An overlooked hotspot: persistence of large polyspecific assemblages of threatened primates in the unprotected Yabassi Key Biodiversity Area.

ABSTRACT: The Gulf of Guinea rainforests, renowned for exceptional primate endemism, are increasingly fragmented and face severe hunting-induced defaunation. However, the long-term persistence of primate assemblages in these hunted forests remains understudied. The unprotected Ebo-Ndokbou-Makombe landscape, designated the Yabassi Key Biodiversity Area (YKBA), represents one of the region's largest remaining forest tracts, yet its primate community is largely unexplored. Research and conservation efforts within this landscape predominantly focus on the Ebo block to protect its cryptic gorilla population, while Ndokbou and Makombe receive less attention. Here, we assess the persistence and polyspecific assemblages of diurnal primates across the three forest blocks. From January to December 2019, we su

SUBMITTER: Nguimdo VRV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12680780 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature