Impact of climate variability on geospatial and social organization of chimpanzees. A case study of Gishwati chimpanzees community

Abstract

Climate variability significantly affects highlands, which are known to host important biodiversity, including endangered primate populations. The chimpanzee population in the Gishwati natural forest, a high-land fragment forest, is suitable for contributing to the existing knowledge about climate variability's effect on this species. Although different studies keep reporting an increase within the Gishwati primate population, the fluctuation in weather patterns created a need to understand how they cope with changes in habitat performance and associated behavior. This study examined the relationship between climate variability and both social and spatial organization of the Gishwati Chimpanzees community. The average rainfall was also higher, with high variability (±SD 3.53), and the temperature was increased by 1.7 oC from 2021 to 2023. This study revealed that climate variability impacted food availability (r = 0.36, P < 0.05) and chimpanzee communities' social and spatial organization. The change in food availability, especially fruits, led to changes in behavior, such as altered grouping patterns, restricted diet, reproduction performance, and health issues. The geospatial distribution of the Gishwati chimpanzees’ community revealed a significant change in habitat use and distribution patterns and dietary changes for chimpanzees in response to the recorded climate variability. This study finding contributed valuable insights to the scientific community, emphasizing the importance of understanding the effects of climate variability on chimpanzees to support their conservation in their natural habitat. This study recommended comparative studies and longterm monitoring of climate variability to guide future planning and building of the resilience of Gishwati as a chimpanzee habitat.