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Located along the eastern side of the African country of Madagascar.

Abiotic Factors

Climate

year-round rain

warm temperatures

Sunlight

lush canopy filters light

interier is dark, damp

Soil

poor, acidic

low in organic material

Native Plants

Baobabs

  • have swollen looking trunks where they store water
  • grow in dry and wet season
  • can grow up to 15m in diameter
  • 6 of the 8 species are endemic to Madagascar

Didiereaceae Family

Carnivorous Pitcher Plant

  • they produce small deciduous leaves which are protected by thorns
  • both leaves and stems are thick to hold as much water as possible
  • 11 species unique to Madagascar
  • closely related to cacti
  • traps prey (insects) in the cavity of their cup
  • one of Madagascar's most famous orchids

Aye-Aye

  • nocturnal lemur
  • feeds on insect larvae that it finds by tapping on tree bark with its stick-like middle finger and once it hears movement it begins to gnaw away at the wood

Native Animals

Tomato Frog

Uroplatus Gecko

  • aka leaf-tailed gecko
  • relies on cryptic coloring as they sleep with their heads backward, flattened against tree trunk and changing their body color to match their surroundings
  • inactive at night
  • only moved when disturbed
  • at night they hunt insects
  • can release a sticky glue-like secretion that protects itself against Colubrid snakes, cats, and dogs
  • this substance can also cause an allergic reaction in humans

Cooperation

  • lemurs help spread seeds for plants
  • certain plants provide food for lemurs

Madagascar

Tropical

Rainforests

Competition

Climate

  • trees compete for sunlight

year-round rain

  • 63" - 133" annually

warm temperatures

  • 74° average
  • warmest in January
  • coldest in July

Deforestation

Logging has occurred for:

  • shifting cultivation
  • grazing
  • fuel wood gathering
  • economic development
  • precious woods
  • ebony, rosewood
  • beeswax, honey
  • timber for railroads
  • coffee fields
  • rice fields
  • cattle ranching
  • mining

111,000ha (1.5 per cent) per year between 1950 and 1985

  • Deforestation can reduce biodiversity.
  • 90% of Madagascar's endemic species live or heavily rely on the forest.
  • Many threatened species are supported by Madagascar's rainforests
  • Deforestation accounts for 35% of soil degradation.
  • Can lead to major soil erosion

Endangered Species

Endemic Species

Golden Bamboo Lemur

  • estimated 630 total individuals
  • less than 250 mature individuals
  • small family groups of around 2-6 individuals
  • adult male and female
  • offspring live with parents until 3 yrs old
  • 90% of their diet is comprised of bamboo
  • 138 day gestation period
  • consumes approximately 12 times the lethal dose of cyanide in comparable mammals daily
  • one birth per year, usually to a single offspring
  • habitat loss, bamboo harvest hunting

ecosystem role of Hapalemur aureus has not been studied

extinction could affect bamboo population

extinction could affect the distribution of cyanide

Actions in place

  • research, monitoring, planning
  • Conservation sites identified
  • Education included in international legislation

The

Fossa

They are classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List

Greatest impact on fossas is habitat loss

Prey on lemurs, so as more of the fossas die, the more the lemur population increases

Madagascar's Largest Carnivorous Mammal

Individuals are trying to spread awareness to the indigenous people

If the fossa goes extinct another animal will have to rise to the top of the chain

Habitat loss causes challenges for big predators that require large spaces to hunt

Dwindling forests have also pushed fossas into Malagasy villages to look for poultry

They are seen as pests and are sometimes attacked by villagers

Climate Change

  • directly threatens the survival of the island nation’s unique terrestrial and marine biodiversity
  • Changing rainfall patterns will strongly impact the rainforests of Madagascar
  • It has already shown an impact in survival rates of certain species of lemurs
  • Sea-level rise and increased storms threaten coastal communities, coastal mangrove, and wetland areas with flooding and erosion
  • Conservation International and the World Wildlife Fund partnered in 2007 and 2008 to assess the expected impacts of climate change on the marine and terrestrial environments in Madagascar

Hypophthalmichthys

Molitrix

aka Silver Carp

Invasive

Species

  • can potentially reduce native diversity by depleting zooplankton populations
  • native to Asia
  • been introduced around the world to control excessive growth of phytoplankton in natural waters
  • Competes with native fish for food
  • been found to carry and transmit diseases
  • Euglandina rosea
  • A.K.A. cannibal snail
  • native to the southeastern United States
  • Introduced in 1962 as a biological control for the giant African snail
  • carnivorous

Rosy Wolf Snail

  • threaten local snail populations
  • no significant evidence that they are effective against giant African snails

Acacia Mearnsii

  • Common name: black wattle
  • native to Australia
  • fast growing tree
  • threatens native habitats by competing with indigenous vegetation, reducing native biodiversity, and replacing grass communities

Sources

Andriaholinirina, N, A Baden, M Blanco, L Chikhi, and A Cooke. "Hapalemur aureus." The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN, 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.

Cowie, Robert H. "Euglandina rosea (mollusc)." Global Invasive Species Database. Invasive Species Specialist Group, 17 Feb. 2010. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.

"Golden Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur aureus)." EDGE of Existence. Ed. James Sanford, Alasdair Davies, and Tyler Tryse. Zoological Society of London, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.

Kowalsky, Dana. "Hapalemur aureus; golden bamboo lemur." Animal Diversity Web. Ed. Phil Myers, Tricia Jones, Roger Espinosa, Tanya Dewey, and George Hammond. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.

"The Real Animals of Madagascar." wildmadagascar.org. N.p., 2005. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.

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