Introduction
It is widely known that the island of Madagascar comprises a rich biodiversity and houses predominantly endemic species. Madagascar’s impressive biodiversity is reflected in the many ecosystems and habitats present on the island; which include the dry deciduous forest, the littoral forest, and the evergreen forests. According to recent information it is known that at least three unique ecosystems on the island have become too fragmented and degraded for native species to survive, or the remaining parts of the ecosystem are too small to support the mammalian species. This essay aims to establish a clear argument focusing on the conservation status of Madagascar, specifically linked to deforestation and logging of the important ecosystems …show more content…
90% of Madagascar’s endemic species are exclusive to woodland and forest areas and over 70000km² of the ‘core forest’ have been lost between the 1950s and 2000 this has led to an extensive loss of habitat. Deforestation also leads to an increase in exposure to damaging winds, forest fires and access for livestock, other non-forest animals, and hunters. All of these factors effectively reduce the island’s biodiversity as they pose competition to native plant and animal species for space, light, food and other nutrients necessary for survival, potentially resulting in native species being outcompeted. It has been estimated that tropical rainforests provide 50% of terrestrial species with a habitat even though only 10% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface is covered in tropical rainforests. This statistic highlights the importance of tropical rainforests in maintaining a rich biodiversity throughout the world. Efforts have been made by authorities to protect areas on the island, in 2002 Madagascar had 46 legally protected areas which equated to 3% of the island and plans were made to expand this area to 60000km² by 2007. Furthermore, the management and formation of protected areas posed considerable negative consequences on the
It is widely known that the island of Madagascar comprises a rich biodiversity and houses predominantly endemic species. Madagascar’s impressive biodiversity is reflected in the many ecosystems and habitats present on the island; which include the dry deciduous forest, the littoral forest, and the evergreen forests. According to recent information it is known that at least three unique ecosystems on the island have become too fragmented and degraded for native species to survive, or the remaining parts of the ecosystem are too small to support the mammalian species. This essay aims to establish a clear argument focusing on the conservation status of Madagascar, specifically linked to deforestation and logging of the important ecosystems …show more content…
90% of Madagascar’s endemic species are exclusive to woodland and forest areas and over 70000km² of the ‘core forest’ have been lost between the 1950s and 2000 this has led to an extensive loss of habitat. Deforestation also leads to an increase in exposure to damaging winds, forest fires and access for livestock, other non-forest animals, and hunters. All of these factors effectively reduce the island’s biodiversity as they pose competition to native plant and animal species for space, light, food and other nutrients necessary for survival, potentially resulting in native species being outcompeted. It has been estimated that tropical rainforests provide 50% of terrestrial species with a habitat even though only 10% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface is covered in tropical rainforests. This statistic highlights the importance of tropical rainforests in maintaining a rich biodiversity throughout the world. Efforts have been made by authorities to protect areas on the island, in 2002 Madagascar had 46 legally protected areas which equated to 3% of the island and plans were made to expand this area to 60000km² by 2007. Furthermore, the management and formation of protected areas posed considerable negative consequences on the