Comparison of habitat quality and diet of Colobus vellerosus in forest fragments in Ghana

The forest fragments surrounding the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS) in central Ghana shelter small populations of Colobus vellerosus. Little is known about these populations or the ability of the fragments to support them, despite the fact that these fragments represent potentially important habitat for the colobus in this region. We compared the diet of three groups of C. vellerosus in the fragments to two groups in BFMS. We also examined the differences in plant species composition and food abundance among fragments. The study took place from June to November 2003. Dietary data were collected using scan sampling. Plant species composition and food abundance were evaluated using tree plots and large tree surveys. As in BFMS groups, leaves constituted the highest proportion of the diet of fragment groups, yet the colobus in fragments fed on more lianas than did those in BFMS. Over 50% of all species observed eaten by colobus in the fragments were not consumed in BFMS groups during the same season. Food abundance was similar between fragments and BFMS, although species composition differed. There was no relationship between the density of colobus and the density of food trees or percentage of food species, suggesting that other factors may be influencing the number of colobus present. This study highlights the broad dietary range of C. vellerosus, which may be a factor allowing its survival in these fragments.