Relationship between chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) density and large, fleshy-fruit tree density: conservation implications

Conservation efforts to protect chimpanzees in their natural habitat are of the highest priority. Unfortunately, chimpanzee density is notoriously difficult to determine, making it difficult to assess potential chimpanzee conservation areas. The objective of this study was to determine whether chimpanzee density could be predicted from the density of trees that pro-duce large, fleshy fruits. Using chimpanzee nest counts from six sites within Kibale National Park, Uganda, collected during a year-long study, a predictive trend was found between chimpanzee nest density and large, fleshy-fruit tree density. This relationship may offer a quick, reasonably reliable method of estimating potential chimpanzee densities in previ-ously unsurveyed habitats and may be used to evaluate the suitability of possible re-introduction sites. Thus, in conjunction with other sur-vey techniques, such as forest reconnaissance, it may provide an ef-fective and efficient means of determining appropriate chimpanzee habitat in which to allocate conservation efforts. Am. J. Primatol. 51:197– 203, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Key words: Pan troglodytes; chimpanzee nests; marked nest count; census; re-introduction