Sustainable Forest Resource Management For Biodiversity Protection in Madagascar
Trip Report, 22 November 2000- 12 December 2000
The primary objective of the previous field campaign was to conduct an aerial survey of the entire study region. We were also able to conduct rapid assessments of canopy structure using a TRAC light meter and collect information for a photographic database of endemic plants in the region. Meetings and discussions with others working in the area provided a rich supplement to the physical data collected.
Aerial Survey
Aerial photographs were made of the Petricky, Mandena, and St. Luce forests. Photographs were taken at a height of 8,500 feet with a Nikon 01 digital camera, which was interfaced to a lap top computer and Geographical Positioning System. The series of images will be stitched together and geo-referenced so that we may analyse canopy structure and degradation of the forests. This analysis will be done using Idrisi software.
Measurements of Canopy Structure
Monitoring of the forest with a TRAC light meter was conducted along previously marked transects throughout the Mandena and Petricky forests. GPS measurements were taken along each transect so that we may be able to determine if there are correlations between the light meter readings on the ground and the interpretations of canopy structure in the aerial photographs. These measurements may also provide a quantitative value to canopy degradation, which has previously been assessed using a subjective, ranked classification system in this region. This meter, which has not been used widely in tropical forests, may provide a useful tool for rapid ecological assessment of habitat quality of the littoral forests.
Photographic Database of Endemic Plants
Photographs of endemic plant species were also collected throughout the region so that we may develop a visual database of these plants. This will eventually be provided on-line on the Darwin Initiative website.
Local Involvement
A crucial aspect of this trip involved discussing our research and learning about the work of QMM’s staff, non-governmental agencies, and other researchers working in the Fort Dauphin area. In a round-table discussion group, Dr. Dawson presented the work of the Darwin Initiative and information on how to conduct an aerial survey and analyze the images afterwards to the staff members of the mining company. The staff then presented us with the projects they are undertaking regarding conservation, restoration, and social impact studies.
Meetings were also held with several of the prominent non-governmental organizations working in the area. Mark Fenn, director of the WWF office in Fort Dauphin, informed us of the role of WWF in Southeastern Madagascar and the potential for future collaboration with us. WWF also has a strong link with the Libanoa Ecology Center, with which we may work with in the future to provide seminars on biodiversity monitoring, mapping, and assessment. We also met with researchers working for Azafady, another prominent NGO in the area, to discuss their work.
Two days were spent in St. Luce camping with several researchers working on seed dispersal and lemurs. These researchers were briefed us on some of the other important environmental and social issues in the area. Our interactions with all of these people were invaluable for understanding conservation issues in the region and for developing our own future research programs.