Lemurs in Madagascar Essay example

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Associate Level Material

Lemurs in Madagascar Assignment

View the “Lemurs in Madagascar – Surviving on an Island of Change” video.

Using the information found in this video, and in Ch. 5 and 6 of Visualizing Environmental Science, answer the following questions in 25 to 100 words each.

1. What are Madagascar’s biomes? Discuss the major features of at least one of these biomes. Use the textbook for biome examples.
The biome of Madagascar is a tropical rainforest. The first layer is the top of trees. The second layer is where you find lots of leaves that block most of the sunlight. The last layer is the ground of the forest.

2. What changes happening in Madagascar are posing challenges for lemurs? Give details about the sources, time scale, and types of change.
Human destruction, such as logging, is happening at a much faster pace than evolutionary change. The amount of change occurring in Madagascar as a result of human activities is happening at such a rapid pace, in fact, that the environment and evolutionary process just can’t cope.

3. Which types of lemurs are adapting to the changes? Which types of lemurs are not adapting well? Why?
The types of lemurs adapting to changes are the ones who are able to adapt well to secondary habitats (habitats altered by humans). One example is the ring-tailed lemur. They are incredibly adaptable. Lemurs who cannot adapt well to secondary habitats are the ones who are in greater danger.

4. What behavioral and physical traits are being favored in lemurs in the changing Madagascar environment?
Behavorial and physical traits being favored include consideration of what types of substances the lemurs rely on. For example taking into consideration which fruits and plants they rely on is a behavior that is being favored because conservationists need to know which fruit and plants need to be