Assessment of the threatened carnivore community in the recently expanded rainforest protected area Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve, Madagascar

Ph Ross,Gi Raoloniana,Nr Ravelijaona,Bd Gerber,B Ferguson,E Wampole,Zj Farris,E Patel

doi:10.3354/esr01055

Abstract

Madagascar is an island nation renowned for its biodiversity and species endemism, yet it is still largely understudied despite intense anthropogenic threats including forest loss and edge effects. Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve is a recently expanded rainforest protected area that is lacking detailed surveys and assessments of the native carnivore community of the endemic family Eupleridae. To identify which terrestrial carnivores occupy the reserve and what anthropogenic disturbances and factors best explain their occurrence patterns, we deployed 35 motion-activated cameras to detect native and introduced carnivores. From November 2018 to February 2019, we collected 2918 unique capture events (all species) and confirmed the presence of 5 euplerids: Galidia elegans, Galidictis fasciata, Eupleres goudotii, Fossa fossana, and Cryptoprocta ferox. These results extend the known range of E. goudotii and G. fasciata. In the reserve, F. fossana and G. elegans were the most common and widespread native carnivores, while E. goudotii was the rarest. We highlight the negative impact of edge effects on G. fasciata and F. fossana and the threat posed by the free-ranging non-native carnivore C. familiaris. This study represents the first detailed survey and occurrence estimates of the carnivore community of this protected area, allowing comparison with other protected areas in Madagascar. Our empirical findings show that anthropogenic disturbance negatively impacts carnivore existence within the Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve and provide important management recommendations for protecting the carnivore community and the co-occurring wildlife living within this area.

Highlights

Tropical rainforests cover only 7% of the land on Earth yet contain approximately 50% of global species diversity (Hanley et al 1995)
While forest loss occurs globally, it has especially damaging impacts on locations with the densest concentrations of biodiversity, many of which lie near the equator (Myers 1988, Brown 2014)
Past research on Madagascar’s carnivores has shown that there are negative effects related to forest type, distance to edge, distance to village, and non-native carnivores (Gerber et al 2012, Farris et al 2017). We investigated how these variables influence native carnivore occupancy and detection at Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve (ASSR)

Summary

Introduction

Tropical rainforests cover only 7% of the land on Earth yet contain approximately 50% of global species diversity (Hanley et al 1995). Rainforests everywhere face a wide range of anthropogenic threats, including infrastructure and agricultural expansion as well as resource extraction (Geist & Lambin 2002). Edge effects can result in microclimate changes that alter and influence population and/or community structures for both flora and fauna occupying the affected area (Lenz et al 2014). These edge effects have been shown to negatively affect wildlife across multiple taxa throughout the tropics (Koh et al 2010). While forest loss (and added pressures such as edge effects) occurs globally, it has especially damaging impacts on locations with the densest concentrations of biodiversity (or ‘biodiversity hotspots’), many of which lie near the equator (Myers 1988, Brown 2014)

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