Madagascar: Unrealized Potential in Natural Resources
1997; Oxford University Press; Volume: 95; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1093/jof/95.2.10
ISSN1938-3746
Autores Tópico(s)International Maritime Law Issues
ResumoUnrealized Potentia nvironmental degradation is an increasingly important problem for the world's fourth-largest island.Since the arrival of people from Indonesia 2,000 years ago, as much as 80 percent of Madagascar's forest and native vegetation has been destroyed.Many plant and animal species have become extinct, including the baboonlike terrestrial lemur (Hadropithecus) and the elephant bird (Aepyornis maximus); many others are endangered or threatened (Mittermeier et al. 1994).Yet a fantastic array of unique flora and fauna persists, and it is generally agreed in Madagascar and the international environmental community that conservadon of the island's unique biodiversity is a high priority.The island nevertheless has considerable productive potential if traditional land-use practices are changed and modern soil conservation and forest management technologies are implemented.Those same interventions will save much of the island's remaining biodiversity--paving the way for the Malagasy to find alternative sources of income in ecotourism and minor forest products, such as medicinal plants, essential oils, spices, and fruits.Madagascar, separated from the east coast of Africa by the 300-km Mozambique Channel, falls mostly within the tropical zone.Because of its large size and diverse geology, climate, and vegetation, it is often regarded as a microcontinent.The geographic isolation of Madagascar has resulted in the evolution of the unique flora and fauna for which the island is noted.Estimates of the species of plants vary from 7,000 to 12,000, of which approximately 80 percent are native to Madagascar alone (Harcourt 1990).The distribution and biodiversity of Madagascar's forests are determined largely by the availability of moisture, temperature, elevation, and soil fertility and soil physical properties.These environmental characteristics are also important for forest management and the establishment of tree plantations.The natural vegetation along the east coast is lowland rainforest.The region is characterized by high species diversity and endemism.Certain
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