Plant and lemur responses to forest edges in Madagascar

生态学和保护生物学的一个基本问题是确定森林边缘如何影响植物和动物群落。 森林边缘是森林和非森林环境之间或两种不同组成或结构的栖息地之间的动态区域。在世界许多地方，森林正变得越来越支离破碎，这导致边缘生境在每个碎片中所占比例越来越大。 边缘影响可以通过碎片一级的影响，如资源丰度的空间变化，也可以通过群落一级的影响，如群落结构的变化。 对于马达加斯加的狐猴来说，这些问题具有特殊的生态利益和保护问题，因为人类已经改变了岛上大约90%的原始森林。 尽管概念模型已用于研究动物对森林边缘的反应，但相关的预测最好应用于利用基质的分类群（例如，非森林栖息地）。 问题就来了，模型对不使用矩阵的森林动物（如大多数狐猴）的表现如何。 我提出了两个新的研究项目在片段和景观水平和周围的Ankarafantsika国家公园在马达加斯加西北部。 首先，我和我的学生将使用观察和实验研究来测试森林边缘如何影响植物群落动态，树木生长和非生物因素的假设。 其次，我们将测试假设从最近的概念模型边缘狐猴丰度（密度和生物量）和行为生态学（饮食，活动和范围模式）的影响。 我们将把我们的狐猴研究重点放在两个食叶动物（Lepilemur edwardsi和Avahi octagentalis），两个食果动物（Eulemur fulvus和Eulemur mongoz），一个食叶/食果动物（Propithecus coquereli），和三个杂食动物（Microcebus ravelobensis，Microcebus murinus和Cheirogaleus medius）。 拟议的研究是特别重要的，因为它测试假设的边缘影响在不同的空间尺度，应用数据严重的保护问题，并支持来自加拿大和马达加斯加的高素质人才的培训。

A fundamental issue in ecology and conservation biology is determining how forest edges influence plant and animal communities. Forest edges are dynamic zones between forested and nonforested environments or between two habitats of contrasting composition or structure. Forests are becoming increasingly fragmented in many parts of the world, which results in edge habitats comprising a proportionally larger part of each fragment. Edge influences can occur through fragment-level impacts, such as spatial variability in resource abundance, and landscape-level impacts, such as changes in community structure. For the lemurs of Madagascar, these issues are of particular ecological interest and conservation concern because humans have transformed approximately 90% of the primary forests on the island. Although conceptual models have been used to investigate animal responses to forest edges, the associated predictions are best applied to taxa that exploit the matrix (e.g., nonforested habitats). The question arises then as to how models perform for forest-dwelling animals, such as most lemurs, that do not use the matrix. I propose two new research projects at the fragment and landscape levels in and around Ankarafantsika National Park in northwest Madagascar. First, my students and I will use observational and experimental studies to test hypotheses on how forest edges influence plant community dynamics, dendrometrics, and abiotic factors. Second, we will test hypotheses from recent conceptual models on edge influences on lemur abundance (density and biomass) and behavioral ecology (diet, activity, and ranging patterns). We will focus our lemur studies on two folivores (Lepilemur edwardsi and Avahi occidentalis), two frugivores (Eulemur fulvus and Eulemur mongoz), one folivore/frugivore (Propithecus coquereli), and three omnivores (Microcebus ravelobensis, Microcebus murinus, and Cheirogaleus medius). The proposed research is of special significance because it tests hypotheses on edge influences at various spatial scales, applies data to serious conservation issues, and supports the training of highly qualified personnel from Canada and Madagascar.