DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Evaluating the Impact of Hunter Harvest on the Demography and Species Sustainability of a Multi-Species Primate Community

拟议的论文的目的是提供定量和定性信息的生态，文化，营养和经济方面的野生动物消费的人生活在邻近的Makira保护区（MPA），马达加斯加。为了正确解决这个多学科项目，有必要通过准确的人口建模和狩猎收获对灵长类动物群落的人口统计学的影响来了解野生动物的地位。在DDIG的额外资助下，将进行随机的阶段结构种群生存力分析（PVA），以利用RAMAS GIS 5.0中的可用生活史数据模拟特定于人口统计的猎人收获和土地覆盖变化对10种狐猴种群趋势的影响（Akçakaya 2006）。其他处理发展中国家收获对哺乳动物影响问题的保护性动物协定往往根据专家意见对收获种群的人口统计学作出假设。具体而言，这些模型假设收获种群的性别比例均匀，并且只有成年阶段受到收获的影响。以前在这一地区的工作（Golden 2009）使用了一个简单的模型（罗宾逊Redford 1991），该模型做出了各种可能不反映现实世界条件的假设。利用DDIG的资金，研究人员将能够通过与当地猎人的参与性研究收集有关收获动物的阶段结构和性别比例的新数据，以构建最受数据驱动的种群模型。有必要了解狩猎对马达加斯加灵长类动物群落生存能力的影响，以帮助了解目前正在进行的政策干预和保护规划。

The proposed dissertation is designed to provide quantitative and qualitative information on the ecological, cultural, nutritional, and economic aspects of wildlife consumption to people living adjacent to the Makira Protected Area (MPA), Madagascar. In order to properly address this multidisciplinary project, it is necessary to understand the status of wildlife through accurate population modeling and the impacts of hunter harvest on the demographics of primate communities. With additional funding from the DDIG, a stochastic, stage-structured population viability analysis (PVA) will be conducted to model both the impact of demographic-specific hunter harvest and landcover change on population trends of ten lemur species with available life history data in RAMAS GIS 5.0 (Akçakaya 2006). Other PVAs that have addressed the issue of harvest impact on mammals in developing countries have often made assumptions on the demographics of harvested populations based on expert opinion. Specifically, these models assume an even sex ratio for the harvested population and that only the adult stage is affected by harvest. Previous work in this region (Golden 2009) used a simplistic model (Robinson & Redford 1991) which made a variety of assumptions that may not reflect real-world conditions. Using funds from the DDIG, the investigator will be able to collect new data on the stage structure and sex ratio of harvested animals through participatory research with local hunters in order to construct the most data-driven population models. It is necessary to understand the impact of hunting on shaping primate community viability in Madagascar to help inform the policy interventions and conservation planning currently in motion.