Living on the edge: An assessment of habitat disturbance and primate use on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Tropical rainforests are critical to continued human existence on Earth. Carbon sequestration, the global hydrological cycle, and medicinal plants are best provided by large tracts of intact rainforest. Unfortunately, forest loss is prevalent throughout the tropics, which house the worlds most biodiverse ecosystems. I conducted an assessment of standing forest health and a primate census at the Piro Biological Station on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica over a 6-week period in 2014. I characterized edge effects throughout the forest in relation to land cover types that border the forest edge, compared edge-to-interior forest at the site, and related these data to the distribution of four primate species (Ateles geoffroyi, Saimiri oerstedii, Alouatta palliata, and Cebus capucinus) found there. My results and satellite imagery suggest that this area is currently undergoing a period of forest regeneration. Likewise, a primate census revealed that Ateles geoffroyi, listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, is abundant throughout the site, equally utilizing both edge and interior forest during the wet season. Since the nearby Corcovado National Park is known for its abundant Ateles geoffroyi population, this study reinforces the possibility of habitat corridors between Piro and Corcovado.