LEMUR SPECIES-HABITAT RELATIONSHIPS AT MULTIPLE SPATIAL SCALES IN RANOMAFANA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR

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.