https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2024.182
Predicting the potential geographic distribution of geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in Ethiopia based on MaxEnt ecological niche model: implication for conservation
Submitted: 23 July 2024
Accepted: 29 November 2024
Published: 31 December 2024
Accepted: 29 November 2024
Abstract Views: 273
PDF: 1
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Authors
Predictive species distribution models allow identifying suitable areas of animal for their conservation. Gelada (Theropithecus gelada) is an endemic primate species to Ethiopia, and the exact distribution ranges and suitable habitats of this species are not well known due to limited surveys. The species distribution model was prepared using MaxEnt to predict the potential geographic distribution and to identify the environmental factors that influence the distribution of gelada in Ethiopia. To prepare the model, 23 occurrence records of the species were used along with 20 climatic and topographic variables. The results show that the distribution of gelada is influenced by climatic and non-climatic variables. The minimum temperature of coldest month, altitude and mean temperature of driest quarter were the most important predictor variables. The predictive map of the species shows that high habitat suitability is found in the northern highlands (a majority in the Amhara region and few parts of the Tigray region) and in the central highlands (Oromia region). The present study indicates that gelada has a potential distribution in the highlands of Ethiopia, and this requires further exploration for conservation and management.
Abate D, Girma Z. 2023. Population structure and distribution of geladas (Theropithicus gelada, Ruppell 1835) in Kotu forest, Northern Ethiopia. Ecology and Evolution. 13(6):e10206. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10206
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10206
Addisu M, Fashing PJ, Afework B, Hernandez-Aguilar RA, Rueness EK, Nguyen N, Stenseth NC. 2017. Impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation on the activity budget, ranging ecology and habitat use of Bale monkeys (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) in the southern Ethiopian highlands. American Journal of Primatology. 79:e22644. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22644
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22644
Ahmed AS, Chala D, Kufa CA, Atickem A, Bekele A, Svenning J, Zinner D. 2023. Potential changes in the extent of suitable habitats for geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the Anthropocene. BMC Ecology and Evolution. 23(1):65. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-023-02173-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-023-02173-3
Amera M. 2019. Population status, diets, activity budget and range use by Arsi Gelada (Theropithecus gelada arsi) in Eastern Arsi, Ethiopia. Unpublished PhD Thesis. Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Anderson RP, Lew D, Peterson AT. 2003. Evaluating predictive models of species’ distributions: criteria for selecting optimal models. Ecological Modelling. 162:211–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3800(02)00349-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3800(02)00349-6
Araújo M, Pearson R, Thuiller W, Erhard M. 2005. Validation of species-climate impact models under climate change. Global Change Biology. 11(9):1504–1513. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.01000.x
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.01000.x
Ayenew B, Girma M, Zerihun G. 2019. Human-wildlife conflict in and around Borena Sayint National Park, northern Ethiopia. Human–Wildlife Interactions. 13(1):111–124. https://doi.org/10.26076/fk60-mp27
Beehner JC, Berhanu G, Bergman TJ, McCann C. 2007. Population estimate for geladas (Theropithecus gelada) living in and around the Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. SINET: Ethiopian Journal of Science. 30:149–154. https://doi.org/10.4314/sinet.v30i2.18290
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/sinet.v30i2.18290
Bergman TJ, Beehner JC. 2013. Theropithecus gelada (Gelada baboon). In: Mammals of Africa. Primates. 2:240–244.
Birhanu G, Mesele Y. 2018. Population structure and habitat use of gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada) in Wof-Washa Forest (Gosh-Meda Area), Central Ethiopia. Journal of Ecology and Environment. 42: 35. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41610-018-0098-8
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41610-018-0098-8
Cherkos W, Afework B. 2015. Diet and feeding behavior of geladas (Theropithecus gelada) at the Gich area of the Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Global Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Health Science. 4(1):178–184.
