Quantifying remaining forested habitat within the historic distribution of the cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) in Colombia: Implications for long-term conservation.
Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data were used to classify forested areas within the historic distribution of the endangered cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) in Colombia. This species continues to be threatened by habitat destruction, and we observed a 31% decrease of the forested habitat within the tamarins' historic distribution in 1990-2000. It is estimated that since the establishment of some protected areas for cotton-top tamarins and other native Colombian wildlife (Parque Nacional Natural Paramillo, Santuario de Fauna y Flora Los Colorados, and Reserva Forestal de Montes de Maria), almost 43% of the original forested area has been lost. Given that the human population of Colombia increases annually by 1.6% [Patel, 2002], it is important to target specific areas for tamarin protection while creating mitigation strategies to compensate for economic growth. The results of this study provide valuable information to assist in the long-term development of effective conservation strategies for this endangered primate.
Miller
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Disney's Animal Kingdom, P.O. Box 10,000, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USA. Lance.Miller@disney.com
Savage
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A
Giraldo
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D000818:Animals; D003105:Colombia; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003710:Demography; D004777:Environment; D011156:Population Density; D012452:Saguinus; D014197:Trees