Madagascar conservation and development最新文献

{"title":"Taboo adherence and presence of Perrier’s sifaka (Propithecus perrieri) in Andrafiamena forest","authors":"A. Anania, Jordi Salmona, Emmanuel Rasolondraibe, Fabien Jan, L. Chikhi, C. Fichtel, P. Kappeler, R. Rasoloarison","doi":"10.4314/MCD.V13I1.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.1","url":null,"abstract":"Habitat loss and poaching are among the most serious threats to the fragile and unique biodiversity of Madagascar. In the past, traditional taboos ( fady ), commonly associated with folk stories, have had a buffering effect on several lemur species. Here, we examine the status of hunting taboos with reference to the conservation of the critically endangered Perrier's sifaka ( Propithecus perrieri ). We also provide an update on P. perrieri ’s presence in the protected area of Andrafiamena in the face of ongoing habitat fragmentation and poaching. The Andrafiamena forest represents one of the key refuges for this species, which has a very limited and fragmented range in northern Madagascar. We report the results of a 2016 presence/absence survey in Andrafiamena and from interviews on Perrier’s sifaka taboo adherence, conducted in 201 2 across the whole species range. Our results confirm the presence of Perrier’s sifakas in Andrafiamena and that in 201 2, across the species’ range, the hunting taboo was observed by most (>95%) interviewees who answered (N = 23). Forest clearing and a decrease of taboo adherence may intensify the pressure on the already small and fragile population of P. perrieri . A deeper knowledge of the human-wildlife interconnections, as well as regular monitoring of this rare species’ distribution, may be crucial for the success of its conservation.","PeriodicalId":89438,"journal":{"name":"Madagascar conservation and development","volume":"13 1","pages":"6-14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.1","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49332188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fair and equitable conservation: do we really want it, and if so, do we know how to achieve it?","authors":"N. Hockley, Rina Mandimbiniaina, O. S. Rakotonarivo","doi":"10.4314/MCD.V13I1.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.11","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":89438,"journal":{"name":"Madagascar conservation and development","volume":"13 1","pages":"3-5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.11","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46562656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Where does the air go? Anatomy and functions of the respiratory tract in the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)","authors":"J. Reidenberg","doi":"10.4314/MCD.WHALES.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/MCD.WHALES.2","url":null,"abstract":"Air is a limited resource under water. Pressure changes during diving and ascent further affect buoyancy and sound production/transmission by changing air volumes, densities, and shapes of air spaces and vibration pathways. This paper will focus on how humpback whales use air, and the respiratory tract adaptations that help overcome these challenges. These highly modified respiratory tract tissues function to shunt air to increase oxygenation for extending breath-hold time, conserve and recycle air, maintain hearing at depth, generate sound for communication and navigation, transmit vibrations to water, mitigate noise, support air spaces from collapsing, regulate chamber volumes, produce bubbles as visual signals, control air release as a tool to trap prey, modify center of gravity, regulate buoyancy, and reduce energy expenditure during locomotion. The humpback whale is able to utilize air in an aquatic environment in ways that allow it to support a wide range of unique behaviors. Resume L’air est une ressource limitee sous l'eau. Les changements de pression au cours de la plongee et de la remontee affectent la flottabilite et la production / transmission des sons en changeant les volumes d'air, les densites et les formes des espaces aeriens et des voies de vibration. Cet article se penche sur la facon dont les baleines a bosse utilisent l'air ainsi que les adaptations des voies respiratoires qui participent au processus. Les tissus des voies respiratoires sont hautement modifies et fonctionnent de maniere a shunter l’air pour augmenter l'oxygenation afin de prolonger le temps d'apnee, de conserver et de recycler l'air, de maintenir l'audition en profondeur, de generer des sons pour la communication et la navigation, de transmettre des vibrations a l'eau, d'attenuer le bruit, d’empecher les espaces devant contenir l'air de s'effondrer, de reguler les volumes des chambres, de produire des bulles servant de signaux visuels, de reguler la liberation de l'air qui servira d’outil pour pieger des proies, de modifier le centre de gravite, de reguler la flottabilite, et enfin de reduire les depenses d'energie lors de la locomotion. La baleine a bosse utilise l'air dans un milieu aquatique de maniere a assurer une multitude de comportements uniques.","PeriodicalId":89438,"journal":{"name":"Madagascar conservation and development","volume":"13 1","pages":"91-100"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45081022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"La place pour le concept d’État gardien en droit de l’environnement dans l’encadrement du secteur minier à Madagascar","authors":"Lynda Hubert Ta","doi":"10.4314/MCD.V13I1.