Monitoring Impacts of Natural Resource Extraction on Lemurs of the
Masoala Peninsula, Madagascar

Merenlender, Adina M.; Kremen, Claire; Rakotondratsima, Marius; Weiss, Andrew D.

doi:10.5751/es-00064-020205

Cited by 17 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Similarly, studies indicate that while some species increase in number in urbanized landscapes, overall species richness often declines (Miller et al 2003). Even rural ranchettes can impact bird species: despite the fact that tree cover tends to be retained on ranchettes, bird abundance and diversity have been shown to decrease (Merenlender et al 1998). Today, half of the United States is in cropland, pasture land, or rangeland (Kucera and Barrett 1995), and the fastest-growing landscape impact contributing to habitat fragmentation is rural housing sprawl (Crump 2003;Pendall 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Assessing the impact of local habitat variables and landscape context on riparian birds in agricultural, urbanized, and native landscapes

et al. 2008

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Large tracts of natural habitat are being replaced by agriculture and urban sprawl in Mediterranean regions worldwide. We have limited knowledge about the eVects of human activities on native species in these landscapes and which, if any, management practices might enhance the conservation of native biodiversity within them. Through a citizen volunteer bird-monitoring project, we compared bird abundance and species richness in northern Californian riparian zones surrounded by vineyards, urban areas, and natural areas. We assessed both local and landscape-level variables that may enhance native bird diversity in each land use type. We also demonstrate a new statistical approach, generalized estimating equations, to analyze highly variable data, such as that collected by volunteers. Avian abundance was highly correlated with both landscape context and local habitat variables, while avian richness was correlated with local habitat variables, speciWcally 1 C shrub richness, and percent of tree cover. In particular, shrub species richness has a strong positive correlation with riparian-preferring bird species. This suggests that active local management of riparian zones in human-dominated landscapes can increase our ability to retain native bird species in these areas.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Assessing the impact of local habitat variables and landscape context on riparian birds in agricultural, urbanized, and native landscapes

et al. 2008

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“…Predation by raptors on lemurs may have a significant impact on lemur communities that population viability assessments and reserve planning have previously underestimated. Researchers have conducted high-quality studies examining the influence of factors such as human disturbance (Johnson et al, 2003), resource extraction (Merenlender et al, 1998), and natural disasters (Ratsimbazafy, 2002) on lemur population dynamics, but no study has quantitatively examined the impact of natural predators on lemur populations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Direct and Indirect Impacts of Raptor Predation on Lemurs in Southeastern Madagascar

Karpanty

2006

Int J Primatol

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I calculated rates of predation by 2 species of diurnal raptors, Polyboroides radiatus and Accipiter henstii, on the lemur community of Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar from 2700 h of observation and 470 prey deliveries at 7 nests of each hawk species. The 2 hawks consumed 7 of 12 lemurs found in the park region, with a body mass of 63-3500 g and including diurnal and nocturnal species of all group sizes. Calculations of predation rates indicate that raptor predation is a significant cause of mortality for lemur populations relative to other causes. Minimum rates of predation by Polyboroides radiatus and Accipiter henstii on Microcebus rufus, Cheirogaleus major, Avahi laniger, Hapalemur griseus, Eulemur fulvus rufus, Eulemur rubriventer, and Varecia variegata resulted in the raptors removing of 1-21% of the population per yr, similar to other rates of predation on primates documented in the literature. Modeling of lemur populations under varying levels of raptor predation pressure that I calculated found that one may attribute 3-17% of adult, juvenile, and infant mortality for nocturnal lemurs and 2-66% of adult, juvenile, and infant mortality for diurnal lemurs to diurnal raptor predation. Raptor predation may significantly depress intrinsic growth rates and carrying capacity of Avahi laniger, Hapalemur griseus, Eulemur fulvus rufus, Eulemur rubriventer, and Varecia variegata owing to their low fecundities, long life spans, and long age to sexual maturation. Nocturnal lemurs may best avoid predation by diurnal raptors by exhibiting a solitary lifestyle and cryptic antipredator tactics, 240 Karpantywhereas, diurnal lemurs benefit less by increasing group size than by using specific antipredator tactics.

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“…Human-animal conflict arises as about half of the tree species preferred by red ruffed lemurs as dietary sources are also harvested preferentially by local villagers on the Masoala Peninsula (Merenlender et al 1998). A little more than a decade ago, forest restoration was begun in the northwestern reaches of the MasNP to establish forest corridors between blocks of forest (Holloway 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic architecture of two red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra) populations of Masoala National Park

Razakamaharavo

McGuire²,

Vasey

et al. 2009

Primates

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The current range of the red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra) population is primarily restricted to forests of the Masoala Peninsula on the northeastern coast of Madagascar. Whereas much of the peninsula is protected as Masoala National Park, parts of the forest are at risk from anthropogenic pressures and habitat fragmentation. We sampled 32 individual red ruffed lemur from two sites: Ambatoledama (DAMA), a narrow forest corridor across an area of degraded habitat connecting larger blocks of forest in the northwestern reaches of the park, and Masiaposa (MAS) forest, a largely pristine forest on the lower western side of the peninsula. Population genetic parameters were estimated for these two populations employing 15 microsatellite loci derived from the V. variegata genome. We found that by exceeding the expected heterozygosity at mutation-drift equilibrium, the DAMA population has undergone a recent population bottleneck. Population structure analysis detected individuals harboring genotypic admixture of the DAMA genetic cluster in the MAS population, suggesting a possibility of unilateral gene flow or movement between these populations.

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Monitoring Impacts of Natural Resource Extraction on Lemurs of the Masoala Peninsula, Madagascar

Abstract: Abstract•

Cited by 17 publications

References 37 publications

Assessing the impact of local habitat variables and landscape context on riparian birds in agricultural, urbanized, and native landscapes

Assessing the impact of local habitat variables and landscape context on riparian birds in agricultural, urbanized, and native landscapes

Direct and Indirect Impacts of Raptor Predation on Lemurs in Southeastern Madagascar

Genetic architecture of two red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra) populations of Masoala National Park

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