Abstract
The progressive fragmentation of forest habitat is causing an increase in edge areas that may differ structurally and in quality from forest interiors. We investigated the impact of edge effects on habitat structure, behaviour, and ecology of the small, nocturnal, and highly arboreal Sahamalaza sportive lemur, Lepilemur sahamalaza. To understand edge effects, we established edge-to-interior gradients using temperature, humidity, and light intensity measurements along transects. From 773 h of behavioural observations on 14 individual sportive lemurs between 2015 and 2016, we compared home range sizes, activity budgets, and habitat use of animals inhabiting the edge area and those in the core forest. We found that microclimatic edge effects penetrated the forest up to 165 m, but that there was no significant edge effect on vegetation; forest vegetation was structurally variable throughout. Individual sportive lemurs living in the edge area used more trees with a diameter at breast height of less than 5 cm but showed no other behavioural differences to individuals inhabiting the core forest. The study shows that this species may not be impacted by edge effects, at least in situations in which vegetation structure is not affected, despite microclimatic differences.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 458-481 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | International Journal of Primatology |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 23 Nov 2022 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors would like to thank the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments (ICTE) for their facilitation services, as well as Madagascar National Parks (MNP) and Madagascar’s Ministère de l’Environnement, de l’Ecologie, de la Mer et des Forêts (MEEMF) for permission to conduct research in the protected area. They would also like to thank Guy Randriatahina and the Association Européenne pour l’Etude et la Conservation des Lémuriens (AEECL) for continued support during field work. Special thanks to Judith Janisch, Sian Thorn, Georgina Dunlop, Mahaut Sorlin, Andry Rakotomalala, Martin Jörgensen, and Karena Tilt, who substantially contributed to the data collection during field work. We would also like to thank three anonymous reviewers and the editors for their helpful comments and suggestions which substantially improved the original manuscript. This study was funded by the Primate Society of Great Britain, the Explorer’s Club Student Grant, Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium Sustainability Fund, Primate Conservation Inc., Fresno Chaffee Zoo and Wildlife Conservation Fund, Minnesota Zoo’s Ulysses S. Seal Conservation Grant, and the Primate Action Fund.
Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments (ICTE) for their facilitation services, as well as Madagascar National Parks (MNP) and Madagascar’s Ministère de l’Environnement, de l’Ecologie, de la Mer et des Forêts (MEEMF) for permission to conduct research in the protected area. They would also like to thank Guy Randriatahina and the Association Européenne pour l’Etude et la Conservation des Lémuriens (AEECL) for continued support during field work. Special thanks to Judith Janisch, Sian Thorn, Georgina Dunlop, Mahaut Sorlin, Andry Rakotomalala, Martin Jörgensen, and Karena Tilt, who substantially contributed to the data collection during field work. We would also like to thank three anonymous reviewers and the editors for their helpful comments and suggestions which substantially improved the original manuscript. This study was funded by the Primate Society of Great Britain, the Explorer’s Club Student Grant, Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium Sustainability Fund, Primate Conservation Inc., Fresno Chaffee Zoo and Wildlife Conservation Fund, Minnesota Zoo’s Ulysses S. Seal Conservation Grant, and the Primate Action Fund.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
Keywords
- Behaviour
- Edge effects
- Madagascar
- Primates
- Sportive lemurs