...Lemurs in Madagascar SCI/ 275 March 16, 2014 Lemurs in Madagascar 1.) What are Madagascar’s biomes? Discuss the latest features of at least one of these biomes. Using the world’s terrestrial map in Wiley Plus, Madagascar’s biomes includes; tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest, and desert. Madagascar is largely made up of the tropical rain forest biome. Its features include warm weather throughout the year with rainfall occurring almost daily. In the rainforest, human population growth and industrial expansion threatens its survival. 2.) What changes happening in Madagascar are posing challenges for lemurs? Provide details about the sources, time scale, and type of change. The changes that are happening in Madagascar that poses a challenge for lemurs, are the rapid environmental changes caused by humans. Deforestation of the rain forest disrupts the eco- system. As a result, the changes are occurring at a rapid pace, faster than the resources can replenish themselves. 3.) Which types of lemurs are adapting to the changes? Which types of lemurs are not adapting well? Why? The type of lemur that is adapting to change is the ring- tailed lemur. The ring- tailed lemur is able to adjust because of its ability to adjust to secondary habitats. On the hand, bamboo lemurs are not adjusting well to the changes. They thrive on eating the bamboo found in the forest. Once the bamboo are depleted, they will not be able to survive. 4.) What behavioral...
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...Lemurs in Madagascar: 1. What are Madagascar’s biomes? Discuss the major features of at least one of these biomes. ~ The major features of these biomes is that they are wet, warm, and have high levels of biodiversity. The rainforest has four different layers. (Forest floor, understory layer, canopy layer and emergent layer) 2. What changes happening in Madagascar are posing challenges for lemurs? Give details about the sources, time scale, and types of changes. ~ The biggest change in Madagascar is the deforestation of the rain forest. It disrupts the eco-system, its home, and the food supply. 3. Which type of lemur are adapting to the changes? Which type of lemurs are not adapting well? Why? ~The bamboo lemur is the type of lemur that is not adapting very easy to the changes. The ring tailed lemur seems to be adapting well because it has the ability to adapt better. 4. What behavioral and physical traits are being favored in lemurs in the changing Madagascar environment? ~Some behavioral and physical traits that are being favored are their small bodies, long noses, and large eyes. 5. Why might lemurs not evolve to adapt to the changes in Madagascar? ~They won’t adapt because of the deforestation of the rainforest. Deforestation occurs at a rate of just under 1 percent a year. 16 species of lemurs have disappeared since humans arrived. They are threatened by distinction today. 6. Which biochemical cycles may be altered by anthropogenic activities on Madagascar, and how...
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...in the world is Madagascar. This unique country has a huge range of biodiversity. The history of Madagascar is unlike any other and this island has a very distinct culture as well. The clothes the men and women wear, the food eaten, and the holidays celebrated differ from other countries. Everything from education to household duties differ from those in America. Lastly, the globalization of Madagascar is both harming and helping the culture. Deforestation and loss of natural resources are harming this country. However, trading and mining is helping Madagascar become a better country. As all countries, Madagascar has a unique history and culture. Until around 800 or 900 A.D. Madagascar wasn’t even discovered until...
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...Madagascar Rainforest Madagascar, located approximately 400 kilometers east of Africa is the world's fourth largest island. Because of its isolation it is occupied by some of the most unusual and rare species of plants and animals on earth. Madagascar was at one time formerly an independent kingdom; became a French colony in 1896 and regained independence in 1960. During 1992-93, free presidential and National Assembly elections were held ending 17 years of single-party rule(Science 1990). The main historical problem with international trade has been the correlated destruction of the environment. This is especially true when it comes to the issue of deforestation. In Madagascar, (Economic Geography, 1993) people have been cutting down the forests for decades. Throughout the past century, much of the rainforests of Madagascar have disappeared. People have begun moving out of the cities, industries have started to expand, and the use of land for farming (particularly coffee) has dramatically increased. All of these phenomenons have led to the destruction of the forest of Madagascar. Many plants and animal species have been severely endangered due to the deforestation (New Scientist 1990). With a current population near 14 million and growing at roughly 3% yearly combined with a per capita income of $230 per year, the major threats to the remaining forest are driven by subsistence needs and cutting for fuel. This has become a major issue, not only because of the value...
