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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?
~ Human activities have fundamentally altered the natural flow of water and natural hydrological and bioechemical cycles may change the types of organisms.

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