Working on the cliffside at Kealakakua Bay on Hawaii, students would learn to make systematic observations of the behavior of spinner dolphins and to measure their relative locations by means of instrumentation such as theodolites and calibrated scopes. They would also learn to systematically analyze the effects of human traffic in altering the behavioral ecology of these dolphins.

Studies of the behavioral ecology of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) in the Lamanai Reserve, Belize, Central America. As with most other parts of the world, Belize is growing in population and decisions must be made about maintaining diversity of wildlife and plant life. Too often, these difficult decisions are made at a time too late to efficiently conserve the rare and wonderful forms of life which are unique to each geographic area. Critical decisions are often made in the absence of adequate data necessary to assess the real impact of changes in the environment. This research will contribute to local understanding of the need to establish sufficient sanctuary domains to preserve this precious natural heritage.

An important theme of the research efforts in Lamanai is to work cooperatively with local investigators and municipal authorities to ensure that these efforts are seen to be of benefit to Belizeans. We strive to work mutually in helping to plan for conservation and economic growth in balanced ways.

Black howler monkeys live in small troops, typically of 4 to 8 members, and never exceeding a troop size of 10. Since each troop establishes a home range with size dependent upon availability of food, it is critical to maintain a sufficient preserve to allow appropriate spacing. Data from the sanctuary at Bermudian Landing suggest that home ranges for this species range from 3 to 25 acres with an average of about 12 to 15 acres (Horwich and Lyon, 1990). Besides establishing an appropriate body of data concerning home range sizes in the Lamanai forest, it will be important to identify the effects of perimeter activities on utilization of specific areas by the howler monkeys.

Evaluations are being made of the extent to which visitation to the forest may have an effect on the animal population present at Lamanai. Management of visitors and control of numbers can only be accomplished in a meaningful, non-argumentative way by providing adequate data concerning the effects of humans on the populations in question.
An additional goal is to determine if individual animals can be identified by vocalizations alone, both by the human ear and through spectrographic analysis. If that can be done, more research can be conducted without invasive techniques such as capturing and marking animals and radio telemetry, saving many animals from trauma and potential injury. In addition, information about troop identification and location may be learned without actually sighting the animals, potentially providing increased data about emigration of adult males from troops and the residency status of troops of an area.

Because of advances in genetic research techniques, it is possible to answer genetic questions with very small amounts of DNA. As a result, DNA from intestinal cells that accumulate in feces can be used to examine genetic diversity, population viability, the relationships between animals within one troop and neighboring troops, and dispersal patterns of the young from their natal troops. Also, DNA from food and parasites can be obtained from fecal samples and examined to learn more about the diet of the animals and the diseases to which they are exposed, respectively. This work is exciting because of the potentially useful scientific information that can be accumulated, and because the research can be conducted noninvasively, without endangering the monkeys or requiring their capture. Such techniques also substantially reduce observer effects.

Part of the project examines behavioral patterns of infants and their relationships with other troop members. While data have been collected on red and mantled howler monkey infants (Clarke, 1990; Baldwin and Baldwin, 1973, 1978), little information is known about Alouatta pigra infants. Previous research indicates this species may be unusual in the attention paid to infants by adults (Bolin, 1981). This study will broaden the comparative data on howler monkeys and will contribute to our understanding of how infants of this species adapt to the seasonal environment at Lamanai.

A final goal is to involve the local community in the conservation of its natural resources. We work with teachers in the local school to educate students about the need for, and rewards of, conservation, and bring students with research teams in searching for monkeys and obtaining observational data.

Back

Last modified July 10, 2002