What's burning got to do with it? Primate foraging opportunities in fire‐modified landscapes

Bibliographic Data

ID8312448
AuthorsN M Herzog (0000-0003-4965-5967, University of South Africa, corresponding author), Earl R Keefe (Department of Anthropology University of Utah Salt Lake City UT 84112), Christopher H Parker (Department of Anthropology University of Utah Salt Lake City UT 84112), K Hawkes (0000-0002-0558-4856, University of Utah)
Year2016
Volume159
Issue3
Pages432-441
Publication date2016-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.22885
PMID26499205
OpenAlexW2132990347
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited72

OBJECTIVES: Anecdotal and formal evidence indicate that primates take advantage of burned landscapes. However, little work has been done to quantify the costs and benefits of this behavior. Using systematic behavioral observations from a population of South African vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops pygerythrus), we evaluate differences in food availability and energetics before and after controlled burns altered vegetation near their home range. We aim to determine whether burned habitats offer improved foraging opportunities. METHODS: We collected feeding data from foraging individuals and analyzed common plant foods for their energetic content. We then used the feeding and energetic data to calculate postencounter profitabilities and encounter rates for food types. Using negative binomial and mixed linear regression models we compared data from burned and unburned habitats. RESULTS: Our results show significantly improved encounter rates in burned landscapes for two prey items, invertebrates and grasses. However, postencounter profitabilities in burned areas were not significantly different than those achieved in unburned areas. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that improved encounters alone can motivate changes in foraging behavior. These foraging benefits enable the exploitation of burned savanna habitats, likely driving postburn range expansions observed among populations of vervet monkeys. Thus quantified, these results may serve as a foundation for hypotheses regarding the evolution of fire-use in our own lineage

Behavioral ecology · Biology · Foraging · Geography · Habitat · Home range · Occupancy · Optimal foraging theory · Population · Predation · Range (aeronautics) · Vegetation (pathology) · Demography · Ecology · Fire effects on ecosystems · Primate Behavior and Ecology · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

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