Madagascar Conservation & Development (E-Journal)
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Discovery of Macrotarsomys bastardi at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, southwest Madagascar, with observations on the dynamics of small mammal interactions
Get PDFWe report the presence of Macrotarsomys bastardi, Bastard’s big - footed mouse, at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve in southwestern Madagascar. Despite years of fieldwork, including field research targeting the nocturnal mammals, this species had never been reported here previously. A program of intensive and random capture of nocturnal mammals was established over a period of one year (October 2006 to September 2007). We monitored the relative abundances and microhabitat preferences of small-bodied nocturnal mammals in three forests at Beza, as reflected in trapping success both on the ground and at heights of one to two meters in the trees. Three species are common at Beza (although they have different apparent habitat preferences): Microcebus griseorufus, Rattus rattus, and Echinops telfairi. Endemic rodents appear to be rare. Possible interactions between introduced rodents (rats and mice) and endemic species of rodents (Macrotarsomys and Eliurus) are also discussed.RÉSUMÉ Après plusieurs années de recherches dans la Réserve Spéciale de Bezà Mahafaly au Sud - ouest de Madagascar, y compris les recherches sur les mammifères nocturnes, la présence de Macrotarsomys bastardi (famille des Nesomyidae) est signalée pour la première fois dans cet endroit. Une série d’échantillonnage et une séance de capture intensive des espèces nocturnes ont été organisées durant une année dans trois forêts différentes de cette région (entre octobre 2006 et septembre 2007). Les pièges avaient été installés sur le sol ou sur des branches à une hauteur comprise entre un et deux mètre(s) pour évaluer l’abondance relative et la préférence pour des microhabitats des micromammifères nocturnes. Trois espèces, ayant chacune des préférences particulières pour un type d’habitat, sont fréquentes à Bezà Mahafaly, à savoir Microcebus griseorufus, Rattus rattus et Echinops telfairi. Les rongeurs endémiques sont rares (Macrotarsomys et Eliurus), fait qui pourrait s’expliquer par leur interaction avec les rongeurs introduits (rats et souris) qui est discuté ici
A conservation assessment of the amphibians and reptiles of the Forêt d‘Ambre Special Reserve, north Madagascar
Get PDFWe surveyed the lowland rainforest of the Forêt d’Ambre Special Reserve in north Madagascar for amphibians and reptiles. We recorded a total of 20 amphibian and 39 reptile species via opportunistic searching and pitfall trapping in the first published survey to focus on this area. Consequently most of the species found were new records for the area. Approximately half of the species (51%) were only found in relatively undisturbed areas of forest and 61% appear to be restricted to lowland rainforest below 900 m elevation. The most vulnerable elements of this herpetofauna are the three species that appear to be locally endemic to Forêt d’Ambre (according to the current knowledge): Boophis baetkei, Brookesia sp. nov., and Rhombophryne sp. nov. An additional 25 species are considered regional endemics, 14 species are threatened according to the 2007 Red List of Threatened Species and 15 species are listed on the CITES appendices. This paper contributes to the current understanding of Malagasy patterns of biodiversity by documenting the composition, geographical and ecological distribution of the herpetofauna found at this site. Despite its protected status, currently the Reserve is not being managed sufficiently as it is subject to numerous human-induced environmental problems resulting in habitat destruction and should therefore be considered a high conservation management priority. Herein, we provide conservation and development recommendations for this highly diverse site of herpetological importance. Furthermore, we provide an updated and revised species list of the amphibians and reptiles of Montagne d’Ambre National Park and a species list for the private Fontenay Nature Park.RÉSUMÉ Lors d’un inventaire des espèces d’amphibiens et de reptiles de la Réserve Spéciale de la Forêt d’Ambre au nord de Madagascar, nous avons recensés un total de 20 espèces d’amphibiens et de 39 espèces de reptiles par le biais d’échantillonnages directs et avec des trous-pièges « pitfall traps », constituant ainsi le premier résultat d’inventaire publié sur cette zone. De sorte que toutes les espèces répertoriées constituent de nouvelles données pour cette région. Environ une moitié des espèces (51%) n’a été trouvée que dans des