Habitatfragmentierung und Naturschutz

Drittmittelprojekt: Houston Zoo, United States DAAD (reinvitation fellowship to RR), 2.364 EUR

Kliniken/Institute:
Institut für Zoologie

Projektdetails:
The aims of this project are to: determine the limits of the distribution M. gerpi by sampling captured mouse lemurs at varying distances from Sahafina; we use molecular methods to confirm the taxonomic status of all captured mouse lemurs in the study region; determine the sensitivity of M. gerpi to habitat degradation; and based on these findings, formulate recommendations for this species' effective conservation. The chief outcomes of the project will be 1) clarification of the distribution of M. gerpi, and 2) formulation of a conservation action plan for M. gerpi, which will be used to update its IUCN status, and which will be enacted through separately-funded conservation activities including community outreach.

Resultate:

Rakotondravony, R.; Schüßler, D.; Rovanirina, V.S.R.; Ratsimbazafy, J.; Radespiel, U. (2023): Variation in abundance and habitat use of the Critically Endangered Microcebus gerpi across its fragmented range. Am. J. Primatol., 85(11), e23553. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23553

Van Elst, T.; Schüßler, D.; Rakotondravony, D.; Rovanirina, V.S.T.; Veillet, A.; Hohenlohe, P.A.; Ratsimbazafy, J.H.; Rasoloarison, R.M.; Rasoloharijaona, S.; Randrianambinina, B.; Ramilison, M.L.; Yoder, A.D.; Louis, E.E. Jr.; Radespiel, U. (2023): Diversification processes in Gerp's mouse lemur demonstrate the importance of rivers and altitude as biogeographic barriers in Madagascar's humid rainforests. Ecol. Evol., 13: e10254. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10254

Kooperationspartner:

Prof. Dr. Jonah Ratsinbazafy, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar

Dr. Romule Rakotondravony, Universitity of Mahajanga, Madagascar GERP (Groupe d´étude et de recherches sur les primates de Madagascar)

Drittmittelprojekt: BMBF - DLR Projektträger, Teilprojekt aus dem BIODIVERSA Programm der EU, 301.195 EUR

Kliniken/Institute:
Institut für Zoologie

Projektdetails:
The global biodiversity crisis that is affecting ecosystems worldwide is a major subject of concern and is expected to worsen with ongoing global changes. Climate change together with other anthropogenic factors will lead to the displacement of many favorable environments in the next decades owing to fast altitudinal and latitudinal shifts, with greatest predicted impacts in biodiversity hotspots. These shifts will lead to an increase in Habitat Loss and Fragmentation (HL&F), the main threats to Biodiversity worldwide. There is therefore a need to understand the consequences of HL&F, and to identify the barriers to gene flow at various spatial and temporal scales. We study HL&F in the context of past and future environmental changes, across taxa and regions. We use Madagascar as a model region and use comparative genomic analyses to infer generalizable critical features of ecological networks across various taxonomic and spatial scales. In particular, we identify barriers to gene flow based on genomic datasets and study the effects of forest fragmentation on the vegetation, and the abundance and parasite load of two mouse lemur and two rodent species.

Resultate:

Mercado-Malabet, F.; Ramsay, M.S.; Chell, C.; Andriatsitohaina, B.; Radespiel, U.; Lehman, S.M. (2024). Where the small things are: Modelling edge effects on mouse lemur population density and distribution in northwestern Madagascar. Am. J. Primatol., 87, e23621. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23621.

 

Ramsay, M.S.; Sgarlata, G.; Barratt, C.D.; Salmona, J.; Andriatsitohaina, B.; Kiene, F.; Manzi, S.; Ramilison, M.L.; Rakotondravony, R.; Chikhi, L.; Lehman, S.M.; Radespiel, U. (2023): Effects of forest fragmentation on connectivity and genetic diversity in an endemic and an invasive rodent in northwestern Madagascar. Genes, 14(7), 1451. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14071451.

 

Kiene, F.; Springer, A.; Andriatsitohaina, B.; Ramsay, M.S.; Rakotondravony, R.; Strube, C.*; Radespiel, U.* (2023): Filarial infections in lemurs: Evidence for a wide geographical distribution and low host specificity among lemur species. Am. J. Primatol., 85(2), e23458. DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23458 (*: joint senior authors)

 

Kiene, F.; Antriatsitohaina B.; Ramsay, M.S.; Rakotondravony, R.; Strube, C.*; Radespiel, U.* (2021): Habitat fragmentation and vegetation structure impact gastrointestinal parasites of small mammalian hosts in Madagascar. Ecology and Evolution 11, 6766-6788. Doi: 10.1002/ece3.7526.

 

Andriatsitohaina, B.; Romero-Mujalli, D.; Ramsay, M.S.; Kiene, F.; Rasoloharijaona, S.; Rakotondravony, R.; Lehman, S.M.; Radespiel, U. (2020): Effects of habitat edges on vegetation structure and the vulnerable golden-brown mouse lemur (Microcebus ravelobensis) in northwestern Madagascar. BMC Ecology 20, 69. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12898-020-00337-z.

Kooperationspartner:

Dr. Lounès Chikhi, IGC, Oeiras, Portugal

Prof. Olivier Mazet, Universität Toulouse, Frankreich

Dr. Guillaume Besnard, Universität Toulouse, Frankreich

Dr. Jordi Salmona, Universität Toulouse, Frankreich

Prof. Shawn Lehman, Universität Toronto, Canada

Dr. Romule Rakotondravony, Universität Mahajanga, Madagaskar

Prof. Solofonirina Rasoloharijaona, Universität Mahajanga, Madagaskar

Travis Steffens, PhD, University of Guelph, Canada; Planet Madagascar

Drittmittelprojekt: DAAD-fellowship, external through collaborations

Kliniken/Institute:
Institut für Zoologie

Projektdetails:
The increasing fragmentation of tropical rain forests, due to anthropogenic landscape changes, is an increasing problem for the biodiversity in this ecosystem. Changes of natural habitats affect individuals of different species in a variety of ways. Therefore, the knowledge of the ecological plasticity and sensitivity of a wide range of species is essential for empirically supported conservation efforts and management. Compared to large mammals, our knowledge about how small mammals are affected by habitat fragmentation is in its infancy. The aim of this study is to assess to what extent forest fragmentation influences the genetic diversity and gene flow among populations of small mammals by means of new methods in conservation genetics. Several small mammal communities from forest fragments of different size will be assessed in composition as well as diversity, and the species-specific abundance as well as the genetic structure of various model species will be studied in detail. The thereby acquired knowledge will help to get a better understanding of specific threats posed to small mammal communities due to forest fragmentation.

Resultate:

Brunke, J.; Russo, I.-R.M.; Orozco-terWengel, P.; Zimmermann, E.; Bruford, M.W.; Goossens, B.; Radespiel, U. (2020): Dispersal and genetic structure of a tropical small mammal, the Bornean tree shrew (Tupaia longipes), in a fragmented landscape along the Kinabatangan River, Sabah, Malaysia. BMC Genetics, 21, 43. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12863-020-00849-z

 

Brunke, J.; Radespiel, U.; Russo, I.-R.; Bruford, M.W.; Goossens, B. (2019): Messing about on the river: The role of geographic barriers in shaping the genetic structure of Bornean small mammals in a fragmented landscape. Cons. Gen., 20, 691-704, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-019-01159-3.

Kooperationspartner:

Dr. Benoit Goossens, Danau Girang Field Center, Malaysia and Cardiff University, GB

Prof. Mike Bruford, Cardiff University, GB

Dr. Pablo Orozco-terWengel, Cardiff University, GB