Preliminary survey of the threatened carnivores in the Daraina Loky-Manambato Protected Area, Madagascar
Keywords:
Camera trapping, Range-Extensions, Carnivores, Rapid Assessment, Threatened, Tropical-ForestAbstract
Madagascar’s protected areas safeguard numerous threatened endemic plant and animal species, including Euplerid carnivores, considered to be the most threatened yet understudied group of carnivores globally. The Loky-Manambato Protected Area (PA) in northern Madagascar encompasses a unique transitional forest ecosystem that is under pressure from forest loss and fragmentation. We provide the first photographic survey of Madagascar’s carnivore community occupying this region with the aim of documenting carnivore species richness, relative activity (Trap Success), and spatial distribution (Naïve occupancy) across the landscape. To do this, we used 60 motion-activated cameras to survey along established trails in three forest patches across the Loky-Manambato PA: Antsahabe, Bekaraoka, and Antsaharaingy. We surveyed each forest for two weeks in September and October 2018. We collected 498 independent captures of fauna across the landscape, including five of the six endemic carnivores known to occupy eastern Madagascar: Galidia elegans, Galidictis fasciata, Eupleres goudotii, Fossa fossana, and Cryptoprocta ferox. We found F. fossana and G. elegans to be the most active and widely distributed carnivores, while C. ferox, G. fasciata and E. goudotii were the least. Additionally, we documented the presence of two invasive carnivores: Canis familiaris and Felis catus. These findings extended the northern-most known range of Galidictis fasciata (Antsahabe) and Fossa fossana (Bekaraoka) into the Loky-Manambato PA. Forest size was not a good predictor of activity or occurrence as the largest forest patch in Bekaraoka had the fewest captures of all carnivores. Our findings highlight some of the biodiversity within the Loky-Manambato PA and the need for effective management across this unique transitional forest ecosystem.
RÉSUMÉ
Les aires protégées de Madagascar protègent de nombreuses espèces végétales et animales endémiques menacées, y compris les carnivores eupléridés. Les carnivores eupléridés sont considérés comme l'un des groupes de carnivores les plus menacés mais les moins étudiés au monde. L'aire protégée (PA) de Loky- Manambato dans le nord de Madagascar englobe un écosystème forestier de transition unique qui subit la pression de la perte et de la fragmentation des forêts. Nous fournissons la première étude photographique de la communauté de carnivores de Madagascar occupant cette région dans le but de documenter la richesse en espèces de carnivores, l'activité relative (Trap Success) et la distribution spatiale (Naïve occupancy) à travers le paysage. Pour ce faire, nous avons utilisé 60 caméras activées par le mouvement pour surveiller le long des sentiers établis dans trois parcelles forestières à travers l’AP Loky-Manambato : Antsahabe, Bekaraoka et Antsaharaingy. Nous avons étudié chaque forêt pendant deux semaines en septembre et octobre 2018. Nous avons procédé à 498 captures indépendantes de la faune à travers le paysage, incluant cinq des six carnivores endémiques connus pour habiter l'Est de Madagascar : Galidia elegans, Galidictis fasciata, Eupleres goudotii, Fossa fossana et Cryptoprocta ferox. Nous avons constaté que F. fossana et G. elegans étaient les carnivores les plus actifs et les plus largement distribués, tandis que C. ferox, G. fasciata et E. goudotii étaient les moins nombreux. De plus, nous avons documenté la présence de deux carnivores envahissants : Canis familiaris et Felis catus. Ces découvertes ont étendu l'aire de répartition la plus septentrionale connue de Galidictis fasciata (Antsahabe) et de Fossa fossana (Bekaraoka) dans l’AP Loky-Manambato. La taille de la forêt n'était pas un bon prédicteur de l'activité ou de l'occurrence car la plus grande parcelle forestière de Bekaraoka avait la moindre présence de tous les carnivores. Nos résultats mettent en évidence une partie de la biodiversité au sein de Loky-Manambato PA et la nécessité d'une gestion efficace dans cet écosystème forestier de transition unique
References
