Habitat fragmentation is a leading driver of biodiversity loss, yet the ecological effects of forest edges remain complex and context dependent. This study investigated differences in bird and herpetofaunal species richness and community composition between forest interior and edge sites in Lokobe National Park, Nosy Be, Madagascar. Birds were surveyed using fixed point counts, and herpetofauna were recorded through visual encounter surveys along transects across multiple years. Diversity was quantified with species richness and Shannon’s index, while community composition was assessed through non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordinations based on Bray–Curtis dissimilarity.

Independent-samples t-tests showed that bird richness was significantly higher at edge locations, while herpetofaunal richness was greater in forest interiors. NMDS ordinations revealed clear separation of herpetofaunal communities between edge and interior sites, while bird communities showed partial overlap but still clustered by habitat, with edge sites grouping more tightly. These results indicate that edge effects act differently across taxonomic groups: herpetofauna exhibited stronger compositional shifts, whereas birds responded primarily through changes in richness and diversity rather than community separation.

Lokobe's relatively intact edges, small park size, and ongoing conservation management could buffer against more severe reported edge effects in other tropical rainforests. This study provides valuable baseline data for an understudied rainforest and highlights the importance of continued biodiversity monitoring. Findings contribute to a better understanding of how edge effects influence tropical biodiversity and guide conservation planning in Madagascar and beyond.