Document Type
Article
Keywords
Eupleridae, invasive species, landscape conservation, Madagascar
Abstract
Madagascar is acclaimed for its floral and faunal endemism and biodiversity. Among the island nation's most emblematic fauna are its native mammalian carnivores; they are members of the threatened and endemic Eupleridae family. The Corridor of Marojejy, Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve, Tsaratanana (COMATSA) is a newly protected corridor system that faces deforestation and lacks detailed assessments of its native carnivore community. We deployed 44 motion-activated trail cameras to identify which terrestrial carnivores are found within the rainforest corridor landscape of COMATSA-Sud and Marojejy National Park, and to examine carnivore occupancy, relative activity and the impacts of habitat edge. Our sampling array operated from October 20, 2021, to February 10, 2022 (113 days) and confirmed the presence of four species in Eupleridae: Cryptoprocta ferox, Fossa fossana, Galidia elegans, and Galidictis fasciata, as well as a non-native carnivore species: Canis familiaris. We show that carnivore occurrences significantly increase with distance to forest edges. We discuss the negative impacts of forest loss on native carnivores and highlight the threats posed by the non-native carnivore C. familiaris. Our findings spotlight faunal detections across the corridor and indicate that fewer native carnivores are found in the corridor compared to nearby protected areas, suggesting that deforestation correlates with a skewed distribution of carnivore detections. Based on our data, we provide management recommendations for the protection of the forest corridor and its endemic faunal community.
Publication Date
11-1-2024
Publication Title
Biotropica
ISSN
00063606
E-ISSN
17447429
Volume
56
Issue
6
Original Article Number
e13384
DOI
10.1111/btp.13384
Funding Sponsor
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Recommended Citation
Ross, Patrick H.; Patel, Erik; Ravelojaona, Rojo Nandrianina; Rasolondravoavy, Charles; Raoloniana, Guy Irenel; Dollar, Luke; and Parker, Patricia G., "Thin corridors limit wildlife: Variance of tropical carnivore distribution and habitat use in a critical rainforest corridor" (2024). Biology Department Faculty Works. 202.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13384
Available at:
https://irl.umsl.edu/biology-faculty/202
