Habitat Characteristics of Black-handed Spider Monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) at La Suerte Biological Field Station, Costa Rica

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Metadata:


Contact_Information:
Contact_Address:
Address: MANDATORY IF APPLICABLE for Data Store

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Kristin Abt
Publication_Date: Unknown
Title:
Habitat Characteristics of Black-handed Spider Monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) at La Suerte Biological Field Station, Costa Rica
Online_Linkage: Default value.
Description:
Abstract:
Research was conducted at La Suerte Biological Field Station (<http://www.lasuerte.org/>), Costa Rica in May/June, 2008 in order to characterize the habitat of unhabituated spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) and to compare their use of space in comparison to neutral points in a fragmented patch of the rainforest. Height to first branch using a laser range finder, circumference at breast height (CBH), and fruiting status (mature fruit or dormant reproductive) of each tree at first observation of the spider monkey(s) was collected. Additionally, t-square plotless quadrats were performed in each area of observation to obtain the distance to each tree and its nearest neighbor, CBH, canopy cover, and number of saplings and compared to t square plotless quadrats performed at neutral points. A tree was counted in the quadrat if it met the requirement of at least 30 cm CBH. A sapling was counted if it had a woody stem and fell within a body width line transect between the first tree in each quadrat and its nearest neighbor. Canopy cover was estimated as a percent at approximately the middle point between the two trees using a sighting mirror. These data are part of a tropical fieldschool offered at La Suerte, Costa Rica; they are compiled in an Excel sheet and available from the author by request. These data are currently considered for a forthcoming publication.
Purpose:
This study evaluates habitat characteristics of the individuals in order to contribute to knowledge about the ecological requirements to support this species in a particular area. Numerous studies have attempted to characterize the behavior and ecology of spider monkeys in the rainforest canopy (Fedigan et al., 1988, Fedigan & Baxter, 1984, Chapman, 1990), and all discuss the issue of detectability and difficulty of following rapidly moving primates in tall trees. Ateles geoffroyi at La Suerte Biological Field Station are not known to be habituated to human observers. They have the capacity to travel to areas across a river and into privately owned forest not encompassed by the property, which adds to the difficulty of systematically studying the individuals at this location. La Suerte Biological Field Station supports 2 other species of primates: Alouatta palliata and Cebus capucinus, both of which have been studied extensively by researchers and students participating in field courses. Pruetz & Leasor (2002) included spider monkeys in their estimates of primate density at this site and found a minimum number of 10 individuals who were predicted to suffer a loss of numbers in the coming years. The threat of disturbance and logging to the surrounding areas places further pressure on their survival in this area. Spider monkeys require mature forest with minimal forest disruptance (Southwick & Blood, 1979). Efforts to reforest and conserve must go hand in hand with studies on this population.
Supplemental_Information:
This study and its data are part of a course project by the author titled: "Habitat Characteristicsof Black-handed Spider Monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) at La Suerte Biological Field Station, Costa Rica" For details contact author, or see <http://www.lasuerte.org/>. References on the topic of this study can for instance be found in: Chapman, C.A. (1990). Ecological constraints on group size in three species of neotropical primates. Folia Primatologica, 55, 1-9. Fedigan, L.M. & Baxter, M.J. (1984). Sex differences and social organization in free-ranging spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). Primates, 25(3), 279-294. Fedigan, L.M., Fedigan, L., Chapman, C., & Glander, K.E. Spider monkey home ranges: A comparison of radio telemetry and direct observation. American Journal of Primatology, 16, 19-29. Pruetz, J.D. & Leasor, H.C. (2002). Survey of three primate species in forest fragements at La Suerte Biological Field Station, Costa Rica. Neotropical Primates, 10(1), 4-9. Southwick, C.H. & Blood, B.D. (1979). Conservation and management of wild primate populations. BioScience, 29(4), 233-237.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 20080524
Ending_Date: 20080619
Currentness_Reference: observed
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned
Spatial_Domain:
Description_of_Geographic_Extent:
La Suerte Station, Large Forest adjacent to fieldstation, Costa Rica
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: 83.77000
East_Bounding_Coordinate: 0
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 10.43000
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 0
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword:
Ateles, Ateles geoffroyi, Central American Spider Monkey, Black-handed Spider Monkey, Costa Rica, La Suerte, Habitat Characteristics, t square plotless quadrats, canopy cover, CBH, primates, monkeys, spider monkey
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: National Park Service Theme Category Thesaurus
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword:
Costa Rica, La Suerte, Biological, Field Station, Central America, habitat, rainforest, environment, lowland rainforest
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: National Park System Unit Name Thesaurus
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: National Park System Unit Code Thesaurus
Taxonomy:
Keywords/Taxon:
Taxonomic_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Taxonomic_Keywords: single species
Taxonomic_Keywords: Spider Monkey
Taxonomic_Keywords: Primates
Taxonomic_System:
Classification_System/Authority:
Classification_System_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Unknown
Publication_Date: Unknown
Classification_System_Modifications: ITIS
Identification_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: ITIS
Publication_Date: Unknown
Identifier:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Kristin Abt
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: Alternative:
Address: 419 Irving I
City: Fairbanks
State_or_Province: Alaska
Postal_Code: 99775
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 907 474 7882
Contact_TDD/TTY_Telephone: +1 907 474 7882
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: fffh@uaf.edu
Taxonomic_Procedures: identified in the field; often by many observers parallel
Taxonomic_Completeness: complete
Vouchers:
Specimen: individuals, photos
Vouchers:
Specimen: individuals
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name: Kingdom
Taxon_Rank_Value: Animalia
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name: Phylum
Taxon_Rank_Value: Chordata
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name: Subphylum
Taxon_Rank_Value: Vertebrata
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name: Class
Taxon_Rank_Value: Mammalia
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name: Subclass
Taxon_Rank_Value: Theria
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name: Infraclass
Taxon_Rank_Value: Eutheria
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name: Order
Taxon_Rank_Value: Primates
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name: Family
Taxon_Rank_Value: Cebidae
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name: Subfamily
Taxon_Rank_Value: Atelinae
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name: Genus
Taxon_Rank_Value: Ateles
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name: Species
Taxon_Rank_Value: Ateles geoffroyi
Applicable_Common_Name: Central American spider monkey
Applicable_Common_Name: Mono-araña centroamericano
Access_Constraints: None; suggest to contact author for best use of the data.
Use_Constraints: None; suggest to contact author for best use of the data.
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Kristin Abt (supervised by Anna Nekarnis and Vincent Nijman)
Contact_Organization: Alternative: Falk Huettmann
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing
Address: 419 IRVING I
City: Fairbanks
State_or_Province: Alaska
Postal_Code: 99775
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: NA
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: kmabt@loyola.edu
Hours_of_Service: All Hours
Contact_Position: EWHALE lab
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: see related references, data and metadata
Publication_Date: Unknown
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form:
Data_Set_Credit:
Kristin Abt, La Suerte Station; data collected in Primate Behavior and Ecology course taught by Anna Nekaris and Vincent Nijman.
Native_Data_Set_Environment: MS EXCEL

