{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/36035"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/36035","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Comparing density analyses and carnivore ecology in Madagascar's southeastern rainforest","abstract":"Madagascar is renowned for its biodiversity, but also for forest loss, fragmentation, and degradation, making it a global conservation priority. With few studies dedicated to Madagascar's carnivores, little is known about their ecology. My objectives were to 1) compare density estimation techniques applicable to enumerating rare and/or elusive carnivores, 2) investigate Malagasy carnivore distributions, abundance and density, and occupancy/use across four sites that vary in forest disturbance, and 3) explore temporal activity patterns of rainforest carnivores. I found the spatially-explicit-capture-recapture models were empirically superior, as they are flexible and account for spatial variation in detection probability and area estimation. I found both endemic and exotic carnivore composition varied among four rainforest sites: Primary, Selectively-logged, Fragments <2.5 km and Fragments >15 km from contiguous-primary rainforest. All endemic carnivores were present in the Primary and Selectively-logged rainforest, while endemic carnivore species richness decreased and exotic carnivore species richness increased in the fragmented forests. Malagasy civet (Fossa fossana) density ± SE was significantly less in the Selectively-logged compared to the Primary rainforest (1.38 ± 0.22, 3.19 ± 0.55 civets/km2, respectively); they were absent from both fragmented forests. Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) density ± SE was not different between the Primary and Selectively-logged rainforests (0.12 ± 0.05, 0.09 ± 0.04 adults/km2, respectively); a single animal was detected in the Fragments <2.5 km, while none were detected in the Fragments >15 km. Malagasy carnivores had varied temporal activity overlap (5.8-88.8%). C. ferox preferred crepuscular activity, but overall exhibited a cathemeral activity pattern.","abstract_html":"Madagascar is renowned for its biodiversity, but also for forest loss, fragmentation, and degradation, making it a global conservation priority. With few studies dedicated to Madagascar&#x27;s carnivores, little is known about their ecology. My objectives were to 1) compare density estimation techniques applicable to enumerating rare and/or elusive carnivores, 2) investigate Malagasy carnivore distributions, abundance and density, and occupancy/use across four sites that vary in forest disturbance, and 3) explore temporal activity patterns of rainforest carnivores. I found the spatially-explicit-capture-recapture models were empirically superior, as they are flexible and account for spatial variation in detection probability and area estimation. I found both endemic and exotic carnivore composition varied among four rainforest sites: Primary, Selectively-logged, Fragments &lt;2.5 km and Fragments &gt;15 km from contiguous-primary rainforest. All endemic carnivores were present in the Primary and Selectively-logged rainforest, while endemic carnivore species richness decreased and exotic carnivore species richness increased in the fragmented forests. Malagasy civet (Fossa fossana) density ± SE was significantly less in the Selectively-logged compared to the Primary rainforest (1.38 ± 0.22, 3.19 ± 0.55 civets/km2, respectively); they were absent from both fragmented forests. Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) density ± SE was not different between the Primary and Selectively-logged rainforests (0.12 ± 0.05, 0.09 ± 0.04 adults/km2, respectively); a single animal was detected in the Fragments &lt;2.5 km, while none were detected in the Fragments &gt;15 km. Malagasy carnivores had varied temporal activity overlap (5.8-88.8%). C. ferox preferred crepuscular activity, but overall exhibited a cathemeral activity pattern.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Gerber, Brian Daniel"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences","degree_department":"Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Karpanty, Sarah M."],"committee_members":["Stauffer, Dean F.","Kelly, Marcella J."],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-12-07","date_published":"2010-12-07","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:22Z","subjects":["habitat","carnivore","Madagascar","density"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-12092010-150552"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-12092010-150552","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36035","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Karpanty, Sarah M."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Stauffer, Dean F.","Kelly, Marcella J."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Gerber, Brian Daniel"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T20:49:13Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T20:49:13Z","2010-12-15"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2010-12-07"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["habitat","carnivore","Madagascar","density"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-12092010-150552"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36035"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Madagascar is renowned for its biodiversity, but also for forest loss, fragmentation, and degradation, making it a global conservation priority. With few studies dedicated to Madagascar's carnivores, little is known about their ecology. My objectives were to 1) compare density estimation techniques applicable to enumerating rare and/or elusive carnivores, 2) investigate Malagasy carnivore distributions, abundance and density, and occupancy/use across four sites that vary in forest disturbance, and 3) explore temporal activity patterns of rainforest carnivores. I found the spatially-explicit-capture-recapture models were empirically superior, as they are flexible and account for spatial variation in detection probability and area estimation. I found both endemic and exotic carnivore composition varied among four rainforest sites: Primary, Selectively-logged, Fragments <2.5 km and Fragments >15 km from contiguous-primary rainforest. All endemic carnivores were present in the Primary and Selectively-logged rainforest, while endemic carnivore species richness decreased and exotic carnivore species richness increased in the fragmented forests. Malagasy civet (Fossa fossana) density ± SE was significantly less in the Selectively-logged compared to the Primary rainforest (1.38 ± 0.22, 3.19 ± 0.55 civets/km2, respectively); they were absent from both fragmented forests. Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) density ± SE was not different between the Primary and Selectively-logged rainforests (0.12 ± 0.05, 0.09 ± 0.04 adults/km2, respectively); a single animal was detected in the Fragments <2.5 km, while none were detected in the Fragments >15 km. Malagasy carnivores had varied temporal activity overlap (5.8-88.8%). C. ferox preferred crepuscular activity, but overall exhibited a cathemeral activity pattern."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Comparing density analyses and carnivore ecology in Madagascar's southeastern rainforest"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Karpanty, Sarah M."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Stauffer, Dean F.","Kelly, Marcella J."],"dc:contributor.department":["Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Gerber, Brian Daniel"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T20:49:13Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T20:49:13Z","2010-12-15"],"dc:date.issued":["2010-12-07"],"dc:description.abstract":["Madagascar is renowned for its biodiversity, but also for forest loss, fragmentation, and degradation, making it a global conservation priority. With few studies dedicated to Madagascar's carnivores, little is known about their ecology. My objectives were to 1) compare density estimation techniques applicable to enumerating rare and/or elusive carnivores, 2) investigate Malagasy carnivore distributions, abundance and density, and occupancy/use across four sites that vary in forest disturbance, and 3) explore temporal activity patterns of rainforest carnivores. I found the spatially-explicit-capture-recapture models were empirically superior, as they are flexible and account for spatial variation in detection probability and area estimation. I found both endemic and exotic carnivore composition varied among four rainforest sites: Primary, Selectively-logged, Fragments <2.5 km and Fragments >15 km from contiguous-primary rainforest. All endemic carnivores were present in the Primary and Selectively-logged rainforest, while endemic carnivore species richness decreased and exotic carnivore species richness increased in the fragmented forests. Malagasy civet (Fossa fossana) density ± SE was significantly less in the Selectively-logged compared to the Primary rainforest (1.38 ± 0.22, 3.19 ± 0.55 civets/km2, respectively); they were absent from both fragmented forests. Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) density ± SE was not different between the Primary and Selectively-logged rainforests (0.12 ± 0.05, 0.09 ± 0.04 adults/km2, respectively); a single animal was detected in the Fragments <2.5 km, while none were detected in the Fragments >15 km. Malagasy carnivores had varied temporal activity overlap (5.8-88.8%). C. ferox preferred crepuscular activity, but overall exhibited a cathemeral activity pattern."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-12092010-150552"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36035"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["habitat","carnivore","Madagascar","density"],"dc:title":["Comparing density analyses and carnivore ecology in Madagascar's southeastern rainforest"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:22Z"}