Evaluating landscape suitability for golden-headed lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) and Wied's black tufted-ear marmosets (Callithrix kuhlii) in the Bahian Atlantic Forest

In southern Bahia, Brazil, rapid deforestation of the Atlantic Forest threatens a variety of endemic wildlife, including the Endangered golden-headed lion tamarin (GHLT; Leontopithecus chrysomelas) and the Near Threatened Wied's black-tufted-ear marmoset (Wied's marmoset; Callithrix kuhlii). Identifying high quality areas in the landscape is critical for mounting efficient conservation programs for these primates. We constructed ecological niche models (ENMs) for GHLTs and Wied's marmosets using the presence-only algorithm Maxent to (1) locate suitable areas for each species, (2) examine the overlap in these areas, and (3) determine the amount of suitable habitat in protected areas. Our models indicate that 36% (10, 659 km(2)) of the study area is suitable for GHLTs and 53% (15, 642 km(2)) for Wied's marmosets. Suitable areas were strongly defined by presence of neighboring forest cover for both species, as well as annual temperature range for GHLTs and distance from urban areas for Wied's marmosets. Thirty-three percent of the landscape (9,809 km(2)) is overlapping suitable habitat. Given that the focal species form mixed-species groups, these areas of shared suitability may be key locations for preserving this important behavioral interaction. Protected areas contained 6% (651 km(2)) of all suitable habitat for GHLTs and 4% (682 km(2)) for Wied's marmosets. All protected areas were suitable for the focal species, excepting Serra do Conduru, which had low suitability for GHLTs. Our results highlight that suitable habitat for GHLTs and Wied's marmosets is limited and largely unprotected. Conservation action to protect additional suitable areas will be critical for their persistence.