Influence of habitat complexity on optimal movement choices in wild emperor tamarins (Saguinus imperator) at the Los Amigos Biological Station, Peru

Movements—such as locomotion, gestures, and group coordination—are influenced by individual, social, and environmental factors. Gaining a better understanding of how habitat complexity—defined as the abiotic and biotic components that shape habitat structure—influences movement has the potential to generate new knowledge on an understudied species, the emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator), and, in the context of increasing habitat fragmentation and degradation, to provide new guidelines for tamarin conservation. This project aims to examine how habitat complexity may influence movement choices in a wild population of emperor tamarins at the Los Amigos Biological Station in Peru, using the framework of optimal movement theory (OMT). The project lies at the intersection of cognitive ecology, behavioural ecology, and geography. It also stands to benefit both institutions: it will establish a new collaboration with Field Projects International (FPI) and reinforce Concordia University’s contribution to research and conservation of non-human primates. Furthermore, as FPI is an NGO dedicated to animal monitoring and conservation, with an active program in movement ecology, this project will contribute to their research, support scientific publications, advance knowledge, and potentially increase their visibility in Canada.

Faculty Supervisor:

Sarah Turner

Student:

Partner:

Field Projects International

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Life Sciences (not health); Environmental Science and Technology; Sustainability and the Environment

University:

Concordia University

Program: