INFRAGECO – BiodivERsA

Inference, Fragmentation, Genomics and Conservation

INFRAGECO Project

Welcome to the INFRAGECO – BiodivERsA project website.

The Inference, Fragmentation, Genomics and Conservation (INFRAGECO) project aims to predict the effects habitat loss and fragmentation have on wildlife at several temporal, geographical, and biological scales. We examine regional, populational, and family units in both historic and contemporary contexts. Our study regions are located in northern and north-western Madagascar. They include a variety of habitats as well as native and invasive species of plants (genera Noronhia and Psiadia) and animals (lemurs and rodents). Madagascar is particularly impacted by deforestation, so our findings will have a direct relation to preserving regional biodiversity.

INFRAGECO brings together scientists and collaborators from Portugal, Madagascar, Germany, and France. We use genomics to collect vast amounts of genetic information from samples obtained during field work. We also develop freely available methods and software which will hopefully be useful to other researchers also interested in conservation biology.

By working with Malagasy scholars, students, local communities, and conservation stakeholders, we participate in mutual knowledge sharing to the benefit of all parties involved. Our results should help inform conservation authorities such as Madagascar National Parks (MNP) or the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

New paper on the genetic and morphological diversity of mouse lemurs

December 10, 2019

A new paper by Gabriele Sgarlata and colleagues has just been released in the American Journal of Primatology on the genetic and morphological diversity of mouse lemurs in Northern Madagascar. Several years of sample collection across forests of Northern Madagascar, together with genetic data, allowed us to update the species distribution of several endangered mouse … More New paper on the genetic and morphological diversity of mouse lemurs

Final meeting of INFRAGECO – BiodivERsA project

December 5, 2019

Last week the INFRAGECO teams organized the last scheduled meeting of the project at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência – IGC (Oeiras, Portugal). During this three-day meeting (25-27 Nov 2019) we discussed the achievements of the teams in terms of field work, communication (with schools, NGOs, at scientific meetings), genomic data or scientific publications. We also … More Final meeting of INFRAGECO – BiodivERsA project

An endangered tree testifies of the Antiquity of the Malagasy savannas – New paper is out.

November 25, 2019

A new paper has been released in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society on the origin of an endangered woody savanna species (Noronhia lowryi, or the Malagasy savanna olive) that presently occurs in the Central Plateau of Madagascar. We documented the recent demography of the species with microsatellite data, and inferred its origin with a fossil-calibrated … More An endangered tree testifies of the Antiquity of the Malagasy savannas – New paper is out.