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...Since the island of Madagascar has always been of great interest to me because of its exclusivity and biodiversity I was drawn to the vignette in Chapter 9. The fourth largest island in the world, situated in the Indian Ocean; Madagascar is home to an extraordinary variety of plants an animal species. As the text states, 85% of plant species and 90% of animal species are endemic to the island. Home to 21 million people, Madagascar’s numerous ethnic and religious groups only embellish the nation’s vivid diversity. We must take into account the islands geographic history to understand its biodiversity today. Madagascar was stuck between what we now know as Africa and South America and what we now know as India on the Gondwanaland supercontinent....
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...In the Merriam-Webster dictionary deforestation is defined as “the action or process of clearing of forests; also: the state of having been cleared of forests.” Deforestation is a growing problem on the planet Earth. It takes away homes for thousands of species each year and it is becoming another problem for global warming. There are many reasons why this occurs throughout the lifetime of man. Whether it is naturally, agriculturally based or timber/lumber working, all of these factors are a major reason why the forests on the Earth are slowly diminishing. Deforestation is big in the Amazon that is mainly located in Brazil, the Congo Basin that is mainly located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and on the island of Madagascar. One reason why deforestation is occurring is just based on natural causes, such as forest fires that at times are useful but other times become a problem when the happen in the wrong areas, droughts that are never good because it causes plants and animals to lose their food sources and eventually vanish. The second mainly occurs when farmers next to the forests cut down acres of trees to get more land for them to grow their crops and feed their farm animals. They usually do this because their soil will become dry and will not be useful any longer, so they chop down some trees from the forest area so that they can use the soil in there. The third big problem of why this occurs is because of lumber companies that illegally cut more wood that they are...
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...will discuss deforestation across the globe and how it affects the world’s ecosystems. Everyday, a piece of Earth’s ecosystem is demolished by human hands for the conquest for timber, minerals, and other resources. Forests cover 2% of the Earth’s surface, 6% of the landmass, and yet they house half the animal and plant species while rainforests cover twice that area. Deforestation is occurring across the globe on a scale that if it were continue at its present rate the forests could disappear within the next one to two hundred years. This raises concerns and questions. First, why should we be concerned? Second, what kind of damage could deforestation lead to animal and plant species, human existence, and to mother Earth and its atmosphere? Third, how and why the rainforests benefit the human race. To answer these questions, this paper will discuss where the most deforestation is occurring and the consequences of deforestation. Tropical rainforests are defined by two primary factors: location and amount of rainfall they receive. Rainforests receive from 4 to 8 meters of rain a year. Most of the rainfall is blocked by heavy vegetation, and water reaches the forest floor by rolling down branches and trunks. A distinctive characteristic is that the rainforests have no seasonality or no dry or cold season of slower growth. In addition, they are the Earth’s oldest living ecosystems. The rainforests are a priceless part of mother earth and their removal through deforestation would mean...
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...Deforestation Environmental Science SCI-204 iLab 1 People relay on products from rainforest everyday and never realize it. Today, people around the world use woods that come from rainforest for products like desk, flooring, instruments, and many other products made from exotic woods. “Tropical forests yield some of the most beautiful and valuable woods in the world, such as teak, mahogany, rosewood, balsa, sandalwood and countless lesser-known species.” (Rainforest Alliance, 2014) Many medications are made up from plants and trees that are only found in rainforest. “Some 120 prescription drugs sold worldwide today are derived directly from rainforest plants.” (Talk, 2014) Many food products come from rainforest. Things like coffee beans, bananas, nuts, chocolate, and spices all can be found in the rainforest. “At least 3000 fruits are found in the rainforests; of these only 200 are now in use in the Western World.” (Taylor, 2012) Another product people use everyday is oxygen. The Amazon produces more than 20% of the world’s oxygen. “The Amazon Rainforest has been described as the "Lungs of our Planet" because it provides the essential environmental world service of continuously recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen.” (Taylor, 2012) The next time you inhale, and fill your lungs with life giving oxygen be thankful to the rainforest. The rainforest has helped the world with many products, and all of them are important to everyday life. When you go to your local coffee...
