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Research Overview
2. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
the project | research
objectives | methods | application
of results
Our research project consists of trapping surveys
of carnivore populations to accurately assess their current distribution, abundance, and genetic variability
within Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar, while giving particular concentration to examining the
behavioral and conservation ecology of the fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox).
The specific primary objectives of this research are
to:
- Conduct trapping surveys to further locate and
identify the carnivore populations and trends in the Ampijoroa Research Station area of Ankarafantsika
National Park, collect anatomical data on each species of carnivore at this site, and to collect carnivore
scat samples for analysis of diet composition/contents;
- Establish baseline indices or indicative measures
of relative abundance of Cryptoprocta ferox and additional carnivore populations in the dry,
deciduous forests of Ankarafantsika;
- Track captured fossa and wildcats using radiotelemetry
to determine their home ranges and activity patterns;
- Conduct extensive groundtruthing studies for ongoing
remote sensing projects examining trends in fossa habitat;
- Continue conservation, development, and capacity
building projects in & around Ankarafantsika.
The secondary, long-term objectives of this project
involve the assemblage of a larger data set from sites throughout Madagascar to be incorporated into a
larger, long-term, island-wide project. The secondary objectives of this project are:
- Examinations of the effects of habitat fragmentation
on carnivore populations throughout Madagascar;
- Examinations of niche separation within and among
Malagasy carnivore populations;
- Examinations of the ecological correlates to the
behavior of the Malagasy carnivores within (seasonally) and between research sites;
- Population genetic examinations of the variability
within and between populations throughout Madagascar. This work, in part, may facilitate evaluations
of the systematics (scientific classification) of the Malagasy carnivores;
- Examining the impact of invasive carnivore species
upon the behavior, ecology, and conservation of the region’s endemic species;
- Examination of remaining carnivore habitat using
remote sensing techniques for the purpose of setting country-wide conservation priorities;
- Development of an objective assessment of the
long-term conservation status and trends of forests/protected areas throughout Madagascar via analysis
of rates of deforestation / loss of forest cover over time as depicted in satellite images;
- Assessment of disease threats to the overall health
of endemic forest species, via direct epidemiological testing and examination of several animal species
that may serve as a reservoir or vector for disease or parasites.
the
project | research objectives | methods
| application of results
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