Apanaskevich, D. A. and Goodman, S. M. 2020. Description of a new species of Haemaphysalis Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) from the H. (Rhipistoma) asiatica subgroup, parasite of an endemic Malagasy carnivoran (Carnivora: Eupleridae). Systematic Parasitology 97, 6: 591–599. <https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-020-09943-3>
Vargas, A., Jiménez, I., Palomares, F., Palacios, M. J. 2002. Distribution, status, and conservation needs of the golden-crowned sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli). Biological Conservation 108, 3: 325–334. <https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(02)00117-9>
Beaudrot, L., Acevedo, M., Lessard, J.-P., Sheil, D., Larney, E., et al. 2018. Distributional shifts in a biodiversity hotspot. Biological Conservation 228: 252–258. <https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BIOCON.2018.10.016>
Borgerson, C., Razafindrapaoly, B., Rajaona, D., Rasolofoniaina, B. J. R. and Golden, C. D. 2019. Food insecurity and the unsustainable hunting of wildlife in a UNESCO world heritage site. In: Impacts of Tropical Landscape Change on Human Diet and Local Food Systems. A. Ickowitz, J. Rhemtulla, L. Vang Rasmussen and B. Powell (eds.), pp 31–42. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Lausanne, Switzerland. <https://doi.org/10.3389/FSUFS.2019.00099>
Borgerson, C., Johnson, S. E., Hall, E., Brown, K. A., Narváez-Torres, P. R., et al. 2021. A national-level assessment of lemur hunting pressure in Madagascar. International Journal of Primatology 43: 92–113. <https://doi.org/10.1007/S10764-021-00215-5>
Brockman, D. K., Godfrey, L. R., Dollar, L. J. and Ratsirarson, J. 2008. Evidence of invasive Felis silvestris predation on Propithecus verreauxi at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar. International Journal of Primatology 29: 135–152. <https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-007-9145-5>
Brooke, Z. M., Bielby, J., Nambiar, K. and Carbone, C. 2014. Correlates of research effort in carnivores: body size, range size and diet matter. PLoS ONE 9, 4: e93195. <https://doi.org/10.1371/Journal.Pone.0093195>
Callmander, M. W., Phillipson, P. B., Schatz, G. E., Andriambololonera, S., Rabarimanarivo, M., et al. 2011. The endemic and non-endemic vascular flora of Madagascar updated. Plant Ecology and Evolution. 144, 2: 121–125. <https://doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.2011.513>
Di Bitetti, M. S., Paviolo, A. and De Angelo, C. 2006. Density, habitat use and activity patterns of ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) in the Atlantic Forest of Misiones, Argentina. Journal of Zoology 270, 1: 153–163. <https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00102.x>
Doherty, T. S., Glen, A. S., Nimmo, D. G., Ritchie, E. G. and Dickman, C. R. 2016. Invasive predators and global biodiversity loss. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 113, 40: 11261–11265. <https://doi.org/10.1073/PNAS.1602480113>
Farris, Z. J. 2014. Response of Madagascar's Endemic Carnivores to Fragmentation, Hunting, and Exotic Carnivores Across the Masosala-Makira Landscape (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University). Available online <https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/51171>
Farris, Z. J., Golden, C. D., Karpanty, S., Murphy, A., Stauffer, D. and Ratelolahy, F. 2015a. Hunting, exotic carnivores, and habitat loss: Anthropogenic effects on a native carnivore community, Madagascar. PLoS ONE 10, 9: e0136456. <https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0136456>
Farris, Z. J., Gerber, B. D., Karpanty, S., Murphy, A., Andrianjakarivelo, V. et al. 2015b. When carnivores roam: Temporal patterns and overlap among Madagascar’s native and exotic carnivores. Journal of Zoology 296, 1: 45–57. <https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12216>
Farris, Z. J., Kelly, M. J., Karpanty, S., Murphy, A., Ratelolahy, F., et al. 2017. The times they are a changin': Multi-year surveys reveal exotics replace native carnivores at a Madagascar rainforest site. Biological Conservation 206: 320–328. <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.10.025>
Gardner, C. J. 2009. A review of the impacts of anthropogenic habitat change on terrestrial biodiversity in Madagascar: Implications for the design and management of new protected areas. Malagasy Nature 2: 2–29.
