Even though the only lemurs in the United States are in zoos, an Ohio University professor hopes her research will protect the endangered and exotic primates living halfway across the world.
Nancy Stevens, an assistant professor of functional morphology in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, travels to Madagascar, an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, to study the adaptation of these native creatures to a shrinking habitat. -
it's impossible not to be touched by the place she said. The animals are found no place else in the world.
Studying the locomotion ' the mechanics underlying movement ' of lemurs occupying a region plagued by natural disasters and the encroachment of humans, Stevens aims to put her research to practical use in
conservation efforts.
Exploring the sequence and timing of lemur movements in an environment that forces them to travel greater distances for food because of disappearing forests benefits conservation and gives further knowledge of adaptation, Stevens said.
The ongoing question for Stevens, who was last in Africa for a 2006 primate symposium, is how to transfer sophisticated laboratory methods for understanding movement patterns to the areas in which the animals actually live.
Stevens' focus on the practical application of her research opened up in her first year of graduate school after meeting Jonah Ratsimbazafy, a native of Madagascar who has since established himself as a preeminent lemur expert on the forefront of conservation efforts. Ratsimbazafy, who spearheaded the creation of a national forest in southeastern Madagascar, recently visited Athens to meet with students and faculty in OU's African Studies Program.
The goal for Stevens and Ratsimbazafy is simple: preventing the extinction of native lemurs. The strategy is to involve one of the major sources of habitat encroachment in the conservation of critically endangered species.
Lemurs inhabit the forests of Madagascar, an area that is home to 75 percent of the human population and a major resource base, Ratsimbazafy said.
The forest is the grocery store Stevens said.
Convincing people without adequate food, health care and education of the importance of local wildlife is the greatest obstacle, Ratsimbazafy said. -
Ratsimbazafy said.
The lemur plays an invaluable role in forest regeneration as a seed disperser, he said.
Once the fertile ground ' a riot of plant life bursting from rich soil ' is laid barren by de-forestation, complete renewal is extremely difficult, Stevens said. -
Ratsimbazafy said.-
but at the same time the long-term success of that entire community depends on having a forest there so that perhaps one day there can be eco-tourism
Stevens said. Once those trees are gone they're gone.
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