Data_Quality_Information:
Logical_Consistency_Report:
Data were collected and analyzed with consistent methods; however, a small fraction of the DBH and distance to the nearest tree within the t square plotless quadrat were estimated due to the precarious locations of 2 of the spider monkey sightings.
Completeness_Report: Data are complete
Lineage:
Methodology:
Methodology_Type: Field
Methodology_Description:
Research was conducted at La Suerte Biological Field Station, Costa Rica in May/June, 2008 in order to characterize the habitat of unhabituated spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) and to compare their use of space to neutral points in a fragmented patch of rainforest. Height to first branch using a laser range finder, circumference at breast height (CBH), and fruiting status (mature fruit or dormant reproductive) of each tree at first observation of the spider monkey(s) was collected. Additionally, t square plotless quadrats were performed in each area of observation to obtain the distance to each tree and its nearest neighbor, CBH, canopy cover, and number of saplings and compared to t square plotless quadrats performed at neutral points. A tree was counted in the quadrat if it met the requirement of at least 30 cm CBH. A sapling was counted if it had a woody stem and fell within a body width line transect between the first tree in each quadrat and its nearest neighbor. Canopy cover was estimated as a percent at approximately the middle point between the two trees using a sighting mirror.
Process_Step:
Process_Description: No process steps have been described for this data set.
Process_Date: Unknown
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report: na
Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report: GPS was used for obtaining location

