Interspecific competition among Cercopithecus  campbelli, Cercopithecus petaurista and Cercopithecus diana at Tai Forest, Cote d'Ivoire

My dissertation focused on the community ecology of forest guenons (Ceropithecus spp.) in the Tai Forest, Cote d'Ívoire.  I collected data on diet, range use, and cheek pouch use, and related variables derived from these data to seasonal variation in resource abundance and participation in mixed-species groups. To measure competition, I assessed population densities and social systems. I also measured ecological partioning in and out of association, ranging patterns, agonistic rates and cheek pouch use in relation to food availability.

C. diana was competitively superior to the other species. C. campbelli was more affected by competition with C. diana than was C. petaurista. Each species was at a similar group density but C. diana formed larger groups. C. petaurista diverged from the other species mainly by consuming more foliage while C. diana and C. campbelli mostl ate fruit and differed from each other primariliy in the canopy strata used, with C. diana using higher strata than C. campbelli. C. diana/C. campbelli overlapped the most in food items and diverged the most (in diet) in the eason of fruit scarcity. C. diana/C. campbelli age/sex classes also overlapped the most of any species pair. The study species spent 60-90% of their time in association with each other. Niche shifts in association were not great and association was not related to fruit availability. Ranging patterns were very similar and did not change in relation to food availability or fruit consumption. C. campbelli received the most aggression from C. diana and C. campbelli used cheek pouches the most overall and in the season with the most aggression. Cheek pouch use was not positively related, howver, to association with C. diana.

The results indicated that competition was less important among the study species than for other guenon communities. A high predator risk was demonstrated in this community, and I discussed the importance of predator risk and adaptations to reduce predation as structuring factors in this community.


Publications from the dissertation:

• Buzzard, P.J. (2010). Polyspecific associations of Cercopithecus campbelli and C. petaurista with C. diana: what are the costs and benefits?  Primates 51: 307-314.
  
• Buzzard, P.J. and Eckardt, W. (2007). Social systems of the Taï guenons (Cercopithecus spp.). In: Monkeys of the Taï Forest: An African Primate Community eds. K. Zuberbühler, S. McGraw, and R. Noë. Cambridge University Press.
• Buzzard, P.J. (2006). Cheek pouch use in relation to interspecific competition and predator risk in three guenon monkeys (Cercopithecus spp.). Primates 47: 336-341.
• Buzzard, P.J. (2006).  Ecological partitioning of Cercopithecus campbelli, C. petaurista and C. diana in the Taï Forest. International Journal Primatology 27: 529-558.
• Buzzard, P.J. (2006). Ranging patterns in relation to seasonality and frugivory among Cercopithecus campbelli, C.  petaurista, and C. diana in the Taï Forest.  International Journal Primatology 27(2): 559-573.

Paul is now Director of Conservation at the Detroit Zoo.