The Use of an Invasive Species Habitat by a Small Folivorous Primate: Implications for Lemur Conservation in Madagascar

The lemurs of Madagascar are among the most threatened mammalian taxa in the world, with habitat loss due to shifting cultivation and timber harvest heavily contributing to their precarious state. Deforestation often leads to fragmentation, resulting in mixed-habitat matrices throughout a landscape where disturbed areas are prone to invasion by exotic plants. Our study site, the Mandena littoral forest (southeast Madagascar), is a matrix of littoral forest, littoral swamp, and Melaleuca swamp habitats. Here, Melaleuca quinquenervia has invaded the wetland ecosystem, creating a mono-dominant habitat that currently provides the only potential habitat corridor between forest fragments. We sought to understand the role of this invasive Melaleuca swamp on the behavioral ecology of a threatened, small-bodied folivore, the southern bamboo lemur (Hapalemur meridionalis). We collected botanical and behavioral data on four groups of H. meridionalis between January and December 2013. Our results confirm Melaleuca swamp as an important part of their home range: while lemurs seasonally limited activities to certain habitats, all groups were capable of utilizing this invasive habitat for feeding and resting. Furthermore, the fact that Hapalemur use an invasive plant species as a dispersal corridor increases our knowledge of their ecological flexibility, and may be useful in the conservation management of remaining threatened populations.     

People,Lemurs and Utilitarian Plants of the Littoral Forests in Southeast Madagascar

International Journal of Primatology - Tropical forests support a diversity of plants. Many of them are threatened, emphasising that their shared use by people and wildlife may benefit their...     

Habitat Suitability and Population Size Estimates for the Mongoose Lemurs (Eulemur mongoz) of Madagascar and the Comoro Islands,and Implications for Their Conservation

International Journal of Primatology - Tropical forests face an alarming rate of loss driven by anthropogenic pressures, exposing forest-dwelling species such as primates to extinction risks....     

Natural Disasters and Primate Populations: The Effects of a 2-Year Drought on a Naturally Occurring Population of Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) in Southwestern Madagascar

We examine demographic patterns from a long-term study (1987–1996) of the population of ring-tailed lemurs in the Beza-Mahafaly Special Reserve, in southwestern Madagascar. In particular, we focus on the effects that a severe drought in 1991 and 1992 had on the population. The population of adult animals peaked in 1991 but decreased rapidly during the subsequent drought and immediate postdrought years. In the 1992 birth season (and second year of the drought) infant mortality reached 80%, and 20.8% of all adult females in the reserve died. The following year, adult female mortality reached a high of 29.9%. Juvenile mortality in 3 intensively studied groups was 57% during the second year of the drought. We compare these data with infant, juvenile, and adult female mortality in non-drought years. We are not able to calculate adult male mortality, as they often emigrate from the reserve to the adjacent forest; however, in the same 3 intensively studied groups, 89% of the males disappeared during the 2 immediate postdrought years. By 1996, the population had begun to recover after the decline that correlated with the drought conditions. Annual reproduction, high birth rates (.80–.86 annually), early sexual maturity, and dietary adaptability may be contributing factors to the recovery. Effects of and recovery from this type of natural disaster in the Beza Mahafaly ring-tailed lemur population parallel responses of some species of macaques and baboons with respect to the adaptability of edge species.     

Demography and social organization of free-ranging Lemur catta in the Beza Mahafaly Reserve,Madagascar

In 1987, a long-term study of the demography of Lemur catta was begun in southern Madagascar. Eighty-five ringtailed lemurs were captured, marked, and released. Adult age classes were estimated using patterns of dental attrition. Including young, 155 individuals from nine groups were identified and monitored over 18 months. The study population of the reserve remained stable, with a growth rate of 0.98. Group sizes ranged from nine to 22 individuals (mean 14). Home ranges were larger (32 ha) and population densities lower (135/km²) than those for previously studied populations, and there was a relationship between habitat quality (e.g., no. of large trees) and these factors. At the beginning of the study, there were more adult males than females, but the sex ratio reached 1.00 by the last census. Females first gave birth at 3 years of age, and 80% or more of the females gave birth in 2 consecutive years. Fifty-two percent of the infants died in the first year and, given preliminary findings, only 40% of those born reach adulthood. Age-specific fertility patterns were similar to those reported for anthropoid primates. Forty-seven percent of the adult males migrated or were missing within a year. This included 78% of the 3–4 year olds and 38% of older age classes. No females were observed to migrate. One group split during the study. Demographic patterns are discussed and related to patterns in other populations of ringtailed lemurs as well as in anthropoids.     

