Understanding where species are, why that is, and how this might change is essential for reliable conservation planning. Species distribution models (SDMs) are one way of approaching this. SDMs combine occurrence data (i.e. where we have observed an individual animal) with environmental data (e.g. climate, topography, land cover, vegetation properties, and proximity to forest edge) to construct and validate a statistical model that will tell you the probability of a particular species occurring in a given location in your study landscape and give you a habitat suitability map for each species. Students will have access to our extensive lemur monitoring data, as well as actively contribute to data collection on surveys throughout the field season alongside the science teams. SDMs (using, e.g. Maxent or generalised linear modelling) can then be produced for each species and sub-analyses conducted for different families or genera, for example. Overall, this will give you a detailed view of landscape-scale species distribution patterns. The maps produced provide invaluable communication tools to inform conservation efforts in our study area.
If you would like to do a dissertation or thesis with us but your university hasn’t started dissertation planning or the project selection process, that’s no problem. You can cancel your expedition with zero cancellation charges up until the 15th of April of if you provide documentation from your university saying that they won’t support completing a dissertation project with us.
Madagascar has less than 5% of its land designated as Strict Nature Reserves, National Parks, Wildlife Reserves or Wildlife Corridors, and even some of this land is already severely degraded. So the actual area of land under protection is much smaller. An alternative approach to assigning protected area status and prohibiting usage is to develop community managed areas such as Mahamavo, where there is a mosaic of protected and managed areas. DTZ, the German Technical Support Agency, has established a series of community managed forests in the Mahamavo area that appear to be successful and may form the basis for conservation and improving livelihoods in other parts of Madagascar. The Opwall teams here are monitoring how the forest structure and biodiversity in these community managed forests are changing over time to identify whether this management strategy can provide a viable alternative to formal protected areas in terms of protecting biodiversity. The dry forests around Mahamavo have exceptional diversity with two species of diurnal lemur and another five to six species of nocturnal lemurs, two spectacular species of chameleons, three known species of leaf-tailed geckos, and many endemic birds. In addition to the forest work, the Opwall teams are also carrying out long term monitoring surveys in the adjacent wetlands, which have recently been given Ramsar status (a Ramsar Site is a wetland site designated of international importance under the Ramsar Convention).
Most of our volunteers fundraise for their expedition costs. Find out more.
Climate
In Madagascar it is the dry season so it is hot during the day (temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius) with extremely little chance of rain. During the evenings the temperature does drop to around 18 degrees Celsius with occasional cold spells getting as low as 14 degrees Celsius.
Fitness level required
Moderate. This project does not require walking long distances but if you wish to part-take in other surveys they can be long distances, and although the terrain is relatively flat you will be walking mostly on sand.
Creature comforts
Facilities are basic (tents, bucket showers, long drop toilets). The site has no phone signal or wifi.
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