zones forestières peu perturbées et 61% se limitent à la forêt pluviale de basse altitude (altitude inférieure à 900 m). Les éléments les plus vulnérables de cette herpétofaune sont les trois espèces qui semblent être localement endémiques, à savoir Boophis baetkei, Brookesia sp. nov. et Rhombophryne sp. nov. Par ailleurs, 25 autres espèces sont endémiques de la région, 14 espèces sont inscrites sur la liste rouge IUCN 2007 des espèces menacées et 15 sont inscrites dans les annexes de la CITES. Ce travail contribue à une meilleure compréhension des schémas de la biodiversité malgache en documentant la composition ainsi que la distribution géographique et écologique de l’herpétofaune recensée sur ce site. Malgré son statut de protection, la réserve est soumise à de nombreuses perturbations d’origine anthropique entrainant une destruction de l’habitat et devrait à ce titre être considérée comme une zone prioritaire en matière de conservation. Nous formulons des recommandations pour la conservation et le développement de ces sites qui présentent une diversité faunique importance. Nous fournissons également une liste mise à jour et révisée des amphibiens et des reptiles du Parc National de la Montagne d’Ambre, ainsi qu’une liste du parc privé ‘Fontenay Nature Park’
Conservation status of vascular plant species from the QMM/Rio Tinto mining area at Mandena, Tolagnaro (Fort Dauphin) region, southeast Madagascar
Get PDFA botanical inventory of the Mandena littoral forest, completed in 1991 as part of an environmental impact assessment study for a titanium oxide mining project being developed by QMM/Rio Tinto in the Tolagnaro (Fort Dauphin) region of southeastern Madagascar, identified 29 plant taxa as priorities for conservation, including 16 known only from the proposed mining path (Priority 1) and 13 restricted to the exploration zone (Priority 2). A re-evaluation in 2001 added 11 taxa from Mandena (the first of three sites targeted for mining, to be followed later by Petriky and then Sainte Luce) and removed 13 others, leaving a total of 27 taxa, five classified as Priority 1 and 22 as Priority 2. Using currently available data, we have removed four additional taxa from the list (three because populations were found outside the Tolagnaro area and one because it’s earlier inclusion on the list had been in error) and transferred four others from Priority 1 to Priority 2 as populations had been located within one or more of the newly - established conservation zones at Sainte Luce (747 ha), Mandena (230 ha) and Petriky (125 ha). Of the 15 currently recognized priority taxa present at Mandena, only two (an undescribed species in each of the genera Canthium and Pseudocatha) appear to be endemic there, but all remain a focus of QMM’s environment, conservation and restoration activities. A total of 15 Mandena taxa are listed as threatened on the 2008 IUCN Red List (3 Critically Endangered, 7 Endangered, and 5 Vulnerable), most of which must be regarded as important for conservation; only three of these taxa also appear on the priority list, and none of the 12 remaining priority taxa from Mandena have been assessed for the Red List, underscoring the urgent need to expand evaluation to encompass the entire Malagasy flora and in particular range-restricted taxa. RÉSUMÉ Un inventaire botanique de la forêt littorale de Mandena, clôturé en 1991 dans le cadre d’une étude d’impact environnemental portant sur un projet d’extraction minière d’oxyde de titane élaboré par QMM/Rio Tinto dans la région de Tolagnaro (Fort-Dauphin) au sud-est de Madagascar, a identifié 29 taxons de plantes prioritaires en matière de conservation, dont 16 taxons qui n’étaient connus que des seules parcelles à exploiter (Priorité 1) et 13 taxons dont la distribution était limitée à la zone d’exploration (Priorité 2). Une nouvelle évaluation en 2001 ajouta 11 taxons de Mandena (premier site qui fera l’objet de l’exploitation minière et qui sera suivi par Petriky puis Sainte Luce) et retira 13 autres taxons, ramenant ainsi la liste à 27 taxons dont cinq taxons de Priorité 1 et 22 de Priorité 2. En considérant les données actuellement disponibles, nous avons retiré quatre autres taxons de la liste (trois taxons pour lesquels des populations ont été localisées au - delà de la région de Tolagnaro et un dernier taxon car son inclusion initiale sur la liste n’était pas justifiée) et en avons déclassé quatre autres taxons en les passant de Priorité 1 à Priorité 2 avec des populations identifiées dans une ou plusieurs zone(s) de conservation nouvellement mise(s) en place à Sainte Luce (747 ha), Mandena (230 ha) et Petriky (125 ha). Sur les 15 taxons prioritaires actuellement reconnus et qui sont rencontrés