Plant and lemur responses to forest edges in Madagascar

植物和狐猴对马达加斯加森林边缘的反应

• 批准号: 250698-2008
• 负责人: Lehman, Shawn
• 金额: $ 1.26万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2011-01-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=479637
• 关键词: Plant; lemur; responses; forest; edges

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.

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个具有对比组成或结构的栖息地之间的动态区域。世界许多地方的森林变得越来越破碎，这导致边缘栖息地占每个森林碎片的比例更大。 边缘影响可以通过碎片层面的影响（例如资源丰度的空间变异性）和景观层面的影响（例如群落结构的变化）发生。 对于马达加斯加的狐猴来说，这些问题具有特殊的生态意义和保护意义，因为人类已经改变了岛上约 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矩阵的类群（例如非森林栖息地）。 那么问题来了，模型如何适用于不使用矩阵的森林动物（例如大多数狐猴）。 我在马达加斯加西北部的安卡拉凡西卡国家公园及其周边地区提出了两个关于碎片和景观层面的新研究项目。 首先，我和我的学生将利用观察和实验研究来检验关于森林边缘如何影响植物群落动态、树木测量学和非生物因素的假设。 其次，我们将测试最近概念模型中关于狐猴丰度（密度和生物量）和行为生态学（饮食、活动和测距模式）的边缘影响的假设。 我们将重点研究两种食叶动物（Lepilemur edwardsi 和 Avahi occidentalis）、两种食果动物（Eulemur fulvus 和 Eulemur mongoz）、一种食叶动物/食果动物（Propithecus coquereli）和三种杂食动物（Microcebus ravelobensis、Microcebus murinus 和 Cheirogaleus medius）。 拟议的研究具有特殊意义，因为它测试了不同空间尺度的边缘影响的假设，将数据应用于严重的保护问题，并支持培训来自加拿大和马达加斯加的高素质人员。