Map of Madagascar
Tropical Rainforests
East and Southeast part of the island
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/nytmaps.pl?madagascar
Current View of the Rainforest
http://ecolibrary.org/page/DP9008
Historical State
Madagascar is one of the world’s biodiversity hot spots in which about 90% of its species are found nowhere else in the world. What makes Madagascar so special? Madagascar at one time was part of Africa. When it broke off, the animals became isolated and began to adapt to Madagascar’s unique environment. Madagascar’s landscape ranges from tropical rainforests, tropical dry forests, Southern desert and spiny forests. Because of the island’s diverse ecosystems and isolation, the animals become very sensitive and any disturbance can be threatening to the survival of the plants and animals situated there. The tropical rainforest of Madagascar is located on the eastern side of the island with mountain ranges creating a rain shadow over the rest of the island. The tropical rain forests obtain about 150 in of rain per year.
Current Impacts
After humans began to settle in Madagascar, many species began to go extinct. Living in isolation and away from their natural predators, the animals grew naïve and accustomed to a leisure life. In other words, they were very easy prey. In addition to being easy prey, many animals had their habitats destroyed by agriculture and the trade of hard woods. The diverse animal population felt yet another hit when the trade of exotic species was introduced. Animals were hunted and exported to foreign countries. The rare lemurs in the Atsinanana rain forests are becoming endangered as a result of illegal logging and poaching.
The deforestation of the rainforests have caused immense damage to the area. According to the table (shown further down), the forest is losing acreage due to the logging and timber industries. Malagasy hardwoods are prized for their beauty and strength making them highly valuable. Thus, this area is greatly deforested because of these hardwoods. Deforestation is making the rainforest barren like the picture below.
The deforestation of the rainforests have caused immense damage to the area. According to the table (shown further down), the forest is losing acreage due to the logging and timber industries. Malagasy hardwoods are prized for their beauty and strength making them highly valuable. Thus, this area is greatly deforested because of these hardwoods. Deforestation is making the rainforest barren like the picture below.
http://photos.wildmadagascar.org/images/deforestation_aerial_0066.shtml
Future of the Rainforest
The likely aspects of the Tropical Rainforests of Madagascar are highly good. As long as people take part in conservation efforts such as the decree made by the Madagascar Government in 2005. The decree marked 2.65 million acres to be conserved – this created fifteen new conversation areas. Before this decree was made only 3% of the land was actually being protected and conserved. Furthermore, this mandate by the government was intended to preserve the endemic species from extinction. With this, current villages offer incentives for their people to protect the wildlife and agriculture. Continuing these programs will allow for even greater good to come from these rain forests.
What can be done to improve the ecosystem?
Data of Current Impacts
Much more needs to be done in order to protect these rainforests. So many species are endemic to this area and it would be a sad loss if they all went extinct. Enforcing the decree made by the Madagascar government will greatly help this ecosystem. And will prevent further damage that has already been done. From this deforestation needs to be curbed and logging should be regulated more. The deforestation has left areas barren endangering wildlife that lived there. Also, promoting ecotourism will make more people aware of the current situation. Hopefully this will pave way for more conservation efforts, especially among the natives who reside in the rainforests. Ultimately, the rainforests are a great place to visit and a natural oasis in the world.
Data of Current Impacts
http://wolfweb.unr.edu/~ldyer/classes/396/corlett.pdf
References
Berg, Linda R., and Mary Catherine. Hager. Visualizing Environmental Science. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2009. Print.
"Biodiversity Hotspots - Madagascar - Conservation Action." Biodiversity Hotspots - Home. Web. 27 Nov. 2011 <http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/hotspots/madagascar/pages/conservation.aspx>.
Corlett, Richard T., and Richard P. Primack. "Tropical Rainforest Conservation: A Global Perspective." Web. 26 Nov. 2011. <http://wolfweb.unr.edu/~ldyer/classes/396/corlett.pdf>.
"Geography - Merriam-Webster's Atlas." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/nytmaps.pl?madagascar>.
"Madagascar Creates Millions of Acres of New Protected Areas." Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/05/070504-madagascar-parks.html>.
"Panorama: Tropical Rainforest." Ecolibrary. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http://ecolibrary.org/page/DP9008>.
"Picture: Aerial View of Deforestation in Eastern Madagascar." Photographs of Madagascar. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. <http://photos.wildmadagascar.org/images/deforestation_aerial_0066.shtml>.
"Threats to Madagascar's Environment." Madagascar. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. <http://www.wildmadagascar.org/conservation/threats.html>.
