Patterns of Loss and Regeneration of Tropical Dry Forest in Madagascar: The Social Institutional Context

Loss of tropical forests and changes in land-use/land-cover are of growing concern worldwide. Although knowledge exists about the institutional context in which tropical forest loss is embedded, little is known about the role of social institutions in influencing regeneration of tropical forests. In the present study we used Landsat images from southern Madagascar from three different years (1984, 1993 and 2000) and covering 5500 km(2), and made a time-series analysis of three distinct large-scale patterns: 1) loss of forest cover, 2) increased forest cover, and 3) stable forest cover. Institutional characteristics underlying these three patterns were analyzed, testing the hypothesis that forest cover change is a function of strength and enforcement of local social institutions. The results showed a minor decrease of 7% total forest cover in the study area during the whole period 1984–2000, but an overall net increase of 4% during the period 1993–2000. The highest loss of forest cover occurred in a low human population density area with long distances to markets, while a stable forest cover occurred in the area with highest population density and good market access. Analyses of institutions revealed that loss of forest cover occurred mainly in areas characterized by insecure property rights, while areas with well-defined property rights showed either regenerating or stable forest cover. The results thus corroborate our hypothesis. The large-scale spontaneous regeneration dominated by native endemic species appears to be a result of a combination of changes in precipitation, migration and decreased human population and livestock grazing pressure, but under conditions of maintained and well-defined property rights. Our study emphasizes the large capacity of a semi-arid system to spontaneously regenerate, triggered by decreased pressures, but where existing social institutions mitigate other drivers of deforestation and alternative land-use

The culture history of Madagascar

Madagascar's culture is a unique fusion of elements drawn from the western, northern, and eastern shores of the Indian Ocean, and its past has fascinated many scholars, yet systematic archaeological research is relatively recent on the island. The oldest traces of visitors are from the first century AD. Coastal settlements, with clear evidence of ties to the western Indian Ocean trading network, were established in several places over the next millennium. Important environmental changes of both plant and animal communities are documented over this period, including the extinctions of almost all large animal species. Urban life in Madagascar began with the establishment of the entrepôt of Mahilaka on the northwest coast of the island in the twelfth century. At about the same time, communities with ties to the trade network were established around the island's coasts. From the fourteenth to the sixteenth century, social hierarchies developed in several regions of the island. During the succeeding two centuries, Madagascar saw the development of state polities.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45256/1/10963_2004_Article_BF00997802.pd

Premières découvertes sur l'ancienne culture de l'intérieur de l'Androy (Madagascar). Archéologie de la vallée du Lambomaty sur la haute Manambovo

Heurtebize G., Vérin P. Premières découvertes sur l'ancienne culture de l'intérieur de l'Androy (Madagascar). Archéologie de la vallée du Lambomaty sur la haute Manambovo. In: Journal de la Société des Africanistes, 1974, tome 44, fascicule 2. pp. 113-121

Note sur la confection des tissus de type ikat à Madagascar

3. G. Heurtebize dan J.A. Rakotoarisoa (Université de Madagascar) dengan teliti membeberkan berbagai proses dalam pembuatan anyaman "rabanes" di suatu daerah barat-laut Tanah Malagasi dimana masih dipertahankan proses kuna yang mengingatkan kita pada "ikat" di daerah Indonesia.3. G. Heurtebize and J.A. Rakotoarisoa (University of Madagascar) describe in detail the various stages of the making of "Rabanes" in a region N.W. of Madagascar, where an ancient process which is not unlike the "ikat" found in Indonesia has been preserved.3. G. Heurtebize et J.A. Rakotoarisoa (Université de Tananarive) décrivent en détail les diverses étapes de la fabrication des rabanes dans une région du Nord-ouest de Madagascar, où s'est maintenu un antique procédé qui rappelle Vikat du monde indonésien.Heurtebize G., Rakotoarisoa J. A. Note sur la confection des tissus de type ikat à Madagascar. In: Archipel, volume 8, 1974. pp. 67-81