Lemurs expected to lose much of their ranges this century
As the climate warms, many of Madagascar’s charismatic primates will lose habitat
LONELY LEMUR Hubbard's sportive lemur (Lepilemur hubbardorum) is one of three lemur species projected to lose all of its habitat by 2080.
SurreyJohn/Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
All 103 species of lemur live in Madagascar, and scientists recognize many threats to the primates: They are under pressure from invasive species, logging, poaching and the island’s increasing human population. Plus, the climate is changing.
Jason Brown and Anne Yoder of Duke University analyzed how expected changes in temperature and rainfall across the island may affect the ranges of 57 species of lemur over the next 65 years. Even without the other pressures, many species are at risk from climate change, the authors conclude.
