| dc.description.abstract |
Lemur populations are threatened by many factors, but are most impacted by habitat
loss, fragmentation, and alteration. Studies have shown that there is a lag time between
habitat disturbance and species response. Thus, more data is needed on long-term relationships
between forest change and lemur populations to fully understand how anthropogenic
disturbances affect lemurs over time. To bridge this data gap, this study evaluates
lemur biodiversity and abundance in three levels of forest disturbance (heavily logged,
selectively logged, and pristine forest) at multiple spatial scales. This project
1) isolates which specific microhabitat and landscape variables are important for
different lemur species 2) evaluates if the habitat is significantly different between
the three forest sites, and 3) evaluates if lemur biodiversity is significantly different
between recovering and pristine forests. These results will not only help determine
species-specific habitat requirements for critically endangered lemurs, but also contribute
to previous data sets on recovering forest monitoring.
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