The Influence of Leaf-Monkeys on their Feeding Trees in a Cyclone-Disturbed Environment

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A cyclone in Nov. 1978 caused extensive damage to a site of natural dry evergreen forest in Sri Lanka. The cyclone destroyed > 50% of the woody vegetation that had produced most of the food for 2 spp. of leaf-eating monkeys or langurs [Presbytis entellus, P. senex]. This caused an imbalance between these langur populations and their natural food supply and resulted in overbrowsing on those feeding trees which were not destroyed by the cyclone. Preferentially browsed tree species that were relatively rare and/or small in size died at significantly greater rates due to overbrowsing than those which were buffered against overbrowsing by virtue of being large in tree size and/or relatively abundant in the forest. The virtual disappearance of 3 overbrowsed tree species from the forest [Walsura piscidia, Chloroxylon swietenia, Alangium salviifolium] suggests that langurs may contribute to the change in floristic diversity in cyclone-disturbed areas. Such an effect of langur folivory is thought to be short-lived and specific to this kind of rate, disastrous environmental situation.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: