Abstract A majority of Madagascar's iconic lemurs (Primates, Strepsirrhini) is threatened with extinction due to anthropogenic activities like land use change (deforestation) and bushmeat hunting. We used a multivariate approach combining land cover mapping, vegetation/degradation monitoring, the degree of anthropogenic disturbance and the status of forest protection by the local community to model their impact on lemur diversity, population densities and encounter rates within a rural area of lowland rain forest in north-eastern Madagascar. High mean annual deforestation rates (2.4%) were calculated since 1990, resulting in a landscape of small and isolated forest fragments. A limited number of eight lemur species belonging to five lemur families were encountered. Diurnal species were absent, while cathemeral lemurs avoided human disturbance. Small and nocturnal species were relatively abundant. Overall lemur diversity was best explained by forest size and a combination of disturbance and hunting. Encounter rates of three nocturnal taxa were influenced by forest size and habitat degradation. Community-level forest protection had no effect on lemur diversity, but coincided with lower levels of habitat degradation. Lemur population sizes were relatively small and only few forests remain that offer suitable habitats for viable populations. We highly recommend external conservation NGOs to support local forest management by improving the existing community-based approach. Actions should include expansion of protected habitats to increase population connectivity (reforestation) and to decrease lemur disturbance by villagers. Without external support, the last remaining forest habitats will be devastated within a few years resulting in the local extinction of most lemur populations.

中文翻译：

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濒死森林中的狐猴：影响马达加斯加东北部森林遗迹中狐猴多样性和分布的因素

摘要 由于土地利用变化（森林砍伐）和丛林肉狩猎等人为活动，马达加斯加的大多数标志性狐猴（灵长类动物、链猴）都面临灭绝的威胁。我们使用多变量方法结合土地覆盖制图、植被/退化监测、人为干扰程度和当地社区的森林保护状况，模拟它们对低地降雨农村地区狐猴多样性、种群密度和遭遇率的影响马达加斯加东北部的森林。自 1990 年以来，计算出的平均年森林砍伐率很高 (2.4%)，导致形成了小而孤立的森林碎片景观。遇到了属于五个狐猴科的有限数量的八种狐猴。不存在昼夜物种，而狐猴则避免了人类的干扰。小型和夜间活动的物种相对丰富。森林大小以及干扰和狩猎的结合可以最好地解释整体狐猴多样性。三种夜间活动分类群的遭遇率受森林规模和栖息地退化的影响。社区一级的森林保护对狐猴多样性没有影响，但与栖息地退化程度较低相吻合。狐猴的种群规模相对较小，只有少数森林为生存种群提供合适的栖息地。我们强烈建议外部保护非政府组织通过改进现有的基于社区的方法来支持当地的森林管理。行动应包括扩大受保护的栖息地，以增加人口连通性（重新造林）并减少村民对狐猴的干扰。没有外界的支持，