Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Human impact on long-tailed
macaques in Thailand
S u c h i n d a M a l a i v i j i t n o n d,
Y o l a n d a V a z q u e z a n d
Yuzuru Hamada
Introduction
Long-tailed macaques (
Macaca fascicularis
) are the most frequently seen
species among the thirteen species of primates in Thailand (Lekagul and
McNeely,
1988
, Malaivijitnond
et al
.,
2005
) and they were recently reported
at 91 locations (Malaivijitnond
et al
.,
2009
). In comparison, only nineteen,
twelve, eleven, and nine locations were observed for rhesus (
M. mulatta
), pig-
tailed (
M. nemestrina
), stump-tailed (
M. arctoides
) and Assamese macaques
(
M. assamensis
) respectively (Malaivijitnond
et al
.,
2009
). Long-tailed
macaques inhabit a wide variety of habitats, including primary lowland rain-
forests, disturbed and secondary rainforests, riverine forests, and coastal
forests of nipa palm and mangrove. They have been frequently seen on the
forest periphery, and at recreation parks, tourist attraction sites, temples, and
other areas nearby human settlements (Aggimarangsee,
1992
; Fooden,
1995
;
Malaivijitnond and Hamada,
2008
). This reflects their wide adaptability to
various ecological conditions. Humans are continually invading and disturb-
ing the natural habitats of long-tailed macaques, by means of deforestation,
conversion to agricultural land, development of infrastructure and widespread
encroachment. As a result, natural habitats are being increasingly fragmented,
degraded, and changed by human activity. Long-tailed macaque populations
have been isolated from each other and the risk of inbreeding and/or outbreed-
ing depression has increased (Malaivijitnond and Hamada,
2008
). Additionally,
anthropogenic habitat alteration has increased the overlap between long-tailed
macaque and humans because many areas near human settlements, where
macaques are now found, were not areas of interface in the past.