à Mandena, seulement deux (une espèce non décrite dans chacun des genres Canthium et Pseudocatha) semblent y être endémiques mais tous sont concernés par les activités environnementales, de conservation et de restauration de QMM. Quinze taxons de Mandena figurent sur la Liste Rouge des espèces menacées 2008 de l’UICN (3 ‘en danger critique d’extinction’, 7 ‘en danger’ et 5 ‘vulnérable’) dont la plupart doivent être considérés comme importants pour la conservation ; seuls trois de ces taxons apparaissent également sur la liste prioritaire alors qu’aucun des 12 autres taxons prioritaires de Mandena n’a été évalué pour la Liste Rouge, soulignant ainsi le besoin urgent d’étendre l’évaluation pour inclure l’ensemble de la flore malgache et plus particulièrement les taxons avec des distributions réduites
Volume 3 Issue 1
Get PDFTaboos & Social ContractsBats & Bushmeat in MadagascarEndemic Plants in the Mandena Mining AreaRadio for Sustainable Developmen
Forests in Madagascar do matter
Get PDFMadagascar had a rough start into the year 2007. After cyclones Anita, Bondo and Clovis in December, Gamede and Favio in February, Indlala cut across Madagascar just two weeks before Jaya came ashore at the northern tip of Madagascar at the beginning of April. They caused flooding, displacement, crop and forest damage, as well as other detrimental short-term effects. The cumulative impacts of these seven cyclones will be immense and hard to quantify. On average, there was more precipitation per day during these four months in 2007 than averaged over the last ten years. While the northern part of the island was suffering from flooding, an extended drought created struggle amongst the Malagasy people in the south, once more demonstrating how diverse the climatic influence can be even on a single island. In total, around half a million people were directly affected by these erratic weather events. In June 2007, the Antsinanana rainforests were inscribed to the UNESCO‘s World Heritage List comprising of six national parks distributed along the eastern part of the island. These rainforests harbor more than 80 % of endemic species, which is important to be under best possible national and international protection, since threats are omnipresent. The IUCN / SSC Primate Specialist Group just recently published an updated list of the 25 most endangered primate species for 2006 - 2008. The ‘representatives’ for Madagascar are four lemur species of which the Greater bamboo lemur, the White - collared lemur, and the Silky sifaka were reconfirmed on the list, and the Sahamalaza sportive lemur, a recently described species, replaced the Perriers sifaka. These lemurs share a common tragedy: they live in more and more isolated and patchy forest habitats. The forests of Madagascar cover about 20 % of the island’s surface, presenting a variety of ecosystems, hosting the majority of terrestrial faunal and floral species. These forests are characterized by a high degree of endemism, and, as Goodman and Benstead (2005) consequently point out, they contribute a “critical component of the global biological diversity.” Forests also function as a ‘seemingly endless’ resource of energy and food for a majority of the Malagasy population, with its timber being appreciated beyond Malagasy borders. The list of forest processes like water or nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, decompositions, etc. seems almost endless. However, these forests are faced with a fast growing human population, needing more and more fuel wood (just to name one major human need), and must cope with enormous impacts from natural disturbances like cyclones and droughts. Together, there are incredible accumulative pressures, both human and natural, which continuously affect and reshape these ecosystems. However, forests in Madagascar “were not just born yesterday,” as Lucienne Wilmé points out in the foreword for this issue, and they are probably more resilient than we can assume. Nevertheless, if we want to maintain this broad array of forest values to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, we have to understand how forest ecosystems work, to properly implement sustainable forest management policies and applications. We should try to achieve deeper understanding of how structures and compositions affect ecological functions and processes and how the latter interact with and react to biotic and abiotic forces and dynamics, especially in times of rapid global climatic changes. Hence, the Editorial Board of the journal Madagascar Conservation & Development is happy to present an issue focused on forests, with articles dealing with the past 100 years of Malagasy forest use, development and