University of Toronto

University of Toronto: Tropical Research in Edge Effects (TREE)

What We Do

The longitudinal research objective that we pursue is to integrate evolutionary ecology and conservation biogeography to model primate responses to anthropogenic disturbances. The specific aim of our research program is to determine how forest loss, forest fragmentation, and forest edges influence the lemur ecology in Madagascar.

A coquerel’s sifaka in Ankarafantsika National Park in Madagascar. Photo: Lynne Venart.

What Lemur Species We Study

Most of our research is in the tropical dry forests in and around Ankarafantsika National Park in north-west Madagascar, where we study:

• Coquerel’s sifaka (Propithecus coquereli)
• Grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus)
• Golden-brown mouse lemur (Microcebus ravelobensis)
• Common brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus fulvus)
• Mongoose lemur (Eulemur mongoz)