Case Studies
By: Chandana, Shri, Chandler & Sruti
MADAGASCAR
Ploughshare Tortoise: Critically Endangered
- Scientific Name: Astrochelys yniphora
- Common Name: Ploughshare Tortoise or Madagascar Tortoise
- Species habitat (Location(s): The Ploughshare Tortoise lives around Baly bay on the northwestern side of Madagascar.
- Species ecological roles (niche): Herbivore. Also hunted by the African bushpig. The bushpigs will eat their eggs and young tortoises.
- Value (ecological, socio-political, economic, intrinsic/aesthetic): There are no known negative economic impacts for humans but they do have positive impacts such as human consumption (although now illegal upon because of their endangerment).
- Causes for extinction or endangerment (Ecological, socio-political, economic): Humans hunt the tortoises and cause bushfires, which also wipes the tortoises out. Because it takes the tortoises a while to mature and reproduce, it takes a long time for the population to grow. They grow by about 1% each year.
- Consequences of the loss of the species (Ecological, socio-political, economic): There is a type of tick called a Amblyoma geochelone, also an endangered species, and the Ploughshare Tortoise is its host. Also, the tortoises are important in dispersing the seeds of the fruits they eat.
- Rate of loss (is possible): N/A
- Works Cited (MLA or APA format): "Madagascar." WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 05 Jan. 2015. Fishbeck, Lisa. "Astrochelys Yniphora (Madagascan (Plowshare) Tortoise)." Animal Diversity Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Jan. 2015.
Giant Fossa: Extinct
- Scientific Name: Cryptoprocta spelea
- Common Name: Giant Fossa
- Species habitat (Location(s)): Madagascar, specifically Lakaton’ny Akanga in the far north near Antsiranana, along the western portion of Madagascar, south to numerous sites at the southern end of the island and central highlands at Antsirabe
- Species ecological roles (niche): carnivore, predator, preyed on lemurs
- Value (ecological, socio-political, economic, intrinsic/aesthetic): ecologically they helped control the prey populations from becoming overpopulated
- Causes for extinction or endangerment (Ecological, socio-political, economic): cause is not known but it is believed that deforestation could have caused this species to become extinct, some also believe that the decrease in large lemur populations (which the fossa ate) could have caused it to become extinct
- Consequences of the loss of the species (Ecological, socio-political, economic): It helped lemurs from overpopulating, with it gone large lemurs are more likely to become overpopulated as their predator has now become extinct, the lemurs increasing can cause lots of ecological imbalance in Madagascar
- Rate of loss (is possible): N/A
- Work Cited (MLA or APA Format): "Cryptoprocta Spelea." (Giant Fossa). Web. 7 Jan. 2015. ."EDGE of Existence." EDGE of Existence. Web. 7 Jan. 2015. <http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?id=537>.
Brown Lemur: Sonservation Status has been Improved by Intervention
- Scientific Name: Eulemur fulvus
- Common Name: Brown Lemur
- Species habitat (Location(s)): east-central rainforest habitats north of the Mangoro River, as well as two distinct populations in north-west dry deciduous forests of Madagascar
- Species ecological roles (niche): secondary level consumer omnivore. Preys on producers and small invertebrates
- Value (ecological, socio-political, economic, intrinsic/aesthetic): pollinators, seed dispersal, and insect control.
- Causes for extinction or endangerment (Ecological, socio-political, economic): habitat loss due to slash and burn agriculture and hunting.
- Consequences of the loss of the species (Ecological, socio-political, economic): decreased seed dispersal, insect control, and pollination as these lemurs are omnivores
- Rate of loss (is possible): N/A
- Works Cited (MLA or APA format):
Tag Archive. (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2015, from https://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/tag/fulvus
Works Cited:. (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2015, from http://www.lemurreserve.org/brownlemur.html