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.2","url":null,"abstract":"En droit de l’environnement, le concept de l’Etat gardien postule d’une maniere generale que l’Etat est garant des interets des generations actuelles et futures, donc de la mise en oeuvre de l’objectif d’equite intra et intergenerationnelle du developpement durable. L’Etat est suppose proteger les droits des populations a un environnement sain et sauvegarder le patrimoine naturel en vue de le transmettre en heritage aux generations a venir. Or, dans l’encadrement du secteur minier a Madagascar, des chercheurs ont demontre que le role de l’Etat tend a etre redefini de facon a se limiter a faciliter l’investissement minier, au detriment de la protection des droits et de l’interet public. A Madagascar, les politiques et strategies successives ont ecarte l’Etat de la reglementation et la gestion de ses propres ressources naturelles. Suivant les principes neoliberaux, son desengagement de l’encadrement de l’exploitation des ressources minieres permettrait le developpement de conditions favorables a l’amelioration de la gestion des ressources et a la diminution des impacts environnementaux. Cela lui laisse toutefois peu de marge de manoeuvre pour promouvoir la protection des droits sociaux et environnementaux pouvant etre affectes par le developpement du secteur minier. L’article propose un debut de reflexion sur cette situation contradictoire, ses origines et ses enjeux en droit de l’environnement malgache. English Abstract In environmental law, the concept of custodian state generally assumes that the state is the guarantor of the interests of present and future generations, and of the implementation of the objective of intra- and intergenerational equity for sustainable development. The state is expected to protect people’s rights to a healthy environment and to safeguard the natural heritage in order to transmit it as a legacy to future generations. In the context of the mining sector in Madagascar, researchers have shown that the state’s role tends to be redefined so as to limit itself to facilitating mining investments, to the detriment of rights and public interest protection. In Madagascar, successive policies and strategies have displaced the state from regulation and management of its own natural resources. According to the principles of neo-liberal economy, its disengagement from the regulation of mineral resource exploitation would allow the development of favorable conditions to improve resource management and to reduce environmental impacts. However, this leaves little room for maneuver to ensure the protection of social and environmental rights that may be affected by the development of this sector. The article reflects on this contradictory situation, its origins and its stakes in Malagasy environmental law.","PeriodicalId":89438,"journal":{"name":"Madagascar conservation and development","volume":"13 1","pages":"75-80"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.2","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48214066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rabies in primates: are aggressive pet lemurs a risk to humans?","authors":"K. Reuter, T. Clarke, M. LaFleur, M. S. Schaefer","doi":"10.4314/MCD.V13I1.9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.9","url":null,"abstract":"Non-human primates harbor zoonotic pathogens including the rabies virus ( Rabies lyssavirus ). Though the chances of rabies transmission from primates is low, guidelines currently recommend a post-exposure prophylaxis for unvaccinated persons. In Madagascar, lemurs have been described as carriers of the rabies virus, but a discussion about the risk of rabies transmission to humans from lemurs, particularly in the context of in-country ownership of lemurs, has not been studied. We use qualitative and quantitative data collected from household surveys (n = 271 interviewees who had seen a pet lemur across 12 urban towns), web-based surveys (n = 229), and the literature (publications using data collected by the Institute Pasteur of Madagascar over the last century) to examine the context in which the rabies virus could be transmitted from lemurs to humans. Though only a few wild and pet lemurs in Madagascar have tested positive for rabies, post-exposure treatment is sometimes also sought out following aggressive incidents with lemurs. Many interviewees (22 ± 6%, mean ± 95% confidence interval CI) across 12 towns indicated that pet lemurs they had seen, had a history of aggression. Some lemur owners appear to be aware that their pets could transmit the rabies virus and seek veterinary care to prevent this. The public health burden of rabies is relatively low in Madagascar and despite some anecdotes in the literature, it appears that lemurs are rarely the source of rabies when humans become infected. However, this case study highlights the lack of data and publications regarding the public health implications of human-lemur contact in Madagascar. Resume Les primates non-humains hebergent des pathogenes zoonotiques incluant le virus de la rage ( Rabies lyssavirus ). Bien que les risques de transmission de la rage par les primates soient faibles, les lignes directrices recommandent actuellement une prophylaxie post-exposition pour les personnes non vaccinees. A Madagascar, les lemuriens ont ete decrits comme porteurs du virus de la rage, mais une discussion sur le risque de transmission de la rage a l'Homme par les lemuriens, en particulier dans le contexte de la propriete locale des