title: The role of sex and age in the architecture of intrapopulation howler monkey-plant networks in continuous and fragmented rain forests.
abstract: We evaluated the structure of intrapopulation howler monkey-plant interactions by focusing on the plant species consumed by different sex and age classes in continuous and fragmented forests in southern Mexico. For this we used network analysis to evaluate the impact of fragmentation on howler population traits and on resource availability and food choice. A total of 37 tree and liana species and seven plant items (bark, immature fruits, flowers, mature fruits, immature leaves, mature leaves and petioles) were consumed, but their relative consumption varied according to sex and age classes and habitat type. Overall, adult females consumed the greatest number of plant species and items while infants and juveniles the lowest. For both continuous and fragmented forests, we found a nested diet for howler monkey-plant networks: diets of more selective monkeys represent subsets of the diets of other individuals. Nestedness was likely due to the high selectivity of early life stages in specific food plants and items, which contrasts with the generalized foraging behaviour of adults. Information on the extent to which different plant species and primate populations depend on such interactions in different habitats will help to make accurate predictions about the potential impact of disturbances on plant-animal interaction networks.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico , Morelia, Michoacán , Mexico.
authors.forename: Julieta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benitez-Malvido
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico; Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico.
authors.forename: Ana Paola
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Martínez-Falcón
authors.affiliation: Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología AC , Xalapa, Veracruz , Mexico.
authors.forename: Wesley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dattilo
authors.affiliation: Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Las Margaritas, Universidad Intercultural de Chiapas , Las Margaritas Chiapas , Mexico.
authors.forename: Ana María
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: González-DiPierro
authors.affiliation: Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Las Margaritas, Universidad Intercultural de Chiapas , Las Margaritas Chiapas , Mexico.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lombera Estrada
authors.affiliation: Ecología Terrestre Group, Biodiversity and Conservation, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (CSIC-UIB) , Esporles, Mallorca , Spain.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Traveset
keywords: Age; Age class; Alouatta pigra; Consumer-resource interactions; Habitat fragmentation; Nestedness; Sex class; Sex-classes