Cebidae) and Bradypus variegatus gorgon (Pilosa:Bradypodidae) in Gorgona Island, ColombiaGorgona. Rev. biol. trop [online]. 2014, vol.62, suppl.1, pp.447-456. ISSN 0034-7744.

is a continental island in the Pacific of Colombia. Two subspecies of arboreal mammals inhabit the island: the White-throated Capuchin (Cebus capucinus curtus) and the Brown-throated Sloth (Bradypus variegatus gorgon). These organisms are important for conservation since they are endemic and perform an essential role as seed dispersers in the National Park. This paper presents information on the population ecology of these two subspecies by using the transects-of-variable-width method, based on perpendicular detection distance, to establish density and age structure. The density of C. capucinus curtus in Gorgona Island was 170.6ind/km2 (95% CI=122-238.4), while that of B. variegatus gorgon was 2.6ind/km² (IC 95%= 1.3 to 4.9ind/km²). The density of C. capucinus curtus in Isla Gorgona is the highest recorded for this species throughout its geographic range, while that of B. variegatus gorgon is the lowest reported for the species. The high density of C. curtus capucinus could be related to a synergistic effect between low predation and continuous availability of food, while the low density of B. variegates gorgon could be related to past hunting pressure, to the low reproductive rate of the species, and to a pandemic occurred in 2005. We recommend constant monitoring of populations of both subspecies, and population health studies for B. variegatus gorgon. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (Suppl. 1): 447-456. Epub 2014 February 01.

Keywords : Population density; Island effect; key resources; Bradypus variegatus gorgon; Cebus capucinus curtus; Gorgona.

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