Plant Biomass, Nutrient Concentration and Nutrient Storage in a Tropical Dry Forest in the South–west of Madagascar (original) (raw)

Dry forests in Madagascar, neglected and under pressure

The dry forests in Madagascar represent a remarkable tropical forest ecosystem, occupying almost the entire west slope of the island up to the very northern tip, especially on substrates associated with sedimentary formations. These forests span several woody vegetation types of the island, including (i) the southwestern coastal bushland, (ii) the southwestern dry spiny forest-thicket, and (iii) the western dry forest. These landscapes show a high degree of biodiversity with several centers of endemism hosting a globally unique fauna, with disparities in richness and diversity according to the groups, probably related to paleo-refugia. These landscapes also provide important ecosystem services for various ethnic groups residing along the coast, also hosting the only autochthonous group in Madagascar, the Mikea forest people. In this paper we review the scientific literature to highlight the importance of dry forests socio-ecological landscapes in order to identify knowledge gaps where future research is required to better inform management and policy to better balance conservation and development interests. For this, we recommend the adoption of transdisciplinary approaches that engage with a broad number of stakeholders in order to allow policy adaptations to better cope with current and future changes (e.g., agriculture, energy demands and needs).

Phenology of different vegetation types in the dry forest of Andohahela National Park, southeastern Madagascar

This paper presents results from 20 months of phenological observations in three vegetation formations of the dry part of Andohahela National Park, southeastern Madagascar. Data were recorded from September 2007 to April 2009. Patterns of leafing, flowering and fruiting were documented for 668 individual trees of 77 species from 32 families growing in xerophytic bush, gallery and transitional forests. Data were recorded twice per month in 13 plots of 500 m² each. The phenologies of trees in the different types of vegetation were analyzed for relationships to season, ambient temperature, relative humidity, day length and insulation. Most of the species had leaves in the wet season. Leaf fall occurred throughout the year but was pronounced during the dry season. Flowering and fruiting were strongly seasonal. Flowering peaked at the end of the dry and the beginning of the rainy season. Most trees produced fruits at the beginning and during the rainy season. Some species produced fruits during the dry season.

Seasonal trends of nutrient intake in rainforest communities of north-eastern Madagascar

Public Health Nutrition

Objective:We collected dietary records over the course of nine months to comprehensively characterize the consumption patterns of Malagasy people living in remote rainforest areas of north-eastern Madagascar.Design:The present study was a prospective longitudinal cohort study to estimate dietary diversity and nutrient intake for a suite of macronutrients, micronutrients and vitamins for 152 randomly selected households in two communities.Setting:Madagascar, with over 25 million people living in an area the size of France, faces a multitude of nutritional challenges. Micronutrient-poor staples, especially rice, roots and tubers, comprise nearly 80 % of the Malagasy diet by weight. The remaining dietary components (including wild foods and animal-source foods) are critical for nutrition. We focus our study in north-eastern Madagascar, characterized by access to rainforest, rice paddies and local agriculture.Participants:We enrolled men, women and children of both sexes and all ages in...

Secondary succession and root biomass changes in Madagascar dry deciduous forest (Mikea Forest)

2018

1 Centre National de Recherches sur l’Environnement (CNRE), BP. 1739, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar. E-mail: samuel.razanaka@gmail.com 2 ISSEDD, Université de Toamasina, BP 591, Toamasina 501, Madagascar. 3 Département des Eaux et Forêts, École Supérieure des Sciences Agronomiques, BP 175, Université d’Antananarivo 101, Madagascar. E-mail: rramarolanonana@yahoo.fr 4 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier cedex 5, France. E-mail: michel.grouzis@orange.fr * Corresponding author: Cell: +2613313698 87. E-mail: zombanona@yahoo.fr