Abstract
Determining what factors affect species occurrence is vital to the study of primate biogeography. We investigated the metapopulation dynamics of a lemur community consisting of eight species (Avahi occidentalis, Propithecus coquereli, Microcebus murinus, Microcebus ravelobensis, Lepilemur edwardsi, Cheirogaleus medius, Eulemur mongoz, and Eulemur fulvus) within fragmented tropical dry deciduous forest habitat in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar. We measured fragment size and isolation of 42 fragments of forest ranging in size from 0.23 to 117.7 ha adjacent to continuous forest. Between June and November 2011, we conducted 1218 surveys and observed six of eight lemur species (M. murinus, M. ravelobensis, C. medius, E. fulvus, P. coquereli, and L. edwardsi) in the 42 fragments. We applied among patch incidence function models (IFMs) with various measures of dispersal and a mainland-island IFM to lemur species occurrence, with the aim of answering the following questions: 1) Do lemur species in dry deciduous forest fragments form metapopulations? 2) What are the separate effects of area (extinction risk) and connectivity/isolation (colonization potential) within a lemur metapopulation? 3) Within simulated metapopulations over time, how do area and connectivity/isolation affect occurrence? and 4) What are the conservation implications of our findings? We found that M. murinus formed either a mainland-island or an among patch metapopulation, M. ravelobensis formed a mainland-island metapopulation, C. medius and E. fulvus formed among patch metapopulations, and neither P. coquereli or L. edwardsi formed a metapopulation. Metapopulation dynamics and simulations suggest that area was a more consistent positive factor determining lemur species occurrence than fragment isolation and is crucial to the maintenance of lemur populations within this fragmented landscape. Using a metapopulation approach to lemur biogeography is critical for understanding how lemur species respond to forest loss and fragmentation.
Highlights
IntroductionLemur metapopulation responses to habitat loss and fragmentation primate.org), The Explorers Club (Exploration Fund; https://explorers.org), and the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies Travel Grant to TS, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Discovery Grant; http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/index_eng.asp) to SL
Smaller-bodied Cheirogaleids occurred in the largest number of fragments while the remaining three larger species occurred in the fewest (Table 1)
This study shows that four lemur species (C. medius, M. ravelobensis, M. murinus, and E. fulvus) form metapopulations in fragmented landscapes
Summary
Lemur metapopulation responses to habitat loss and fragmentation primate.org), The Explorers Club (Exploration Fund; https://explorers.org), and the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies Travel Grant to TS, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Discovery Grant; http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/index_eng.asp) to SL
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
