Biodiversity Research Seminar Series (BRS)
BRS Onja Razafindratsima: Plants on the move: influence of lemur behavior on seed dispersal patterns
November 22, 2023, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Zoom recording:
Passcode: this recording is only available to members of the Biodiversity Research Centre. Please contact Katie Beall for the passcode
host: Juli Carrillo & iBios
Title: Plants on the move: influence of lemur behavior on seed dispersal patterns
Bio: Dr. Onja Razafindratsima is an ecologist currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of California Berkeley. She completed her Ph.D. at Rice University in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and her undergraduate and Master studies in Animal Biology, Ecology and Conservation at the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar. Before joining UC Berkeley, she held several academic positions, including as a Hrdy Fellow in Conservation at Harvard University. Her research interests span a wide range of topics in tropical ecology and conservation, focusing on lemurs and rainforests in Madagascar.
Abstract: This talk will provide an overview of the roles and impacts of lemur frugivores on plant population dynamics and community structure in biodiverse rainforests in Madagascar, where a majority of plants have traits adapted for seed dispersal by animals and highly diverse plant communities are relying on a limited set of frugivore generalist taxa for seed dispersal services. It will also highlight the consequences of frugivore loss on ecosystem health.