Ecological Flexibility of Propithecus edwardsi in Two Forest Habitats with Different Logging Histories in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar

Abstract

In the face of global change, where anthropogenic practices, such as logging, alter the structure and composition of forest habitats and impact primates’ diets and activity budgets, it is essential to examine the ability of vulnerable species to persist. We studied the feeding ecology of the Endangered Propithecus edwardsi in two forest sites: one with a history of logging, and the other never logged, in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. During the dry season, from July-September 2016, we collected behavioral data on the taxonomic composition of the sifaka’ diet, the plant parts they consumed, and the time they allocated to different activities in the two forest sites (a total of 431.5 hours). We found that the diversity of the diet of sifakas at each site was similar and that they only shared a small number of plant genera in their diet. Moreover, while the consumption of leaves, fruits, and seeds did not differ significantly between sites, we found differences in the time allocated to resting and feeding between sites. Our results suggest that habitat differences affect the feeding ecology of this species. Modifying their diet and behavior appears to enable sifakas to persist in anthropogenic habitats, providing support for ecological flexibility in primates with anatomical specializations for folivory.