title: Hunting, pet trade, and forest size effects on population viability of a critically endangered Neotropical primate, Sapajus xanthosternos (Wied-Neuwied, 1826).
abstract: The yellow-breasted capuchin monkey (Sapajus xanthosternos) is one of the seven Brazilian primates that are currently threatened with extinction. Although the species is known to be threatened by habitat loss, hunting, and illegal pet trade, few data exist on how these threats influence its long-term population persistence. We conducted population viability analyses (PVAs) to estimate minimum viable populations of S. xanthosternos under 10 threat scenarios (i.e., varying hunting pressure and varying number of infants captured for the pet trade) for five forest fragments with different estimated carrying capacities (K). We also estimated the minimum forest fragment size required to sustain viable populations living under the same 10 threat scenarios, based on critical numbers of K obtained in sensitivity tests, below which the population would be unviable. Our PVAs suggests that hunting has a higher impact on population viability in comparison to threats from the pet trade. Annual losses of adult and young females from hunting had the most detrimental effect on population persistence under all forest fragment sizes. Such hunting pressure is not sustainable for populations living in areas ≤3,460 ha, since these areas may not support populations of ≥84 individuals. The seven largest of the 13 protected areas currently harboring capuchins should be effective at maintaining viable populations in the long term even under the greatest threat scenarios we modeled. Other large forest patches, mainly in the western part of the species distribution, are recommended as priority areas for protection to increase the chances of capuchins' survival for the long term. In addition, forest fragments of ≤782.8 ha cannot maintain viable populations, even when there are no threats from hunting or from captures for the pet trade. Increased law enforcement is necessary to prevent the hunting and capture of capuchins, especially within larger forest fragments. Am. J. Primatol. 78:950-960, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Biologia da Conservação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Biodiversidade e Conservação, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Jequié, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabiana Araújo
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Estudos da Amazônia Meridional, Instituto de Ciências Naturais, Humanas e Sociais, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, Sinop, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Rodrigues
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Canale
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Vertebrados Terrestres, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical, Centro Universitário Norte do Espírito Santo, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, São Mateus, Espírito Santo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Cecília M
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kierulff
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriela Teixeira
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriano Pereira
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Paglia
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Biologia da Conservação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Biodiversidade e Conservação, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Jequié, Bahia, Brazil.|Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Cáceres, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
authors.forename: Christine S S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Bernardo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D002428:Cebus; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D056727:Endangered Species; D005260:Female; D065928:Forests; D008297:Male; D011157:Population Dynamics
keywords: Atlantic Forest; extinction vortex; forest loss; minimum viable population; threatened species