At least seventy percent of the original montane ecosystems have been lost from the Colombian Andes. Forest remnants are mostly small, isolated, and on privately-held lands. Animals persisting in this landscape have adapted to human encroachment and some have managed to survive in highly degraded habitats. However, this does not guarantee the long-term survival and health of populations. Andean forests in Colombia urgently need management and conservation programs. We have developed a project aimed at evaluating how howler populations are responding to loss and fragmentation of their natural habitats in the Colombian Andes, with the expectation that this could lead to measures to prevent further losses. We are studying howler populations in montane forest in three provinces of Colombia in the coffee growing region and Cauca Valley (900 to 2200 m a.s.l.), evaluating the demographic and behavioral responses of howlers to habitat fragmentation and diminished resources. This research has included eleven theses of undergraduate and graduate students from nine Colombian universities, addressing the following topics:
Status of wild populations of red howler monkey in forest fragments (natural forest, “guadua” bamboo forest, forestry plantations);
Ranging patterns, use of food resources and habitat of red howler monkey in isolated Andean forest fragments;
Genetic variability and endogamy of red howler monkey in isolated Andean forest fragments in the coffee region in Colombia;
Use of anthropogenic habitats by monkeys and productive systems as alternative tools for conservation in private lands;
Conservation strategy of the red howler monkey in the coffee region in Colombia.
We have interacted with government agencies, large private land owners, and small ranch farmers. We consulted with farmers and the largest forestry plantation company in Colombia to understand their points of view, in order to explore different management options that would allow them to use their land without destroying the resources needed for monkeys and other wildlife to survive. These results were used to develop the conservation strategy for this species in the region, and some of the proposed conservation actions now have been implemented by land owners and local environmental authorities.
This project is funded by national and international institutions: Corporación Autónoma Regional del Valle del Cauca CVC, Fundación para la Promoción de la Investigación y la Tecnología del Banco de la República, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Alexander von Humboldt (Colombia), John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fundation, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Idea Wild.
Notes
[1] Carolina Gómez-Posada, Wildlife Conservation Society Colombia Program / Fundación EcoAndina, Cali, Colombia. AA. 25527, e-mail: <cgomez@wcs.org>.