management. Articles include discussion of recovery after a cyclone (e.g., Hudah), and disclosure of illegal extraction of precious wood in the Marojejy forest. For the future, we hope to be able to present a great variety of studies about forest related issues in this journal aiming at encouragement of more discussions and exchanges of ideas about this overarching resource termed ‘forest’. Thanks to the broad scope of the journal, it has the potential to move far beyond forest issues. Forests are an important component of Madagascar’s diverse landscape, and the more we understand about the subject the more we can appreciate its range of values. However, there are far more aspects the island of Madagascar covers in terms of conservation and developmental realms. The UN declared the year 2008 campaign as the “International Year of the Reef.” Coupled with the fact that Madagascar has a coastline of more than 4,800 km, we hope that the perspectives of oceanographers will induce some interesting projects about ocean initiatives reflecting conservation, developmental challenges and appropriate solutions in Madagascar
Contested Spatial Coincidence of Conservation and Mining Efforts in Madagascar
Get PDFMining appears to represent an important threat to conservation efforts in Madagascar. Expanding mining activities on the island have the potential to provide revenue for development and conservation efforts, but also pose a potential threat to conservation efforts on the island due to the spatial distribution and extent of mining concessions and the environmental impacts that mines often cause. By measuring the extent of overlap of permitted mining concessions with protected areas, potential protected areas, and mining-exclusion zones on the island, we assessed potential effects of mining on terrestrial conservation and evaluated the success of the governing institutions in limiting that impact. Permitted mining areas in 2006 overlapped with protected areas, potential protected areas, and mining - exclusion zones on the island. Mining concession areas overlapped with 33% of surface area planned for protection in 2005, 21% of surface area planned for protection in 2006, and 12% of the surface area from which mining was to be legally excluded. Total permitted area and area of overlap with conservation areas increased between 2005 and 2006 despite efforts in 2004 to limit such overlap. Changes in the mining permitting and regulation could improve prospects for limiting the impact of mining on biodiversity conservation on the island
"To live with the Sea" - Development of the Velondriake Community-Managed Protected Area Network, South West Madagascar
Get PDFMadagascar’s southwest coast supports some of the largest coral reef systems in the western Indian Ocean. These reefs not only provide critical habitat to thousands of marine species but also are essential to the survival of the indigenous Vezo people who rely on healthy marine resources for food, transport, cultural identity and income. However, coastal populations are growing rapidly and international fisheries companies have begun exploiting the region’s waters through a sophisticated collection network to supply an expanding export market. In recent years local fishers have begun reporting declines in the size and number of their catches. Building on the success of a pilot marine no take zone launched three years ago in the remote fishing village of Andavadoaka, Blue Ventures Conservation (BV), Madagascar’s Institute of Marine Sciences (Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines – IHSM) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) are now working with 21 neighbouring villages, and fisheries collection and export companies to develop a network of community - run marine and coastal protected areas that will span more than 800 km2, aiming to benefit more than 10,000 people and protect coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds and other threatened habitats along Madagascar’s southwest coast. The villages, grouped into three constituent geographic regions, have established a management committee which serves as a liaison between conservation scientists and community members, providing input and insight into all phases of conservation planning, from research activities to implementation of management plans. The management committee also selected a unifying name for the network: Velondriake, which means “to live with the Sea.” Along with protecting biodiversity and livelihoods, the network is working to increase environmental awareness among communities, expand local and national capacity for biodiversity conservation and serve as a model for other community conservation, economic development, and governance initiatives across Madagascar and elsewhere. Velondriake aims to benefit villages within the network by empowering members of the local communities as managers of their own natural resources, enabling communities to contribute directly to the development of sustainable resource management systems to support local culture and livelihoods. Additional benefits are being brought to local partner organisations and institutions through the capacity building resulting from involvement of their staff in the project and the improved availability of data, lessons learned and best practice guidelines