Gerber, B., Karpanty, S. M., Crawford, C., Kotschwar, M. and Randrianantenaina, J. 2010. An assessment of carnivore relative abundance and density in the eastern rainforests of Madagascar using remotely-triggered camera traps. Oryx 44, 2: 219–222. <https://doi.org/10.1017/s0030605309991037>
Gerber, B., Karpanty, S. M. and Randrianantenaina, J. 2012. Activity patterns of carnivores in the rain forests of Madagascar: implications for species coexistence. Journal of Mammalogy 93, 3: 667–676 <https://doi.org/10.1644/11-MAMM-A-265.1>
Golden, C. D. 2009. Bushmeat hunting and use in the Makira Forest, north-eastern Madagascar: a conservation and livelihoods issue. Oryx 43, 3: 386–392. <https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605309000131>
Goodman, S, M. and Benstead, J. 2005. Updated estimates of biotic diversity and endemism for Madagascar. Oryx 39, 1: 73–77. <https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605305000128>
Goodman, S. M. and Wilmé, L. 2006. Introduction. In: Inventaires de la Faune et de la Flore du Nord de Madagascar dans la Région Loky-Manambato, Analamerana et Andavakoera. S. M. Goodman and L. Wilmé (eds.), pp 1–34. Série Sciences biologiques. Vol. 23. Recherches pour le Développement. Antananarivo (Madagascar): Centre d’Information et de Documentation Scientifique et Technique.
Goodman, S. M. 2012. Les Carnivores de Madagascar. Association Vahatra, Antananarivo.
Goodman S. M., Raherilalao, M. J. and Wohlauser, S. 2018. The terrestrial protected areas of Madagascar: Their history, description, and biota. Association Vahatra. Antananarivo, Madagascar. Volume 2: 529–545.
Harper, G. J., Steininger, M. S., Tucker, C. J., Juhn, D. and Hawkins, F. 2007. Fifty years of deforestation and forest fragmentation in Madagascar. Environmental Conservation 34, 4: 325–333. <https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892907004262>
Hawkins, C. E. and Racey, P. A. 2005. Low population density of a tropical forest carnivore, Cryptoprocta ferox: implications for protected area management. Oryx 39, 1: 35–43. <https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605305000074>
Ingram, J. C. and Dawson, T. P. 2005. Climate change impacts and vegetation response on the island of Madagascar. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 363, 1826: 55–59. <https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2004.1476>
IUCN. 2022. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, version 2022-1. <https://www.iucnredlist.org> (accessed 26 April 2022)
Lourenço, W. R and Goodman, S. M. 2013. A synopsis of the scorpion fauna of the Loky-Manambato (Daraina) Region in Madagascar. Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 22: 47–58. Available online <http://sea-entomologia.org/PDF/RIA22/047058RIA22ScorpionesMadagascar.pdf>
MacKenzie, D. I. and Bailey, L. L. 2004. Assessing the fit of site-occupancy models. Journal of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Statistics 9: 300–318. <https://doi.org/10.1198/108571104X3361>
MacKenzie, D. I., Nichols, J. D., Royle, J. A., Pollock, K. H., Bailey, L. L. and Hines, J. E. 2006. Occupancy Estimation and Modeling: Inferring Patterns and Dynamics of Species Occurrence. Elsevier, London, UK.
