Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
take an interdisciplinary approach and consider religion, culture, and biology
simultaneously (Lane
et al
.,
2010
; Loudon
et al
., 2006).
On Bali, at least 43 monkey forest populations exist (Southern, 2002; Fuentes
et al
.,
2005
). Variation between the populations exists in local habitat, climate,
food resources, group size, responsiveness to humans, arboreality, provision-
ing, and to some extent, morphology (Lane
et al
.,
2010
). The largest macaque
populations on the island, are found at Padangtegal-Ubud, Uluwatu, Sangeh,
Pulaki, and Alas Kedaton, which are all established tourism sites with routine,
large-scale provisioning of food. Smaller populations are located in areas where
provisioning occurs only during temple ceremonies and where the macaques are
often considered pests by local villagers. These smaller populations are often
located in the geographic extremes of the Balinese landscape - to the north,
east, and west - while the largest temple populations are located predominantly
in the central core of the island, along with most other tourist destinations and
the largest human populations. The macaques of Bali are particularly striking
as they live in forest patches, coastal, dry scrub habitats and lush rainforests to
isolated beaches and the summit of an active volcano (Whitten
et al
., 1996).
Bali provides a valuable opportunity to examine an island population of
Macaca fascicularis
that has co-existed with large human populations and
substantial habitat alteration for at least 1,000 years. Here we report on the
findings of a five-year long behavioral study of the three groups of
Macaca
fascicularis
at Padangtegal, Bali, Indonesia.
Methods
The study site of Padangtegal Wanara Wana is located in the villages of
Padangtegal and Ubud in the Gianyar regency of South-Central Bali, Indonesia
(
Figure 6.1
). The site consists of approximately 7 ha of mixed forest and a tem-
ple complex (i.e., three temples and various shrines/statues), and is bordered
by two towns, rice fields, a road, and two rivers. One of the rivers marks the
eastern edge of the forest and forms a ravine that extends southward out of
the forest and is fringed by riparian growth for at least 2 kilometers away
from the site. At the site 116 species of tree/shrub/liana are found with the top
three genera being:
Artocarpus
,
Cocos
and
Ficus
(Kriswiyanti and Watiniasih,
1999
). The forest is described as secondary forest with a broken canopy and
has a maximum height of 35m. The ground level consists of tree litter, dirt, and
stone paths. Humans regularly use the site. Local Balinese use the temples at
the site for ceremonies and use the paths through the forest to move between
village areas. Between 40,000 and 110,000 domestic and international tourists
visited the site annually between 1998 and 2002.
