The Role of Sykes Monkeys (Cercopithecus Mitis Albogularis) in Natural Forest Regeneration in Gede Ruins Forest, Kilifi County, Kenya
Abstract
Primates are known in maintaining plant population and forest regeneration. They swallow and
defecate, regurgitate or spit large quantities of viable seeds away from the parent plant. This study
was conducted in Gede Ruins forest to establish the role of Sykes monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis
albogularis) and dung beetles in maintenance of community structure and species composition
through seed dispersal. The objectives were to determine: forest structure and species composition;
seed dispersal by Sykes monkeys and complementary role of dung beetles; and to establish the
viability of dispersed seeds by the monkeys. The forest was stratified into primary and secondary
forest and data collected during rainy and dry periods for seasonal comparative studies. Two
groups of habituated monkeys were studied; provisioned and free ranging groups.
Age classes in the forest exhibited a reversed exponential curve a characteristic of a regenerating
forest. Lack of marked difference in vegetation structure and species composition between primary
and secondary forest suggest that secondary forest had regained most of its diversity attributed to
seed dispersal and successful regeneration and recruitment. The monkeys dispersed diverse seeds
to at least 5 m from mother tree crucial for maintenance of plant population and diversity in the
forest. Seasonality and provisioning were the key factors that significantly affected seed dispersal
by Sykes monkeys and hence forest regeneration. Dung beetles played a complementary role
through seed cleaning, rolling away dung with seeds to suitable microsites and burrowed dung
balls in forest litter precluding seed predation. Ingestion significantly reduced latency period and
enhanced germination success implying that endozoochory was critical for regeneration of Gede
forest.
Sykes monkeys were, therefore, effective and efficient seed dispersers because they; moved large
numbers of seeds, did not decrease seed viability and dispersed array of species. This suggests that
enhancing population of the monkeys in Coastal forests of Kenya is critical for natural forest
regeneration for conservation and management of fragmented and degraded forests.
Key words; Forest regeneration; seed dispersal; Sykes monkeys; dung beetles; Gede ruins forest
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Subject
Natural Forest RegenerationRights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
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