Biology and Conservation of Prosimians
International Conference held at The North of England Zoological Society, Chester, September 13-16, 1995
Editors: Caroline S. Harcourt, Chester; Robin Huw Crompton, Liverpool; Anna T.C. Feistner, Jersey

Conservation: Brief Report

Rapid Assessment of Richness and Density of Primate Species on the Masoala Peninsula, Eastern Madagascar
E.J. Sterling^a, N. Rakotoarison<sup>b

a</sup>Deutches Primatenzentrum, Göttingen, Germany;
^bParc Zoologique et Botanique de Tsimbazaza, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Address of Corresponding Author

Folia Primatol 1998;69:109-116 (DOI: 10.1159/000052703)

  Key Words

• Primate density
• Rapid assessment techniques
• Census methods
• Lemurs
• Madagascar
• Allocebus trichotis

  Abstract

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The Masoala peninsula harbours some of the last remaining pristine forests in Madagascar, and supports a mountain range of 600-1,100 m elevation running north-south along the bay of Antongil. The peninsula's isolation and difficulty of access have precluded comprehensive surveys of plants and animals. Consequently, little is known about the primate fauna, particularly on the eastern slopes. Continued deforestation of Madagascar's eastern forests poses a threat to the diversity of primate species therein and increases the urgency of developing comprehensive management plans for the remaining forest blocks. Intensive long-term survey work to decipher the patterns of species distribution and of population abundance, information that is critical to these management plans, is currently impracticable on a large scale. Resource limitations and time constraints dictate that methods such as rapid biodiversity assessment techniques be used to approximate these patterns over the short term. This paper discusses the results of two survey seasons (February-April 1994, January-February 1995) during which several rapid survey techniques were employed to determine the richness and density of primate species at selected sites on the Masoala peninsula's eastern slopes.

  Author Contacts

Eleanor Jane Sterling
Center for Biodiversity
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West, 79th Street, New York, NY 10024 (USA)
Tel. +212 769 5742, Fax +212 769 5292

  Article Information

Number of Print Pages : 8
Number of Figures : 1, Number of Tables : 6, Number of References : 10