FIELDWORK
My field research program is based in Madagascar, and is currently
concentrated primarily throughout Madagascar's southeastern rainforest corridor.
MANGEVO, RANOMAFANA NATIONAL PARK (S21° 22' 22.8" E047 26' 59.1")
Mangevo - established in 2005 - is home to the Ranomafana Ruffed Lemur Project (RRLP), a project that has monitored ruffed lemur demography, life history, and behavior for more than 10 years. The site, comprising a bush camp situated within low-to-mid altitude primary forest in Ranomafana National Park, is located ~20 - 25 km from the village of Morafeno, a 20 km drive from the ValBio Research Station and the main entrance to RNP.
Our research team includes six research technicians - some who have been with the project since 2005 - two cooks, and several volunteer field assistants. Technicians are trained in behavioral sampling, botanical sampling and phenological monitoring, biological sample collection and processing, GPS, and radio-telemetry. We are currently monitoring the health, population genetics, behavior, and reproductive physiology of two ruffed lemur communities. Our collaborator and long-time friend and supporter, Dr. Randy Junge (Columbus Zoo) facilitates annual capture seasons to re-collar and sample individuals from throughout the communities. We have also just begun a collaboration (Aug 2018) with wildlife disease expert, Dr. Fidisoa Rasambainarivo (Mahaliana).
LAHITSARA
Jean Pierre
- Team 1: Behavior
RAZAFINDRAIBE
Faustin Jean Guy
- Team 1: Botany/GPS
RAKOTONJATOVA
Justin ("Tovo")
- Team 2: Behavior
TOMBOTIANA
Aimé Victor ("Tombo")
- Team 2: Botany/GPS
Leroa
- Tracker
Velomaro
- Tracker
Laza
- Cook
Heritiana
- Cook
Dr. Randy Junge, DVM
- Collaborator,
Columbus Zoo
Alicia Bonilla Alcácer, MA
- Project Manager,
Jan 2020-present
VATOHARANANA, RANOMAFANA NATIONAL PARK (S21° 14' 90.0" S047 25' 26.6")
As with Mangevo, Vatoharanana (Vato) study site is situated within Ranomafana National Park. This site is located approximate 6 kilometers south of the park entrance at approximately 1,200m altitude. Although this site was selectively logged until the 1980s (approximately 1,000 trees were removed; Balko, 1998), it has been characterized as continuous primary forest with steep mountain slopes, low tree diversity and density, a continuous canopy, and trees large in dbh, height, and crown volume (Tecot 2008). Vato is home to the Ranomafana Red-Bellied Lemur Project led by Rachel Jacobs and Stacey Tecot and is where Dr. Tecot and I are conducting our ongoing work examining the molecular and endocrinological underpinnings of red-bellied lemur allomaternal care.
Research conducted at both Mangevo & Vato sites is facilitated by Centre ValBio Research Station.