The ranging behavior of Lemur catta in the region of Cap Sainte‐Marie,Madagascar

Large home ranges and extreme flexibility in ranging behaviors characterize most subarid dwelling haplorhines. However, the most comparable extant strepsirhine, Lemur catta, is characterized as having small home ranges with consistent boundaries. Since ranging studies on this species have been limited to gallery forest habitat, the author's goal is to identify ecological factors that affect range use of L. catta in one of the most resource‐limited environments of its distribution. To conduct this study, ranging and behavioral data were collected on two nonoverlapping groups through all‐day follows in the semidesert scrub environment of Cap Sainte‐Marie (CSM), Madagascar. Data were collected from August 2007 through July 2008. Home range areas and day range lengths were generated using ArcGIS® 9.3. Other variables measured were habitat composition, diet richness, daily activity, and microclimate. Home range areas of CSM L. catta were very large relative to those of gallery forest L. catta, and there was great monthly variation. In contrast, day range lengths at CSM were either smaller than or approximated the size of comparative gallery forest groups. Temperature, sunning, and diet richness were associated with day range length for one but not for both groups and appear to be related to energy management needs. Based on these findings, the author suggests that L. catta is capable of extensive behavioral and ranging flexibility in the extremes of its environment. However, physiological constraints impose limitations that can interfere with its ability to adapt to even seemingly minor variations in microclimate and habitat structure within the same site. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Monogamy as a Rule Rather than Exception in Nocturnal Lemurs: the Case of the Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur, Cheirogaleus medius

According to present hypotheses on the evolution of life history traits and social systems in Malagasy lemurs, nocturnality and infant parking are associated with a solitary lifestyle and a polygynous mating system. However, theoretically extreme seasonality of reproduction could limit the number of females that can be monopolized by a given male and thus hinder the evolution of polygyny. The aim of this ongoing study is to test these contrasting expectations by looking at the social and mating system of the fat-tailed dwarf lemur Cheirogaleus medius . This species hibernates for up to 7 mo, so that time for breeding and raising offspring is extremely limited.
A mark-recapture study in western Madagascar was combined with observations and radio-tracking of 36 individuals during the rainy seasons from 1995 to 1998. According to these data, fat-tailed dwarf lemurs live in permanent sleeping groups consisting of a male and a female (n = 8) or one male and two females (n = 1). One or two offspring from the previous year were frequently observed to sleep together with an adult pair. Members of each sleeping group were the exclusive users of their nest holes and home ranges. During the birth season, males and females took turns at baby-sitting their offspring. Females without paternal help were unable to raise their offspring successfully. Since females did not exhibit oestrus synchrony, the ultimate selective factor favouring pair-living could be obligate paternal investment. The results, together with the lack of sexual size dimorphism and relatively small testis size, suggest that the fat-tailed dwarf lemur lives in family groups with a monogamous mating system. A review of the mating systems of nocturnal lemurs shows that monogamy appears to be the rule rather the exception.     

Habitat Use,Roost Selection and Conservation of Bats in Tsingy De Bemaraha National Park,Madagascar

Although the land mammals of Madagascar have been the subject of many studies, the island’s bats have yet to feature prominently on the research or conservation agenda. In this study we used mist nets, acoustic sampling and cave surveys to assess habitat use, seasonality and roost selection. Four microchiropteran species (Triaenops rufus, T. furculus, Miniopterus manavi and Myotis goudoti) appeared to be strongly associated with the forest interior based on trapping, but analysis of time-expanded echolocation recordings revealed that T. rufus and M.␣manavi were frequently recorded in forest edges and clearings. Bat activity was significantly lower inside the forest than at the interface between agricultural land and forest. The caves visited most often by tourists were low in bat abundance and species richness. Anjohikinakina Cave, which was visited infrequently by people, was used by five species and contained between 54% (winter) and 99% (summer) of bats counted in 16 caves and is a site of national importance for bat conservation. Hipposideros commersoni was only netted in our study area during October and may be a migrant to the site or present but inactive during the austral winter. The forest surrounding the caves is therefore important because it provides cover for emerging bats and a potential source of invertebrate prey whilst the forest edge is important to foraging bats.     