lemuriens, n'a pas ete etudiee. Nous utilisons des donnees qualitatives et quantitatives collectees a partir d'enquetes aupres des foyers (n = 271 interviewes ayant vu un lemurien dans 12 villes), des enquetes en ligne (n = 229) et de la litterature (publications utilisant des donnees collectees par l'Institut Pasteur de Madagascar au cours du siecle dernier) pour examiner le contexte dans lequel le virus de la rage pourrait etre transmis par les lemuriens aux humains. Bien que seuls quelques lemuriens sauvages et animaux de compagnie a Madagascar aient ete testes positifs a la rage, un traitement post-exposition est parfois egalement recherche suite a des agressions par des lemuriens. De nombreuses personnes interrogees (22 ± 6%, moyenne ± Intervalle de confiance IC a 95%) ","PeriodicalId":89438,"journal":{"name":"Madagascar conservation and development","volume":"13 1","pages":"53-59"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.9","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41954581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dryland tree data for the Southwest region of Madagascar: alpha-level data can support policy decisions for conserving and restoring ecosystems of arid and semiarid regions","authors":"J. Aronson, P. Phillipson, É. L. Floc’h, Tantely Raminosoa","doi":"10.4314/MCD.V13I1.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.7","url":null,"abstract":"We present an eco-geographical dataset of the 355 tree species (156 genera, 55 families) found in the driest coastal portion of the spiny forest-thickets of southwestern Madagascar. This coastal strip harbors one of the richest and most endangered dryland tree floras in the world, both in terms of overall species diversity and of endemism. After describing the biophysical and socio-economic setting of this semiarid coastal region, we discuss this region’s diverse and rich tree flora in the context of the recent expansion of the protected area network in Madagascar and the growing engagement and commitment to ecological restoration. Our database, DTsMada (short for Desert Trees of Madagascar), is part of a larger ‘work-in-progress’, namely an eco-geographical database on desert and dryland trees of the world. DTsMada draws heavily on the Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Madagascar (MadCat) project, in which floristic, ecological and endemism parameters are compiled, together with available conservation status assessments based on IUCN Red List criteria. Both are projects within the plant systematics database, Tropicos, developed at Missouri Botanical Garden and maintained on the Garden’s website. To highlight the need for greater study of the interactions between biological, bioclimatic, and anthropogenic determinants of current and potentially changing biogeographical patterns and community dynamics in the tree strata of vegetation in the study area, we consider four contrasting groups of native trees: Adansonia spp. (Malvaceae), Pachypodium spp. (Apocynaceae), Baudouinia spp. (Fabaceae), and all 11 species in the 4 genera of Didiereaceae in Madagascar. We discuss DTsMada as a prototype dataset of alpha level information vital for effective conservation, landscape planning, sustainable use and management, and ecological restoration of degraded arid and semiarid ecosystems, in Madagascar and elsewhere. Resume Nous presentons un ensemble de donnees eco-geographiques sur les 355 especes d’arbres (156 genres, 55 familles) presentes dans les fourres et forets epineux de la frange cotiere aride et semiaride du Sud-ouest de Madagascar. Cette region possede un des assemblages d’arbres de climat sec les plus riches (en termes de diversite specifique et d’endemisme), et les plus menaces au monde. Apres une description du cadre biophysique et de la situation socio-economique de cette region, nous presentons cette flore regionale dans le contexte de la recente expansion du reseau de des aires protegees de Madagascar et de l’engagement croissant dans le domaine de la restauration ecologique. Notre base de donnees DTsMada (raccourci de « Desert Trees - Madagascar », en anglais) s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une base de donnees eco-geographique plus large que nous developpons, regroupant les especes d’arbres des regions arides et semiarides du monde entier, avec un accent particulier mis sur leur utilisation dans la conservation, gestion et restauration ecologiq","PeriodicalId":89438,"journal":{"name":"Madagascar conservation and development","volume":"13 1","pages":"60-69"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.7","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48179276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Miscellaneous behavioural observations of Malagasy birds","authors":"C. Gardner, Louise D. Jasper","doi":"10.4314/MCD.V13I1.8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.8","url":null,"abstract":"Madagascar possesses a unique avifauna characterized by high endemism rates at species and higher taxonomic levels, but little is known about the behaviour, diets and interspecific interactions of many species. We present a number of opportunistic observations of Malagasy birds collected during 201 2–201 5, including a foraging association between Hook-billed vanga Vanga curvirostris and White-breasted mesite Mesitornis variegatus, aggressive interaction between a fledgling Madagascar cuckoo Cuculus rochii and its Common jery Neomixis tenella host, records of carnivory in Green-capped coua Coua ruficeps olivaceiceps and