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...CONRAD P. KOTTAK Department of Anthropology University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109 The New Ecological Anthropology Older ecologies have been remiss in the narrowness of their spatial and temporal horizons, their functionalist assumptions, and their apolitical character. Suspending functionalist assumptions and an emphasis upon (homeo)stasis, "the new ecological anthropology" is located at the intersection of global, national, regional, and local systems, studying the outcome of the interaction of multiple levels and multiple factors. It blends theoretical and empirical research with applied, policy-directed, and critical work in what Rappaport called an "engaged" anthropology; and it is otherwise attuned to the political aspects and implications of ecological processes. Carefully laying out a critique of previous ecologies by way of announcing newer approaches, the article insists on the need to recognize the importance of culture mediations in ecological processes rather than treating culture as epiphenomenal and as a mere adaptive tool. It closes with a discussion of the methodologies appropriate to the new ecological anthropology. / "the new ecology, " political ecology, applied or engaged anthropology, linkages methodology] cological anthropology was named as such during the 1960s, but it has many ancestors, including Daryll Forde, Alfred Kroeber, and, especially, Julian Steward. Steward's cultural ecology influenced the ecological anthropology of Roy Rappaport...
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...oftropical rainforest in the world. The majority of the forest is contained within Brazil, with 60% of the rainforest, followed by Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, and with minor amounts in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. States or departments in four nations contain "Amazonas" in their names. Besides short term rubber exploitation of the Amazon rainforest in the early 20th century, the Amazon was largerly ignored in terms of economic development and deforestation until the 1960s. In the nine years from 1991 to 2000, the total area of Amazon Rainforest cleared rose from 415,000 to 587,000 km²; comparable to the size of Spain or Madagascar. Most of this lost forest has been replaced with pasture for cattle. Before 1970, the estimated remaining forest cover of the Amazon was around 4,100,000, in 2011 it was around 3,354,711. Even though the level of deforestation in 2011 decreased, the Amazon is still being deforested at a rapid rate. The main causes of deforestation of the Amazon are: * Creating huge cattle ranches * Creating soybean farms * Exploiting mineral deposits * Using wood as a fuel * Using wood for furniture and paper manifacture * Building roads * Providing land for urban and industrial uses Tropical rainforests have been proven to have a a very high material value, that has yet not even been explored properly. The main would be the abundance of various species. Rainforests are known as the most biodiverse...
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...president, Hery Rajaonarimampianina I am writing to you with a report on the best development strategy for Madagascar. Here are some statistics what's been going on for Madagascar. You might be surprised! As Madagascar’s GDP per capita for 2017 was $ 1,600 and the unemployment rate was only 2%, but that’s most likely because many people are working in the informal sector. There are 71% of the population living below the poverty line. The life expectancy for males is 65 years and for females 68 years. The literacy definition age 15 and over who can read and write and the percentage for males is 67% and for females is 62%. The young age structure age 0-14 is 39.87%, 15-24 is 20.34%, 25-54 is 32.12%, 55-64 is 4.38% and age 65 and over is 3.3%. Some major exports are coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, and cotton cloth. Madagascar’s exports partners are France for 23.5% and the USA for 12.8%. Some imports are capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods and food....
