Madagascar Conservation & Development

Translation and transformation

Alison F. Richard — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

No abstract.

Caractérisation et analyse des services écosystémiques de l’aire protégée complexe Mahavavy Kinkony (Madagascar) selon la perception des communautés locales

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Les écosystèmes fournissent de multiples services qui contribuent au bien-être des communautés locales. La connaissance de ces services permet de comprendre les interactions entre la nature et la population et de planifier la gestion des milieux naturels. L’objectif de cette étude est d’analyser et de caractériser les services écosystémiques de l’aire protégée complexe Mahavavy Kinkony. Des enquêtes socio-économiques sous forme d’entretiens semistructurés (pour les chefs de ménages) et structurés (pour les personnes ressources) ont été faites auprès de 556 personnes réparties dans 19 fokontany. Ces enquêtes ont été couplées avec des observations directes des activités quotidiennes des communautés locales. L’importance des services écosystémiques a été évaluée à partir du taux de réponses des services cités. La caractérisation des services écosystémiques a été faite dans les fokontany riverains, les groupes socio-professionnels, le genre et l’âge à partir d’une classification hiérarchique ascendante et d’une analyse factorielle de correspondances. Quatre catégories de services écosystémiques (approvisionnement, régulation, culturels et soutien) répartis en 137 services ont été identifiées dont 45 types regroupés en 15 classes sont les plus sollicités. Les services d’approvisionnement sont les plus diversifiés. La classification hiérarchique a permis de regrouper la zone en quatre groupes de fokontany. La préférence et la connaissance des personnes enquêtées dépendent de leur profession et de leur âge. Cette étude montre les caractéristiques générales des services écosystémiques dans l’aire protégée Complexe Mahavavy Kinkony mais des études approfondies sur les relations entre les écosystèmes, les services et les bénéficiaires sont nécessaires dans l’avenir.

English Abstract

Ecosystems provide multiple ecosystem services that contribute to the well-being of local communities. Knowledge of these services allows us to understand the interactions between nature and population and to plan the management of natural environments. The objective of this study is to analyze and characterize the ecosystem services provided by ecosystems inside the Mahavavy Kinkony Complex protected area. Socio-economic surveys in the form of semi-structured interviews (for household heads) and structured interviews (for resource persons) were conducted with 556 people in 19 fokontany. The surveys were coupled with direct observations of the daily activities of local communities. The importance of ecosystem services was assessed based on the response rate of the services cited. The characterization of ecosystem services was made according to fokontany, socio-professional groups, gender and age from an ascending hierarchical classification and a factorial analysis of correspondences. Four categories of ecosystem services (supply, regulation, cultural and support) divided into 137 services were identified, of which 45 types grouped into 15 classes are the most solicited. Supply services are the most diversified. The hierarchical classification made it possible to group the zone into four groups of fokontany. The preference and knowledge of the people surveyed depend on their profession and age. This study shows the general characteristics of ecosystem services in the Mahavavy Kinkony Complex protected area, but further studies on the relationships between ecosystems, services and beneficiaries are needed in the future.

Decrease of deforestation in Protected Areas of Madagascar during the Covid-19 years

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Deforestation poses a significant threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem services. This study focuses on estimating the deforestation within Protected Areas (PAs) in Madagascar over a 21- year period from 2001 to 2022. A novel methodology utilizing remote sensing data and specific thresholds of tree canopy density is employed to estimate annual deforestation rates and identify trends and patterns within PAs. The analysis reveals significant deforestation in the PA network over the last decade, particularly in 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Notably, the lowest annual deforestation rates were estimated during the Covid-19 years of 2020 (0.66%), 2021 (0.62%), and the subsequent year in 2022 (0.67%) when considering the entire network of 103 PAs with natural forests from 2013 to 2022.

Variation de la masse et des caractères morphologiques des lémuriens nocturnes dans les forêts primaires et dégradées de Menabe Sud, Belo sur Mer, Madagascar

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

La perte d’habitat due à l’activité humaine est une menace qui affecte tous les primates à Madagascar. Les lémuriens, primates arboricoles, ont des réponses variées face au changement de leur habitat. La présente recherche vise à déterminer le lien entre la dégradation forestière, la masse et les caractères morphologiques des lémuriens nocturnes de Menabe Sud : Lepilemur ruficaudatus et Microcebus murinus. L’étude a été effectuée dans cinq sites dont deux sites sont des forêts primaires et trois autres sont des forêts perturbées. La capture et la mesure des caractères morphologiques des lémuriens ont été réalisées entre novembre et décembre 2014, puis entre juillet et septembre 2015. Des parcelles botaniques (5m x 5m) ont été utilisées pour décrire les caractéristiques des sites dont l’abondance des arbres, le diamètre à hauteur de poitrine ou la hauteur et le diamètre de la couronne. La masse de M. murinus n’était pas influencée par la saison de capture (P > 0,05), mais elle variait avec le sexe (P < 0,005) et le site (P < 0,001). Tous les caractères morphologiques de M. murinus dans les deux forêts primaires étaient similaires (P > 0,05). Par contre, dans les forêts perturbées, les femelles de M. murinus étaient plus lourdes et avaient des corps plus longs que les mâles (P < 0,05). La masse et la longueur du corps de L. ruficaudatus entre les différents sites étaient similaires (P > 0,05). Comparé à L. ruficaudatus, M. murinus répondrait advantage à la dégradation forestière. Comprendre l’étendue de la réponse morphologique des lémuriens face à la dégradation de leur habitat pourrait être utilisé comme outil pour prioriser leur conservation.