Tree Holes Used for Resting by Gray Mouse Lemurs (Microcebus murinus) in Madagascar: Insulation Capacities and Energetic Consequences

I studied the insulation capacity of tree holes used by gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus) in a primary dry deciduous forest in western Madagascar during the cool dry season. Tree holes had an insulating effect, and fluctuations of air temperatures were less extreme inside the holes than outside them. The insulation capacity of the tree holes peaked between 0800 and 1100 hr, when ambient temperatures ranged between 25 and 30°C. To compare tree holes, I calculated the mean difference between the internal temperature )(T_i ) and the external temperature (T_e ) for each tree hole. Thus large differences indicate good insulation capacities. The mean difference of tree holes in living trees was significantly larger than that of tree holes in dead trees, which shows that insulation in living trees is more effective. During the dry season, the insulation capacity of tree holes in living trees decreased and was lowest in July, whereas the insulation capacity of holes in dead trees remained approximately constant. Physiological studies under natural temperature and light condition in Microcebus murinus reveal that daily torpor saves around 40% of the daily energy expenditure compared to normothermia. However, torpor can be maintained only up to the threshold body and ambient temperature of 28°C, whereat Microcebus murinus have to terminate torpor actively. By occupying insulating tree holes, mouse lemurs may stay longer in torpor, which increases their daily energy savings by an extra 5%.     

Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Integrated Conservation and Development Projects and Local Perceptions of Conservation in Madagascar

This paper explores local perceptions of internationally financed conservation and development projects in Madagascar and the success of these projects at influencing perceptions. Interviews, surveys, and focus group sessions were conducted in the peripheral zones of three Malagasy national parks: Ranomafana, Andohahela, and Masoala. Relevant questions explored community demographics, socioeconomic status, and local perceptions of the parks. The principal finding is that while a majority of people living in the peripheral zones do find conservation a valuable goal, they see it as a luxury they cannot afford. Despite their efforts and innovation, conservation and development projects have had a minimal impact on socioeconomic or associational life in the Ranomafana and Andohahela peripheral zones, and a significant but modest impact in the Masoala peripheral zone, by providing economic alternatives to destructive resource use. As a result, they are limited in their success at promoting conservation outcomes.     

Socioeconomic Contexts of Primate Conservation: Population,Poverty, Global Economic Demands,and Sustainable Land Use

Recent assessments by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) indicate the existence of about 612 recognized primate species and subspecies (IUCN RedList, 2012), but close to 50% of these taxa are at risk of extinction as a result of human action. In this article, I call attention to underlying regional and global socioeconomic contexts of primate conservation. Using information from FAO and UN databases and other sources, I examine, for the Neotropics, sub‐Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia, trends in forest loss and human demographics and social condition, discuss the impact of global market pressures upon primate habitats, and examine land‐use patterns that may favor primate conservation. Between 1990 and 2010, an estimated 149 million ha of forest were lost in the three regions and additional losses are expected in the future. Global human population will increase from 7 billion in 2012 to 9 billion in 2050. Currently, 2 billion people live in the three primate range regions under high levels of poverty. Large‐scale deforestation is related to global market demands, especially from developed and developing nations, for food (e.g., cattle), domestic animal feed (e.g., soybeans), biofuel‐based crops (e.g., oil palm), and industrial round wood. The growth of protected areas in the three regions has been steady for several decades, but it is not enough to ensure long‐term conservation of many primate taxa. Other conservations tools involving sustainable land use and biodiversity conservation corridors are required at the landscape level. The above assessment can easily be applied at the local level by primatologists, giving more precision to conservation initiatives. Am. J. Primatol. 75:30‐45, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Assessment of Micro-Basin Tillage as a Soil and Water Conservation Practice in the Black Soil Region of Northeast China

Micro-basin tillage is a soil and water conservation practice that requires building individual earth blocks along furrows. In this study, plot experiments were conducted to assess the efficiency of micro-basin tillage on sloping croplands between 2012 and 2013 (5°and 7°). The conceptual, optimal, block interval model was used to design micro-basins which are meant to capture the maximum amount of water per unit area. Results indicated that when compared to the up-down slope tillage, micro-basin tillage could increase soil water content and maize yield by about 45% and 17%, and reduce runoff, sediment and nutrients loads by about 63%, 96% and 86%, respectively. Meanwhile, micro-basin tillage could reduce the peak runoff rates and delay the initial runoff-yielding time. In addition, micro-basin tillage with the optimal block interval proved to be the best one among all treatments with different intervals. Compared with treatments of other block intervals, the optimal block interval treatments increased soil moisture by around 10% and reduced runoff rate by around 15%. In general, micro-basin tillage with optimal block interval represents an effective soil and water conservation practice for sloping farmland of the black soil region.     