The wealth of trees and the pressures of population
Get PDFIt is a pleasure to introduce the second in what promises, and deserves, to be a long series of this journal on the importantareas of conservation and development in Madagascar.The first edition was impressive both in its breadth of subjects and in its depth of detail. This edition has more of a focus, and the subject is principally trees. The richness of the forests in Madagascar and the wealth of remarkable creaturesthey support are well-known. The pressures on the forests are equally well-known, and lie at the heart of the issues that dominate debate on the balance of development and conservation. It is now increasingly evident that the need to conserve natural assets is not only compatible with economic and social development but is to a large extent dependent on it: people desperate for resources to live cannot be expected to be as sparing of precious trees and the like as others would want them to be. But it is also clear that the potential drivers of economic development in Madagascar can bring their own pressures on the environment, in areas such as mining (due to increase its contribution from 4% of GDP now to 30% by 2012), road - building and even tourism, even though sensible eco - tourism is the type of development that seems well-suited to satisfy the interests of all parties. The proposals in President Ravalomanana’s Madagascar Action Plan do at least reflect his concern to protect the natural resources of the country, and he has made substantial steps in increasing protected areas of the natural environment while promoting a better business environment to encourage investment. The pressure of population growth is of critical importance. When I was first in Madagascar in 1967 the country’s population was 6 million. Now it is estimated to be some 19 million and is forecast to grow to more than 50 million by the year 2030. Substantial economic growth is needed just to match that growth in population, let alone to improve living standards, and the impact of such large numbers of people on natural resources is considerable. It is of crucial importance that the Malagasy government is able to make good progress towards its target of reducing the average size of families to 3 - 4 children from the present figure of 5.4. I would like to mention the issue of funding, and to finish with a request for some assistance. The running costs of the journal are remarkably low: the articles that are submitted are done so freely; the editors contribute their time for no charge; and the fact that the journal is distributed online keeps publishing costs down. However, there are still lay - out charges that amount to several thousand Euros. The editors would also like, with good reason, to be able to distribute the journal more widely in Madagascar itself and they believe that they can best achieve this by offering there a paper as well as an electronic version, which would entail printing costs of a similar amount. If you are able to contribute in any way, or if you have any suggestions on the raising of funds, then please do get in touch with the editors
Concepte de Modèle Ecologique pour la Zone Humide Alaotra
No full textThe wet zone Alaotra consists of the largest lake of Madagascar with about 20,000 ha of open-water and up to 23,000 ha of marshes. This wet zone is unique by the presence of an endemic fauna, and its marshes consist of a monospecific vegetation. The local communities directly depend on this wet zone with fishing and agriculture being an integral part of the region’s economy. Consequently, various anthropological pressures such as burning of the vegetation, over-fishing, pollution of the lake by the use of weed-killers, and sedimentation of the watersheds due to heavy erosions of the surrounding hills, negatively impact on this ecosystem. The wet zone Alaotra has been classified as an official Ramsar wetland site since 2003 and also as a SAPM protected area in January 2007 because of its ecological importance and its various threats to this ecosystem. The