Summary
This article is behind a paywall. It has been included in the database and summarized below solely based on the content of the abstract.
Using multiple investigation methods, the authors examined lemur populations in rural areas of a lowland rainforest in north-eastern Madagascar. They found relatively small populations of five lemur families, representing eight species. The diversity of lemurs was best accounted for by forest size and the interaction between human disturbances and hunting. The most common species were small and nocturnal. Encounters with these species were related to forest size and degree of habitat degradation. Diurnal species were not encountered and cathemeral lemurs avoided disturbed human areas. Notably, deforestation rates have remained high since 1990, causing forest fragmentation and loss of suitable lemur habitats. The authors recommend that NGOs improve their community-based approaches to support local forest management, such as expanding protected areas and reducing villager interactions with lemurs.
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