Coat condition of ringtailed lemurs,Lemur catta at Berenty Reserve,Madagascar: I. differences by age,sex, density and tourism, 1996–2006

An index of coat condition can be a non‐invasive tool for tracking health and stress at population level. Coat condition in ringtailed lemurs, Lemur catta, was recorded during September–November birth seasons of 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2001–2006 at Berenty Reserve, Madagascar. Condition was scored on a scale from 0: full, fluffy coat with guard hairs present, to 5: half or more of body hairless. Adult males did not differ overall from adult females. Coats were worse in adults than in 2‐year‐old subadults; 1‐year‐old juveniles were intermediate. Mothers and adult males lost coat condition as the season progressed: non‐mother females maintained condition. Years 1999–2002 scored better coats than either 1996–1997 or 2003–2006. Lemurs in high population density areas had worse coats than in natural forest, but tourist presence had less effect than density. Monitoring coat condition in an apparently healthy population reveals differences between population segments, and in a forest fragment with limited immigration or emigration it can track progressive changes, correcting impressions of progressive improvement or degradation over time. Above all it gives a baseline for response to climate changes or eventual pathology. Am. J. Primatol. 71:191–198, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Demographic and life-history patterns in a population of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) at Beza Mahafaly Reserve,Madagascar: a 15-year perspective

Over 15 field seasons (1987-2001), we collected census and life-history data on a population of individually identified ring-tailed lemurs at the Beza Mahafaly Reserve, Madagascar. No significant difference was found in population size over the study period, though a marked decline in the population occurred following a 2-year drought. The population rebounded rapidly after the immediate postdrought period. There was nearly a complete replacement of individuals over the study period. Average group size is 11.5 animals, and adult male to female sex ratio is 0.92. Most females reproduce annually, and the average fecundity rate is 84.3%. The greatest variability in fecundity is found among old females. We suggest that ring-tailed lemur females follow an "income breeding" strategy, i.e., females use maximum resources during reproduction rather than relying on fat stores, as do "capital breeders." Infant mortality to 1 year of age in a nondrought year is 52%, higher than infant mortality in small to medium-sized anthropoids. The oldest known female was 18 years old in 2001. We suggest that 18-20 years may represent the maximum life-span for wild ring-tailed lemurs. Because males regularly emigrate from the population, we have no data regarding male life-span; however, there is some indication that males do not survive as long as females. Group fission has occurred three times: twice from one parent group living in the driest area of the reserve, with the most dispersed food resources. We suggest that the reproductive strategy that has evolved in this species, wherein females reproduce early in life and annually until old age, is a response to the unusual climate and environmental conditions under which Lemur catta has evolved.     

Reflections on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Genetic Resources in the Deep Seabed Beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction

Attention is increasingly being given to genetic resources in the deep seabed beyond the limits of national jurisdiction owing to their considerable potential scientific and economic value. At the same time, there are concerns that the increased demand for these genetic resources may result in their unsustainable collection or even in the extinction of species in the deep seabed. At present there is no specific legal framework governing these resources in international law. Thus, this article explores the relevant rules of international law applicable to the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources in the deep seabed.     

Medicinal Plants in the Atlantic Forest (Brazil): Knowledge, Use, and Conservation

This study focuses on knowledge of medicinal plants among the Caiçaras (rural inhabitants of the Atlantic Forest coast, Brazil). In particular, we examine the use of medicinal plants according to sex and age to reveal general patterns of Caiçara knowledge and use of plant resources. Data collected through 449 interviews at 12 Caiçara communities (Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo coastal sites) include citations of 249 plants and identification of 227 species. We show the importance of introduced as opposed to native plants and of key individuals for the conservation of the Caiçaras-Atlantic Forest.