Dessalegn E, Afework B. 2017. Population structure and group size of geladas (Theropithecus gelada) at Chenek, Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. African Journal of Ecology. 55(4):564–572. https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.12389
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.12389
Dunbar RIM, Hannah-Stewart L, Dunbar P. 2002. Forage quality and the costs of lactation for female gelada baboons. Animal Behavior. 64:801–805. https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.2002.9972
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.2002.9972
Elith J, Leathwick J. 2009. Species Distribution Models: ecological explanation and prediction across space and time. Annual Review on Ecology Evolution and Systematics. 40(1):677–697. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.110308.120159
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.110308.120159
Elith J, Phillips S, Hastie T, Dudík M, Chee Y, Yates C. 2011. A statistical explanation of MaxEnt for ecologists. Diversity and Distributions 17:43–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-4642.2010.00725.x
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-4642.2010.00725.x
Fan PF, Ni QY, Sun GZ, Huang B, Jiang XL. 2008. Seasonal variations in the activity budget of Nomascus concolor jingdongensis at Mt. Wuliang, Central Yunnan, China: effects of diet and temperature. International Journal of Primatology. 29:1047–1057. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-008-9256-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-008-9256-7
Gippoliti S. 2010. Theropithecus gelada distribution and variations related to taxonomy: history, challenges and implications for conservation. Primates. 51:291–297. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-010-0202-x
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-010-0202-x
Gippoliti S, Addisu M, Burke R, Nguyen N, Fashing PJ. 2019. Theropithecus gelada. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2019. e.T21744A17941908. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T21744A17941908.en
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T21744A17941908.en
Habtamu A, Subramanian C. 2013. Population size and structure of gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada – Ruppel, 1835) in Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Global Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Health Science. 2(2):102–106.
Haileselasie TH, Mulualem G, Welegerima K. 2023. The first large-scale record of gelada’s spatial distribution and population size in Mountain chains of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Heliyon. 9(9):e19346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19346
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19346
Hijmans RJ, Cameron S. E, Parra PL, Jones PG, Jarvis A. 2005. Very high resolution interpolated climate surfaces for global land areas. International Journal of Climatology. 25:1965–1978. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1276
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1276
Hill RA, Dunbar RIM. 2002. Climatic determinants of diet and foraging behavior in baboons. Evolutionary Ecology. 16:579–593. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021625003597
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021625003597
Hole D, Willis S, Pain D, Fishpool L, Butchart S, Collingham Y, Rahbek C, Huntley B. 2009. Projected impacts of climate change on a continent-wide protected area network. Ecology Letters. 12:420–431. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01297.x
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01297.x
Hunter CP. 2001. Ecological Determinants of Gelada Ranging Patterns (Theropithecus gelada). Unpublished PhD thesis. University of Liverpool, Liverpool.
Kassahun A, Afework B. 2017. Population estimate, group size, and age structure of the gelada baboon (Theropithecus Gelada) around Debre Libanos Northwest Shewa Zone Ethiopia. Global Journal of Science Frontier Research. 17(1):27–34.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/3405717
Kelil A, Addisu M, Afework B, Fashing PJ. 2018. Diet and activity patterns of Arsi geladas in low‑elevation disturbed habitat south of the Rift Valley at Indetu, Ethiopia. Primates. 59:153–161. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-017-0640-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-017-0640-9
Kumar S, Stohlgren T. 2009. MaxEnt modeling for predicting suitable habitat for threatened and endangered tree Canacomyrica monticola in New Caledonia. Journal of Ecology and Natural Environment. 1(4):94–98.
Lavrenchenko L, Afework B. 2017. Diversity and conservation of Ethiopian mammals: what have we learned in 30 years?. Ethiopian Journal of Biological Science.16:1–20.