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...Executive Summary Why are the rainforests so important to human and animal life? Scientists believe the rainforest are considered the “world’s lungs” and actually eliminates CO2 from the atmosphere and provides oxygen for every living creature. In addition, pharmaceutical companies are realizing the importance of the discovery of anti-cancer drugs that are only found in plants in the rainforest. We are not thinking of the consequences that deforestation of the rainforest will have on the Earth. We need to stop the deforestation and the destruction of the rainforest before it is too late. It is said that Mother Earth has given many responsibilities to the trees. Without the trees in the rainforest, it could have global implications not just on life but the quality of life to all living things. Trees in the rainforest improve the quality of the oxygen that all creatures breathe by trapping carbon and other particles produced by pollution. Trees also determine rainfall and replenish the atmosphere. As more water is able to be put back in the atmosphere, clouds form and provide another way to block out the sun’s heat. Trees are what cool and regulate the earth’s climate in conjunction with other such valuable services as preventing erosion, landslides, and making the most infertile soil rich with life (Connor, 2009). To be considered a rainforest, the forest must get at least 80 inches of rain per year. Most tropical rainforests get anywhere from 160 to 400 inches of rain...
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...0061058429 Scott Morgan Sisal Production in Madagascar Sisal is a plant that yields a very desirable fibre that has been excesiively harvested from the 1960s for its use in rope, twine, paper, carpets and several other uses. Like all markets, sisal production must be considered in terms of its social, economic and environmental impacts. Sisal production started in Brazil, and production there has only increased, accounting for 47.0% of world production. Plantations have spread, however, to Tanzania (15.3%), China (14.1%), Kenya (11.5%), and Madagascar (3.8%). To extract the fiber used in production, the leaves are crushed and pulped, the fibre the being extracted and washed. Further beating and pulping is undertaken to ensure the sisal fibre is a light and workable material. This involved process means that there is much manpower required for the growing and treatment of the sisal plant. This involved process means there is plenty of job oppurtunites for those in Madagascar, even being able to utilise the unskilled labourers to farm the plantations, primarily in the South and South-east areas of Madagascar. Currently, agriculture in Madagascar gives employment to 75% of the population, and as poverty in Madagascar is very high, this helps increase the standard of living of many by providing jobs. Workers on sisal plantations are currently not earning enough to live on and provide for their families. Integrated Regional Information Networks Africa (IRIN Africa) state that...
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...PHILIPPINE BIODIVERSITY Deforestation Deforestation, clearance or clearing is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a non-forest use.[1] Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use. The term deforestation is often misused to describe any activity where all trees in an area are removed.[not in citation given][neutrality is disputed] However in temperate climates, the removal of all trees in an area[not in citation given]—in conformance with sustainable forestry practices—is correctly described as regeneration harvest.[2] In temperate mesic climates, natural regeneration of forest stands often will not occur in the absence of disturbance, whether natural or anthropogenic.[3] Furthermore, biodiversity after regeneration harvest often mimics that found after natural disturbance, including biodiversity loss after naturally occurring rainforest destruction.[4][5] Deforestation occurs for many reasons: trees are cut down to be used or sold as fuel (sometimes in the form of charcoal) or timber, while cleared land is used as pasture for livestock, plantations of commodities and settlements. The removal of trees without sufficient reforestation has resulted in damage to habitat, biodiversity loss and aridity. It has adverse impacts on biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Deforestation has also been used in war to deprive the enemy of cover for its forces and...
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...infectious chytrid fungus is proving fatal to an ever-increasing number of amphibians throughout the world. Over 75 percent of hellbender deaths that occurred in the St. Louis Zoo’s captive population from March 2006 through April 2007 were due to this disease. This prompted the testing of Missouri’s wild Ozark hellbenders, and they found that 100% of the population was infected. Global endangered species: Panamanian Golden frog ((Atelopus zeteki), Considered lucky by the Panamanians, A. zeteki was first listed under the ESA in 1976. It too is undergoing a rapid decline through human interventions. Factors affecting A. zeteki include illegal collecting for the pet trade as well as legal collecting for hotels and Zoos. Deforestations as well as stream sedimentation from logging and local farming. And then you add insult to injury again. The chytrid fungal problem that affects the hellbenders in the...
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