frugivory in Lafresnaye’s vanga Xenopirostris xenopirostris, an unusual aggregation of Alpine swift Tachymarptis melba around a telecommunications tower, entrapment of Madagascar mannikin Lepidopygia nana in a spider’s web, and anti-predator behaviour (mobbing) of potentially predatory reptiles in Souimanga sunbird Nectarinia souimanga, Madagascar magpie robin Copsychus albospecularis, Madagascar paradise flycatcher Terpsiphone mutata, Common newtonia Newtonia brunneicauda and Crested drongo Dicrurus forficatus. RESUME L’avifaune de Madagascar est unique, caracterisee par des taux d’endemisme eleves aux niveaux des especes, genres, familles et ordres. Cependant, nous connaissons encore mal les comportements, les regimes alimentaires ou encore les interactions interspecifiques de nombreuses especes. Sont presentees dans cette note une serie d’observations opportunistes collectees au cours de la periode 201 2–201 5, incluant_ : i) une interaction lors de la recherche de nourriture entre un Vanga ecorcheur Vanga curvirostris et une paire de Mesite variee Mesitornis variegatus, ii) une interaction agressive entre un oisillon du Coucou de Madagascar Cuculus rochii et son hote, une Petite eroesse Neomixis tenella, iii) la predation d’un lezard (Tracheloptychus madagascariensis) par un Coua a tete verte Coua ruficeps olivaceiceps, iv) la frugivorie par un Vanga de Lafresnaye Xenopirostris xenopirostris, v) une agregation inhabituelle des Martinets a ventre blanc Tachymarptis melba autour d’une installation de telecommunication, vi) le piegeage d’un Capucin de Madagascar Lepidopygia nana dans une toile d’araignee (Nephila sp.), et vii) le harcelement des reptiles incluant des serpents (Ithycyphus miniatus, Acrantophis madagascariensis) et un cameleon (Furcifer pardalis) par le Souimanga malgache Nectarinia souimanga, le Shama de Madagascar Copsychus albospecularis, le Tchitrec malgache Terpsiphone mutata, la Newtonie commune Newtonia brunneicauda et le Drongo malgache Dicrurus forficatus.","PeriodicalId":89438,"journal":{"name":"Madagascar conservation and development","volume":"13 1","pages":"70-74"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.8","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48697058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mind the gap: the use of research in protected area management in Madagascar","authors":"Herimanitra P. Rafidimanantsoa, M. Poudyal, B. Ramamonjisoa, Julia P. G. Jones","doi":"10.4314/MCD.V13I1.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.3","url":null,"abstract":"It is increasingly well recognised that a lot of conservation-related research is not being used to improve conservation practice. However, much of the research in this area has been conducted with conservation managers in high income countries, where the barriers to accessing and using research may be different. We conducted questionnaires ( n =85) and face to face interviews ( n =54) with managers of protected areas in Madagascar to explore their use of research results. Despite considering research results—including peer reviewed articles, theses, in-house research and research by other organisations—a very useful information source, many managers do not use research results regularly to inform their on-the-ground actions. Instead they tend to rely on experience, or advice from others. The reasons for the low use of research results are many and varied but include barriers to accessing research, especially peer-reviewed publications and reports published by other organisations. Managers also raised concern about the practical relevance of some of the research being conducted in their protected areas. We identify a series of resources which can be useful to managers to improve the access they have to research results and highlight a series of steps which researchers can follow to increase the likelihood of their research being used. We also suggest there is a role for the Malagasy authorities in improving the ways in which research reports— received as part of the conditions of research permits— are shared and archived. Researchers are increasingly aware of the moral imperative that research conducted should be available to inform practice, and protected area managers want access to the best possible information to inform their decisions. With such good intentions, overcoming the gap between research and practice should not be difficult with good communication and essential to improving conservation management in Madagascar.","PeriodicalId":89438,"journal":{"name":"Madagascar conservation and development","volume":"13 1","pages":"15-24"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.3","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47594213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The use of natural resources to improve household income, health, and nutrition within the forests of Kianjavato, Madagascar","authors":"C. Borgerson, Steig E Johnson, E. Louis, Sheila M. Holmes, Evelin Jean Gasta Anjaranirina, H. Randriamady, C. Golden","doi":"10.4314/MCD.V13I1.6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.6","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding natural resource extraction in Madagascar is key to developing wider conservation and management strategies that ensure the continued delivery of essential ecosystem services, and the development of health and economic strategies to meet the demands of a growing human population. In the Kianjavato lowland rainforest of southeastern Madagascar, 78% of lemur species, 