Where the small things are: Modelling edge effects on mouse lemur population density and distribution in northwestern Madagascar.

Edge effects result from the penetration to varying depths and intensities, of abiotic and biotic conditions from the surrounding non-forest matrix into the forest interior. Although 70% of the world's forests are within 1 km of a forest edge, making edge effects a dominant feature of most forest habitats, there are few empirical data on inter-site differences in edge responses in primates. We used spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) models to determine spatial patterns of density for two species of mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus and Microcebus ravelobensis) in two forest landscapes in northwestern Madagascar.

Effects of variation in forest fragment habitat on black howler monkey demography in the unprotected landscape around Palenque National Park, Mexico.

Habitat loss and fragmentation are leading threats to biodiversity today, and primates are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic habitat disturbance. However, few studies have examined how differential effects of variation in forest fragment characteristics on males and females in a primate population may affect demography and population persistence. We quantified the effects of variation in forest fragment characteristics on the within-fragment demography of black howler monkeys () in forest fragments around Palenque National Park, Mexico, and how these effects differed between adult males and females.

Realized distribution patterns of crowned lemurs (Eulemur coronatus) within a human-dominated forest fragment in northern Madagascar.

Due to the impact of anthropogenic activities on forest extent and integrity across Madagascar, it is increasingly necessary to assess how endangered lemur populations inhabiting human-dominated forest fragments can effectively sustain themselves ecologically. Our research addresses this concern by exploring how the distribution patterns of a small population of crowned lemurs (Eulemur coronatus), occupying a degraded forest fragment at Oronjia Forest New Protected Area in northern Madagascar, are impacted by the availability of key ecological and anthropogenic factors. We hypothesize that the distribution of E.

Occurrence of lemurs in landscapes and their species-specific scale responses to habitat loss.

Studies on the impact of habitat loss on species occurrence consistently find that the amount of habitat (measured as patch area) is a major determinant of species occurrence at a patch-level. However, patch-level research may fail to detect important patterns and processes only observable at a landscape-level. A landscape-level approach that incorporates species-specific scale responses is needed to better understand what drives species occurrence.