Forest disturbance and river proximity influence chameleon abundance in Madagascar

Chameleon abundance was studied in forest subject to high disturbance, low disturbance, and in a riparian zone in Madagascar. Four Calumma species and Brookesia thieli were detected in all habitats; B. minima was not observed in the high-disturbance forest. The lizards were more abundant in rainforest subject to low disturbance, such as selective timber extraction, than in patches of high disturbance forest that was recovering from burning. Riparian zones within low disturbance forest provided linear patches of high chameleon abundance and are deemed an important conservation resource.