Liu C, Berry PM, Dawson TP, Person RG. 2005. Selecting thresholds of occurrence in the predictions of species distribution. Ecography. 28:385–393. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0906-7590.2005.03957.x
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0906-7590.2005.03957.x
Makundi R, Massawe A, Mulungu L. 2007. Breeding seasonality and population dynamics of three rodent species in the Magamba Forest Reserve, Western Usambara Mountains, Northeast Tanzania. African Journal of Ecology. 45(1):17–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2028.2006.00667.x
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2028.2006.00667.x
Mandefero M. Tilaye W. 2019. Variability in group size and daily activity budget of family groups of the gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada) at Guassa Community Conservation Area, Central Ethiopia. Journal of Ecology and Environment. 43:26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41610-019-0124-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41610-019-0124-5
Massawe A, Rwamugira W, Leirs H, Makundi R, Mulungu L, Ngowo Y, Machangu R. 2008. Soil type limits population abundance of the multimammate rat Mastomys natalensis Smith, 1834 in Tanzania. Integrative Zoology. 3:27–30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41610-019-0124-510.1111/j.1749-4877.2008.00070.x
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-4877.2008.00070.x
Mulungu L, Makundi R, Massawe A, Machang R. Mbije, N. 2008. Diversity and distribution of rodent and shrew species association with variations in altitude on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Mammalia. 72:178–185. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41610-019-0124-510.1515/MAMM.2008.021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/MAMM.2008.021
Murienne J, Guilbert E, Grandcolas P. 2009. Species diversity in the New Caledonian endemic genera Cephalidiosus and Nobarnus (Insecta: Heteroptera, Tingidae), an approach using phylogeny and species distribution modeling. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 97(1):177–184.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2008.01184.x
Phillips S, Anderson R, Schapire R. 2006. Maximum entropy modeling of species geographic distributions. Ecological Modelling. 190:231–259.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2005.03.026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2005.03.026
Stabach JA, Laporte N, Olupot W. 2009. Modeling habitat suitability for Grey Crowned-cranes (Balearica regulorum gibbericeps) throughout Uganda. International Journal of Biodiversity Conservation. 1(5):177–186.
Stevenson PA. 2006. Activity and ranging patterns of Colombian woolly monkeys in north-Western Amazonia. Primates. 47:239–247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-005-0172-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-005-0172-6
Teklay G, Haylegebriel, T. 2021. New geographical range of geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia. African Journal of Ecology. 59:1–4. https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.12818
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.12818
Teklay G, Zeyede T. 2017. Human-wildlife conflicts in and around Choffa Forest, Hawzien Woreda, Eastern Tigray, Northern Ethiopia: Implication for conservation and conflict resolution. International Journal of Science and Research. 6(3):1763–1771.
Teweldeberhan G. 1991. Diversity of the Ethiopian flora. In: Engles JMM, Hawkes JG, Melaku W, editors. Plant Genetic resources of Ethiopia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 75–81.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511551543.005
Wich S, Marshall AJ. 2016. An introduction to primate conservation. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 12 pp.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198703389.003.0001
Wintle BA, Elith J, Potts JM. 2005. Fauna habitat modelling and mapping: a review and case study in the Lower Hunter Central Coast region of NSW. Austral Ecology. 30:719–738. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2005.01514.x
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2005.01514.x
Yalden D, Largen M. 1992. Endemic mammals of Ethiopia. Mammal Review. 22:115–150.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2907.1992.tb00128.x
Yonatan A. 2009. Population status, distribution and ecology of gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada) in Azwa and Arego, South Wollo, Dessie, Ethiopia. Unpublished MSc thesis. Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Zewdu K, Gurja B, Afework B. 2013. Population size, group composition and behavioral ecology of geladas (Theropithecus gelada) and Human-gelada conflict in Wonchit Valley, Ethiopia. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences. 16(21):1248–1259. https://doi.org/10.3923/pjbs.2013.1248.1259
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3923/pjbs.2013.1248.1259
How to Cite
Assefa, A., & Girmay, T. (2024). Predicting the potential geographic distribution of geladas (<i>Theropithecus gelada</i>) in Ethiopia based on MaxEnt ecological niche model: implication for conservation. Tropical Zoology, 37(3-4). https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2024.182
Copyright (c) 2025 The Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.