English Abstract

Forest structure effects primate morphology because it determines the availability and characteristics of resources, such as substrates for locomotion, sleeping trees, and trees food. However, forest degradation may alter environmental condition of habitats and influence lemur behavior and morphology. We evaluated the links between forest degradation, lemur body mass, and lemur morphometric. We surveyed red-tailed sportive lemurs (Lepilemur ruficaudatus) and gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus) in the dry, deciduous forest of southern Menabe, Morondava, Madagascar. The study was conducted in the dry season in 2014 (November–December) and 2015 (July– September). Lemur captures were conducted in five forest sites: two primary forest and three disturbed forest. Sherman and Tomahawk style traps were used to capture mouse lemurs. We conducted three capture sessions in site B in 2014 and three capture sessions for each site in 2015, for a total of 5616 night traps. During each capture session, 80 Sherman traps and 24 Tomahawk traps were installed for three consecutive nights. To capture the red-tailed sportive lemur, we used a gun (Dan Inject Model JM air rifle) with a tranquillizer dart to immobilize the animal. We collected morphometric measurements from 232 mouse lemurs and 31 red-tailed sportive lemurs. Botanic plots (5m x 5m) allowed us to characterize the forest characteristics: tree diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, tree abundance, tree crown height and diameter. Tree abundance with DBH ≥ 5 cm and trees diversity varied significantly between sites (P < 0.001). Mouse lemur body mass did not vary with seasonality of the capture (P > 0.05). For mouse lemurs, all morphometric from two populations in the pristine forest were similar (P > 0.05). Mouse lemurs in one disturbed habitat had greater body length and body mass than mouse lemurs in the pristine forest (P < 0.05). The difference may be linked with fruit abundance of two trees species (Tamarindus indica and Ziziphus mauritiana) and more insect availability in the disturbed site. In the altered habitat, mouse lemur females had longest body size and heavier than males (P < 0.05). Red-tailed sportive lemur body mass and length did not change between sites (P > 0.05). Our study is consistent with the hypothesis that lemur morphometric and body mass may change with forest degradation in southern forest of Menabe. Additionally, the range of the response varies between species and sex: mouse lemurs had a wider reaction norm to the habitat disturbance than did red-tailed sportive lemurs. Mouse lemurs may have higher ecological flexibility and tolerance for forest changes, specifically the alteration of forest habitats. Understanding how lemur morphology responds to habitat disturbance may be used as a tool to prioritize lemur conservation.

Les déterminants de la réussite des initiatives exogènes de la diversification des moyens de subsistance des communautés de pêcheurs

Lala Ranaivomanana, Edouard R. Mara, Jamal A. Mahafina — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The study conducted in Madagascar explores on the diversification of livelihoods in Madagascar was carried out to identify the determining elements of the livelihood strategies of fishing communities and to bring out the relevant points of intervention to move the system towards sustainable livelihood strategies. The study was carried out in two stages: first, investigations were undertaken in three areas (Toliara-Sud, Ambaro Bay and Belo sur Tsiribihina) in order to assess the livelihood strategies of fishing communities following the theoretical framework advocated by Ashley and Carney (1999). Secondly, more in-depth investigations were carried out on four projects aimed at the sustainable livelihoods of fishing communities, to draw lessons from their implementation while taking into account the contexts in which they were carried out. The study of the diversification of livelihoods in fishing communities in Madagascar first made it possible to highlight the vulnerability of coastal communities. We are in the presence of a population that corresponds to the typology of the poor described by Dissou et al. (2000): generalized poverty at the level of the five forms of Capital according to the concept of "capability" mentioned by Sen (1985, Gondard-Delcroix and Rousseau 2004). We are also in the presence of a very vulnerable population due to its strong dependence on natural resources and a very low diversification of its means of subsistence. Also, the population's only recourse is to develop survival strategies to the detriment, as usual, of natural capital. Lessons learned from the implementation of the four projects reviewed highlight the importance of both entry points and the performance of exit plans. The entry points evoke the need for participation, the determinants of which turn out to be, first, the superposition of the immediate, often economic, needs of the population and the “deferred” needs for the sustainability of natural capital. Active and effective participation also happens to be dependent on respect for the power and decision-making structure actually in force at the local community level. The performance of exit plans depends on the degree of completion of the institutionalization of the structures supporting the participation of local communities. During the examination of the targeted projects, one notices in a notorious way, on the one hand, the quasi absence of an approach by typology which constitutes the base of the approach by the sustainable means of subsistence. On the other hand, it was also noted the failure of an appropriate monitoring-evaluation system which would have allowed any effective and efficient capitalization.

Exploring the potential of occupancy modelling using passive acoustics in Coua gigas and Coua coquereli

Celine Jordan, Matthias Markolf — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In highly threatened habitats such as the dry deciduous forests of western Madagascar, it is essential to develop new approaches to detect population changes and evaluate conservation measures. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is such a promising approach. This method has many advantages over conventional methods, such as time efficiency, money savings, and reduced wildlife disturbance. It is especially suitable for studying occupancy and activity patterns of vocalizing species such as birds. Our study analyzed data recorded with autonomous sound recorders in 2018 in Kirindy Forest for the territorial calls of Coua gigas and Coua coquereli. We modeled occupancy and detection probability for both species in the study area. We also examined activity patterns and found that the peak of vocal activity for Coua coquereli is at 700h and for Coua gigas at 1100h. To also test the value of PAM in relation to ecological factors we modeled occupancy and included logging status as a site covariate. We detected a positive influence of logging in occupancy of Coua gigas. Our study provides guidelines for future occupancy studies using PAM in the two coua species. We conclude that PAM will improve the ecological monitoring of soniferous animals in Madagascar.