Lemurs and the regeneration of dry deciduous forest in Madagascar

We sought to assess the role of lemurs for seed dispersal in the dry decidu ous forest of western,rn Madagascar and the Possible consequences of the de mise of lemurs for forest regeneration. Forest regeneration primary forest (1 plot per fragment). In 4 of the 15 study plots, the abundance of sapling s was negatively and significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with the abundance of mature individuals of the same tree species In another. 10 study plots there were negative correlations, although these were not significant on th e community level. Second-order statistics were significant with p < 0.001 and indicated that seed dispersal away from the parent trees important for successful establishment of saplings. Apart from possibly the bush pig (Pot amochoerus larvatus), only one vertebrate species of the dry forest, the br own lemur (Eulemur fulvus), ingested seeds >11 mm long and passed them thro ugh its digestive tract unharmed These results for lemurs were based on dir ect observations and fecal analyses To evaluate the role of E. fulvus, we c ompared regeneration in forest plots with and without E. fulvus. In forest fragments without E. fulvus, fewer lemur-dispersed tree species regenerated than would be expected based on the presence of mature tree species that a ve lemur-dispersed (p < 0.05). No such effect was seen in primary forests w ith E. fulvus or for trees whose seeds can also De dispersed by? other vert ebrates. Thus, regeneration of the dry deciduous forest of western Madagasc ar with the complete set of primary forest tree species seems to depend upo n the presence of E. fulvus.