objective of this article is to present and describe the ecological model, which consists of the identification of the various ecological entities as well as their interdependence, in order to justify the wetlands classification as both a Ramsar and a New Protected Area site. The model has been adopted from Ogden (2005), and its ecological entities integrated in the conceptual model are derived from various research works conducted on the wet zone Alaotra. The model will be critically important in convincing the local authorities as well as the local communities to work together with the researchers, in order to implement the best conservation practices and ensure the sustainable management of the wet zone Alaotra. RESUMELa zone humide d’Alaotra comprend le plus grand lac de Madagascar qui a une superficie de 20,000 ha ainsi qu’un marais d’une superficie de 23,000 ha. Elle est unique au monde par l’existence d’une faune endémique dont l’habitat est un marais composé d’une végétation mono-spécifique. La vie de la population dépend de cette zone humide, si on ne prend en compte que la pêche, l’agriculture, et l’économie de la région. Cependant, différentes pressions anthropiques affectent cet écosystème telles que la mise à feu du marais et la surpêche, la pollution du lac par l’utilisation des herbicides et la sédimentation à cause d’une forte érosion des bassins versants. Ces pressions causent des impacts sur la faune et la flore de la zone humide d’Alaotra. Cela entraîne un changement environnemental de l’Alaotra, comme la fragmentation du marais, constatée depuis plus de dix ans, et un danger pour la vie de la population aussi bien dans le présent que dans le futur. L’importance de cette zone humide ainsi que les différentes menaces dont elle est la cible, ont conduit a sa classification en tant que site Ramsar en 2003 et fait partie du Système Aire Protégée en janvier 2007. Cet article a pour objectif de décrire le concept de modèle écologique, qui consiste à identifier les différentes entités écologiques ainsi que leur interdépendance, afin de justifier son classement dans le site Ramsar et en Nouvelle Aire Protégée. Ces entités résultent des différents travaux de recherche effectués sur la zone humide Alaotra. Le modèle adopté est celui d’Ogden (2005). Le modèle écologique présent est une de clé principales de la restauration qui devrait permettre de convaincre les autorités locales ainsi que les villageois à assurer ensemble avec les chercheurs la meilleure conservation et la gestion durable de la zone humide Alaotra.
The Effects of Cyclone Hudah on the Forest of Masoala Peninsula, Madagascar
Get PDFCyclones regularly impact the east coast of Madagascar but almost nothing is known about their effects on Malagasy ecosystems. On 2 April 2000 the powerful winds of Cyclone Hudah struck the humid forests in the northern part of Masoala Peninsula. An analysis of satellite images revealed that 3% of the forest here was severely damaged or 22% when just the forest of the northeast was considered. In 2001 the vegetation in this area was studied using fifteen 0.1 ha plots located in differently impacted sites. The cyclone had caused tree death (up to 53% of the trunks within a plot); a reduction in trunk basal area (to 64%); uprooting (to 46%); snapping of trunks (to 51%); reduction of crown volume (to mean of 83%); an increase in herbs, liana and woody pioneer species and decrease in saplings of primary forest species; an increase in vegetation in the “shrub” layer and decrease in vegetation in the “canopy” layer. Among a sample of 340 trees killed by the cyclone, 39% were uprooted, 37% snapped, and 24% were still standing. Mortality was relatively low for trees with either small or large trunk diameter compared to trees with intermediate size. In 2003 the plots were re - examined. Six had been impacted by human activities (fire or timber exploitation). A comparison between the vegetation in 2001 and 2003 in 6 plots that had been moderately or seriously impacted by Cyclone Hudah but not impacted by human activity revealed a further decrease in trunk density, an increase in the frequency of herbs and woody pioneers, a decrease in the frequency of liana and saplings of primary forest trees in the “shrub layer”, and an increase of vegetation in the “shrub layer” but decrease of vegetation in the “canopy layer”. The lack of recovery of this vegetation towards its pre - cyclone state may be explained by the impact of Cyclone Ihary, in 2002. Recovery may yet occur provided the vegetation is not impacted by human activities, particularly burning, that can derail this process. It is recommended that following cyclones conservation managers prioritize fire control