83% of native carnivoran species, and 67% of frugivorous bat species are threatened with extinction. All three of these groups of mammals are commonly hunted for food in other regions of Madagascar, yet we knew little about current levels of hunting or whether the use of forest resources significantly affects human welfare in this region. We used health assessments of 1 267 Kianjavato residents and semi-structured interviews of members of 336 households in 1 7 communities in Kianjavato to investigate human-environmental interactions. We found high prevalence of child and teenage malnutrition. More than half of the population under 20 years old was stunted, more than half was underweight, and more than one fifth was wasted. Further, one in six residents were anemic. We found that Kianjavato’s forests provided essential ecosystem services for its rural communities. As Kianjavato’s forests are altered to meet the needs of a growing human population, these direct-use ecosystem services (such as the use of wild animals for food or plants for medicine) are unable to similarly expand to meet the basic needs of the families living in these forests. A worrying proportion of the Kianjavato population depends on forests to meet their healthcare, nutritional, and economic needs, yet they may be failing to do so. All surveyed households (1 00%) depended on forests to meet their healthcare needs and 40% of the regional economy involved the extraction of finite forest resources (i.e., precious stones). Most  households consumed very little wildlife (two animals per household per year) and the great majority (83%) of the forest animals they ate were not threatened with extinction. Forty percent of wildlife were caught illegally. Although hunting is likely not imperiling local wildlife at present, 1 6% of the Kianjavato population hunts wildlife and 20% are malnourished. The ecosystem services of Kianjavato’s forests may currently be insufficient to meet the needs of residents. Therefore, targeted efforts to increase local access to the healthcare system and to improve household nutrition and economy by improving the production and stability of local agricultural products may increase the long-term sustainability of wildlife hunting, household incomes, and regional food security. Efforts such as these that can expand with the growing population to meet future needs may help secure the sustainable use of essential ecosystem services for the long term, improving the health of local people and maintaining the integrity of the forests in which they live.","PeriodicalId":89438,"journal":{"name":"Madagascar conservation and development","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42690092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potential of Opuntia seed oil for livelihood improvement in semi-arid Madagascar","authors":"Hendrik Hänke, J. Barkmann, C. Müller, R. Marggraf","doi":"10.4314/MCD.V13I1.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.4","url":null,"abstract":"The coastal area of the Mahafaly Plateau in southwestern Madagascar is prone to droughts, as well as to other environmental risks, resulting in frequent crop failures, famines, and extreme poverty. Thus, the identification of potential complementary livelihood sources has been identified as a crucial step for the sustainable development of the region. In this contribution, we assess the potential of prickly pear seed oil production as an income alternative for local communities. The prickly pears are cacti in the genus Opuntia Mill. and they are highly abundant in the region, particularly as living fences on farmland. From the seeds of its fruit, high-priced seed oil can be extracted. To investigate its economic potential, we inventoried prickly pears in field hedgerows through vegetation inventories and estimated the amount of seed oil that could be produced per household based on field sampling and laboratory analysis. To assess the socioeconomic impact of a potential large-scale project of regional Opuntia seed oil production, we conducted interviews with 51 farming households on human Opuntia consumption, the utilization of its cladodes as fodder, and other livelihood functions. Five different prickly pears occur in the research region. We found that two out of these five species are highly important socioeconomically ( Opuntia monacantha and O. streptacantha ) and contribute >50% to total food intake during periods of food shortage. Likewise, these species are consumed as a key water source and used as livestock fodder. In contrast, the other three Opuntia species are barely eaten by local residents or by livestock ( O. dillenii , O. stricta and O. phaeacantha ). These species are more spiny, and their fruits are virtually inedible due to a much higher seed content. The combination of low nutritional value and high seed content suggests promising seed oil production potential for these types of Opuntia . To avoid competition between human nutrition and the commercialization of local Opuntia seeds, sourcing strategies should exclusively target the fruit of the two high seed  species. However, investments for oil mills, skilled staff, and adequate logistics would be needed to create local value from this underrated resource in the Mahafaly region.","PeriodicalId":89438,"journal":{"name":"Madagascar conservation and development","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/MCD.V13I1.4","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43582747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}