Seasonal Variations in Lemur Edge Proximity in South-Eastern Madagascar

• Published in: International journal of primatology Vol. 43; no. 4; pp. 657 - 676
• Main Authors: Lehman, Shawn M., Mercado Malabet, Fernando
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-08-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal Ecology; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Anthropogenic factors; Anthropology; Biogeography; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Conspecifics; Depletion; Diet; Dry season; Ecological effects; Ecology; Edge effect; Evolution; Evolutionary Biology; Flexibility; Forests; Habitat fragmentation; Habitats; Human Genetics; Human influences; Life Sciences; Penetration; Primates; Proximity; Rainy season; Seasonal variations; Segmentation; Species; Trees; Zoology; Madagascar; Surveys; Lemurs; Biogeography; Behavioral ecology; Madagascar; Edge effects
• ISSN: 0164-0291; 1573-8604
• DOI: 10.1007/s10764-021-00268-6

Edge effects are caused by the penetration of abiotic and biotic conditions from the nonforest matrix into forest interiors. Edge effects are particularly relevant to studies of lemur conservation biogeography due to the high levels of forest loss and fragmentation on Madagascar. Moreover, climatic seasonality has influenced many aspects of lemur evolutionary ecology (e.g., diet and ranging patterns). Although lemurs are strongly influenced by seasonality and edge habitats are an increasingly dominant feature of their forest habitats, there are few data on whether or not any species exhibit seasonal responses to edge effects. In this study, we evaluated for the first time whether four lemur species (
Avahi peyrierasi, Eulemur rubriventer, Hapalemur griseus ranomafanensis
, and
Microcebus
sp.) exhibited seasonal variations in their edge proximities in SE Madagascar. We conducted diurnal (N = 348) and nocturnal (N = 134) lemur surveys along six transects over 3 years in the Vohibola III Classified Forest. The four lemur species exhibited considerable interspecific differences in the overall distribution and shape of their seasonal edge proximities.
A. peyrierasi
aggregated significantly further away from the forest edge during the warm, wet season than during the cool, dry season. The combination of a highly selected diet in
A. peyrierasi
and anthropogenic depletion of their preferred food and sleeping trees in edge habitats may explain seasonal changes in edge proximity. Lack of a seasonal edge effect in the other three lemur species likely reflects their ecological flexibility and in
H. g. ranomafanensis
and
E. rubriventer,
active defense of home-ranges and territories, respectively, from conspecifics. Further research is needed to better understand this new described pattern of seasonal variations in edge responses in lemurs.