The role of competition in structuring primate communities under different productivity regimes in the Amazon

Kamilar, JM; Rocha, JM; Pinto, MP; Boubli, JP; Grelle, CEV

Abstract

The factors responsible for the formation of Amazonian primate communities are not well
understood. Here we investigated the influence of interspecific competition in the assembly
of these communities, specifically whether they follow an assembly rule known as "favored
states". According to this rule, interspecific competition influences final species composition,
resulting in functional groups that are equally represented in the community.We
compiled presence-absence data for primate species at 39 Amazonian sites in Brazil, contrasting
two regions with distinct productivity regimes: the eutrophic Juruá River basin and
the oligotrophic Negro River basin. We tested two hypotheses: that interspecific competition
is a mechanism that influences the structure of Amazonian primate communities, and that
competition has had a greater influence on the structure of primate communities in regions
with low productivity, where resources are more limited. We used null models to test the statistical
significance of the results, and found a non-random pattern compatible with the
favored states rule in the two regions. Our findings suggest that interspecific competition is
an important force driving primate community assembly regardless of productivity regimes.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 8, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Dec 22, 2015
• Publication Date: Dec 22, 2015
• Deposit Date: Mar 7, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 5, 2016
• Journal: PLoS ONE
• Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 12
• Pages: e0145699
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0145699
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0145699
• Related Public URLs: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/