Madagasikara, Repoblikan’i. 2019. Présidence de la République. Communiqué. Ambilobe-Vohemar : lancement officiel des travaux de réhabilitation et de bitumage de la RN5A. Retrieved 30 October 2020. Accessed 20 April 2022 <https://www.presidence.gov.mg/actualites/189-ambilobe-vohemar-lancement-officiel-des-travauxde-rehabilitation-et-de-bitumage-de-la-rn5a.html>
Mann, G. K. H., Long, P., Rakotondrapararany, F., The Seeing, S. and Gandola, R. 2015. First record of fossa Cryptoprocta ferox in Mariarano forest, Madagascar. Small Carnivore Conservation 52–53: 45–55. Available online <https://smallcarnivoreconservation.com/index.php/sccg/issue/view/239/68>
Merson, S. D., Dollar, L. J., Tan, C. K. W. and Macdonald, D. W. 2019. Activity patterns of sympatric living exotic and endemic carnivores (the fosa) in Western Madagascar’s deciduous forests. Journal of Zoology 307, 3: 186–194. <https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12630>
Morelli, T. L., Smith, A. B., Mancini, A. N., Balko, E. A., Borgerson, C., et al. 2020. The fate of Madagascar’s rainforest habitat. Nature Climate Change 10: 89–96. <https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0647-x>
Murphy, A. J., Farris, Z. J., Karpanty, S., Kelly, M. J., Miles, K. A., et al. 2018. Using camera traps to examine distribution and occupancy trends of ground-dwelling rainforest birds in north-eastern Madagascar. Bird Conservation International 28, 4: 567–580. <https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270917000107>
Niedballa, J, Sollmann, R, Courtiol, A. and Wilting, A. 2016. camtrapR: an R package for efficient camera trap data management. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 7, 12: 1457–1462. <https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12600>
Quéméré, E., Amelot, X., Pierson, J., Crouau-Roy, B. and Chikhi, L. 2012. Genetic data suggest a natural prehuman origin of open habitats in northern Madagascar and question the deforestation narrative in this region. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109, 32: 13028–13033. <https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1200153109>
Ranirison, P., Nusbaumer, L., Roger, E., Rajeriarison, C., Gautier, L., et al. 2010. The major environmental factors determining the distribution of the vegetation associations in the Loky-Manambato region of NE Madagascar. In: Systematics and Conservation of African Plants. X. Van der Burgt (ed.), pp 671–678. Proceedings of the 18th AETFAT Congress, Yaoundé, Cameroun, 26 February to 2 March 2007. Royal Botanic Gardens.
Rasambainarivo, F., Farris, Z. J., Andrianalizah, H. and Parker, P. 2017. Interactions between carnivores in Madagascar and the risk of disease transmission. EcoHealth 14, 691–703. <https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-017-1280-7>
Rasambainarivo, F., Andriamihajarivo, M., Dubovi, E. and Parker, P. 2018. Patterns of exposure of carnivores to selected pathogens in the Betampona Natural Reserve Landscape, Madagascar. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 54, 2: 386–391. <https://doi.org/10.7589/2017-09-225>
Ross, P. H., Patel, E., Ferguson, B., Ravelijaona, R. N., Raoloniana, G. I., Wampole, E., Gerber, B. D. and Farris, Z. J. 2020. Assessment of the threatened carnivore community in the recently expanded rainforest protected area Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve, Madagascar. Endangered Species Research 43, 89–98. <https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01055>
R Core Team. 2017. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria.
RStudio Team. 2020. RStudio: Integrated Development for R. RStudio, PBC, Boston, MA, USA.
Safford, R. J. (ed.). 2000. Etude Environnementale et Ecologique du Lac Sahaka, Madagascar. Royal Holloway Institute for Environmental Research, University of London, United Kingdom.
Salmona, J., Heller, R., Quéméré, E. and Chikhi, L. 2017. Climate change and human colonization triggered habitat loss and fragmentation in Madagascar. Molecular Ecology 26, 19: 5203–5222. <https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.14173>
Semel, B. P. 2021. Factors affecting golden-crowned sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli) densities and strategies for their conservation (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Tech). Accessed 26 April 2022 <https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/102781>
Vieilledent, G., Grinand, C., Rakotomalala, F. A., Ranaivosoa, R., Rakotoarijaona, et al. 2018. Combining global tree cover loss data with historical national forest cover maps to look at six decades of deforestation and forest fragmentation in Madagascar. Biological Conservation 222: 189–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2018.04.008
Wampole, E. M., Farris, Z. J. and Gerber, B. D. 2021. A synthesis of life-history traits, functional traits, and consequences of anthropogenic pressures on Madagascar’s threatened carnivorans, Eupleridae. Mammal Review 51, 3: 402–419. <https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.12234>
Additional Files
Published
Issue
Section
License
All journal content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a creative common Attribution 4.0 International and is published here by the Indian Ocean e-Ink under license from the author(s).