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Indirect_Spatial_Reference: trail system, hardcopy maps
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Point

Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Geographic:
Latitude_Resolution: 0.0001
Longitude_Resolution: 0.0001
Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: World Geodetic System of 1984
Ellipsoid_Name: World Geodetic System of 1984
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.25722210088

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Detailed_Description:
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label: SpiderData
Entity_Type_Definition: Field data collected at La Suerte
Entity_Type_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Observer
Attribute_Definition: Observer
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Type
Attribute_Definition: Spider monkey sighting or neutral point
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Location
Attribute_Definition: Location on trail
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: GPS North
Attribute_Definition: GPS North
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: GPS West
Attribute_Definition: GPS West
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: CBH (cm)
Attribute_Definition: Circumference at Breast Height (cm) of tree at first sight
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Height (m)
Attribute_Definition: Height of tree at first sight (m)
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Fruiting
Attribute_Definition: Fruiting Status of tree at first sight
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Sample
Attribute_Definition: Sample Number
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Quadrat
Attribute_Definition: Quadrat Number
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: QuadDist (m)
Attribute_Definition: Distance to first tree in quadrat
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: 1stCBH (cm)
Attribute_Definition: Circumference at breast height (cm) of first tree in quadrat
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: NearDist (m)
Attribute_Definition: Distance (m) to nearest neighbor tree in quadrat
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: 2ndCBH (cm)
Attribute_Definition:
Circumference at breast height (cm) of nearest neighbor tree in quadrat
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Saplings
Attribute_Definition: Number of Saplings
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Canopy Cover (%)
Attribute_Definition: Percent Canopy Cover between 1st and 2nd tree in each quadrat
Attribute_Definition_Source: Kristin Abt

Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Kristin Abt (supervised by Anna Nekarnis and Vincent Nijman)
Contact_Organization: Loyola College in Maryland
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing
Address: 7213 Gough Street
City: Baltimore
State_or_Province: MD
Postal_Code: 21224
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (410)206-2047
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: kmabt@loyola.edu
Hours_of_Service: All Hours
Distribution_Liability:
The La Suerte fieldschool and authors shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. These data and related graphics (i.e. GIF or JPG format files) are not legal documents and are not intended to be used as such. The information contained in these data is dynamic and may change over time. The data are not better than the original sources from which they were derived. It is the responsibility of the data user to use the data appropriately and consistent within the limitations of geospatial data in general and these data in particular. The related graphics are intended to aid the data user in acquiring relevant data; it is not appropriate to use the related graphics as data. The La Suerte fieldschool and authors give no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data. It is strongly recommended that these data are directly acquired from any public server and not indirectly through other sources which may have changed the data in some way. Although these data have been processed successfully on computer systems of the authors and others, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the utility of the data on other systems for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. This disclaimer applies both to individual use of the data and aggregate use with other data.
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: Microsoft Excel 97-2003
Fees: None

Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20080617
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Kristin Abt, and Falk Huettmann
Contact_Organization: Loyola College in Maryland
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing
Address: 7213 Gough Street
Address: (419 IRVING I)
City: Baltimore (and Fairbanks)
State_or_Province: MD (and Alaska)
Postal_Code: 21224 (and 99775)
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 410-206-2047
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: none
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: kmabt@loyola.edu (and fffh@uaf.edu)
Hours_of_Service: All Hours
Contact_Position: (EWHALE lab)
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Extensions:
Online_Linkage: <http://nrdata.nps.gov/profiles/NPS_Profile.xml>
Profile_Name: NPS NR and GIS Metadata Profile
Metadata_Access_Constraints: none
Metadata_Use_Constraints: none
Metadata_Security_Information:
Metadata_Security_Classification: Unclassified

Generated by mp version 2.8.25 on Mon Sep 22 17:29:07 2008