Efeitos das mudanças climáticas sobre a distribuição do macaco-prego-do-peito-amarelo (Sapajus xanthosternos (WiedNeuwied, 1826))

Abstract

Accelerated climate changes can alter species’ distributions. The ensurance of the maintenance of climatic stable habitats is necessary to increase the species' survival through time. In this work we evaluated the effects of predicted climate changes throughout the geographic distribution of the yellow-breasted capuchin monkey (Sapajus xanthosternos), a primate classified as critically endangered. We compared the present and future climatic patterns, and we evaluated the difference between the climate suitability of the present time, and for the one expected in the future in the face of climate change. In our results, there will be an increase in temperature in 75% of S. xanthosternos geographic extent, with increments greater than 4ºC in temperature, and that the change in climate will occur heterogeneously throughout the distribution. The regions with the highest current levels of rainfall are the ones with the greatest predicted decrease in rainfall for the future, up to 400 mm. An increase in temperature and precipitation variation is also projected for the entire range of occurrence of the species. There will be a loss of climate suitability in the species’ distribution considering the predictions for the most pessimistic scenario of climate change, with spatial retraction of the largest values to the east. Our results emphasize the importance of conservation and habitats’ restoration within suitable climatic niches in the eastern region of the distribution, where the highest values of current and future climatic suitability are located.