habitat_narrative
Terrestrial
Chacma Baboons occur across all biomes and bioregions in the assessment region, with the possible exception of the Namaqualand sandveld bioregion, and therefore are not restricted by habitats throughout most of their distribution. They occupy a diverse range of niches, occupying mesic and arid savannahs, low and high grasslands and coastal and montane forests (Altmann & Altmann 1970; Cowlishaw & Davies 1997; Barrett et al. 2002; Codron 2003; Henzi et al. 2003; Sithaldeen et al. 2009; Swedell 2011). Chacma Baboons can also thrive in human-modified environments (for example, urban and agricultural areas), particularly when these areas offer a concentration of high quality, and easily accessible, food sources that are situated in close proximity to water and sleeping sites (Hoffman & OâRiain 2012a, 2012b). This ability to adapt to human-modified habitats is a major driver of high levels of human-baboon conflict (Hoffman & OâRiain 2012c; Kaplan 2013).Chacma Baboons do not appear to be restricted to particular soil types or mean annual precipitation levels provided they can access permanent water (Hamilton III 1986), for example, aquifers and seeps or windmill pumps drawing ground water to the surface. The highest mean annual rainfall found in inhabited areas is approximately 1,555 mm / year (Stone et al. 2013). Baboons are also capable of surviving at some of the highest altitudes (c. 3,280 m) in South Africa (Stone et al. 2013). However, they are unlikely to be able to survive winters at high altitude due to harsh environmental conditions that affect food sources and thermoregulatory constraints (Whiten et al. 1987).
Reflecting their wide ecological range, Chacma Baboons are omnivores with generalist diets, although they are selective in the parts of the plants they will consume (Norton et al. 1987; Byrne et al. 1993; Altmann 1998; Alberts et al. 2005). Their diets are dominated by fruits, leaves and subterranean items, while flowers and animal matter constitute a much smaller proportion of the diet.
On account of their behavioural adaptability and dietary breadth and flexibility, Chacma Baboons demonstrate marked ecological variation at the inter- and intra-subpopulation level. Troops may be comprised of as few as seven individuals (Beamish 2010) and as many as 115 individuals (Hoffman & OâRiain 2012b). Reported home range sizes vary from 1.5â37.7 km2 (these extreme values come from a single subpopulation in the Cape Peninsula: Hoffman & OâRiain 2012b) and home range densities vary from 0.95 baboon / km2 (Drakensberg mountains: Whiten et al. 1987) to 16.8 baboons / km2 (Okavango Delta: Hamilton III et al. 1976). This variation is a function of both troop size and resource availability: larger troops tend to have larger home ranges and range at lower densities, while troops with access to high quality food resources tend to have smaller home ranges and range at higher densities (Hoffman & OâRiain 2012b).
Ecosystem and cultural services: Baboons are generalist omnivores, but their diet consists primarily of plant matter. Consequently it is possible that they play localised roles in seed dispersal for the plant species they consume. Indeed, it has been shown that baboons are important dispersers of seeds of certain species (for example, Ziziphus mucronata) in southern African savannah-type environments (Slater & Toit 2002). The role of baboons as seed dispersers in other habitats in the region is yet to be tested, but based on the above-mentioned findings, and those of studies conducted in other parts of Africa (Lieberman et al. 1979; Kunz & Linsenmair 2008), it stands to reason that they might play important roles in the dispersion and propagation of diverse plant species.
