Rosewood of Madagascar: Between democracy and conservation

In 2009 an estimated 52,000 tonnes of precious wood from ca. 100,000 rosewood and ebony trees was logged in north - east Madagascar, one third originating from Marojejy National Park and its environs, the remainder from in and around Masoala National Park. At least 500,000 additional trees and many miles of vines were cut to make rafts to transport the heavy ebony and rosewood logs. Approximately 36,700 tonnes were shipped in 1,187 containers, almost all to China, for a total export sale price estimated at $US 220 million. In the SAVA region, members of the timber syndicate pocketed 76$ US 15.3 million. Of the three main companies that transported rosewood from Vohemar, Delmas benefited most; three banks also facilitated the illegal timber trade. Fraud is perpetrated by the syndicate and government administrators along every step in Madagascar’s precious timber trade in a coordinated effort to maximize profit and minimize taxes and fines. Poor governance and a lack of clarity in forest regulation have facilitated timber trafficking and undermined judicial control; during at least three periods (1992, 2006 and 2009 - 2010) escalation of rosewood exportation has been facilitated by government decrees issued prior to elections or during difficult political times, in each instance accompanied by ‘exceptional’ government orders allowing a few powerful operators to export massive quantities of wood – all part of a carefully orchestrated cycle. The near-silence of donors and NGOs is linked to their loss of influence following suspension of all but humanitarian aid since 17 March 2009

Two sides to every coin: farmers’ perceptions of mining in the Maningory watershed, Madagascar

An increasing share of Madagascar’s population is dependent on artisanal and small-scale mining (AMS) as a source of livelihood. However, this unregulated activity has numerous repercussions on the miners themselves and on neighboring communities. This study explores the perception of mining of those indirectly affected by its growing presence. Farmers and fishers were interviewed to better understand the perceived impacts of AMS on communities situated at varying distances from mining activity. The results of this first qualitative study show that positive or negative perception may be linked to geographical distance to mines. Those living in mining-communities may reap more benefits from the proximity than those living further away, who mainly experience negative effects. The results from this small sample will need to further be empirically tested. RÉSUMÉUne part croissante de la population de Madagascar tire l’essentiel de ses moyens de subsistance de l’exploitation minière artisanale et à petite échelle. Cependant, cette activité nonréglementée a de nombreuses répercussions sur les mineurs euxmêmes et sur les communautés voisines. Cette étude explore comment les riverains indirectement touchés perçoivent l’exploitation minière qu’ils rencontrent de plus en plus souvent. Des paysans et des pêcheurs de communautés basées à des distances variées des activités minières ont été interviewés afin de mieux comprendre les impacts perçus de l’exploitation minière artisanale. Les résultats de cette première étude qualitative montrent que des perceptions positives ou négatives pourraient être liées à la distance entre les lieux de vie des communautés et les mines. Les habitants vivant au sein de communautés minières pourraient tirer plus de profit de cette proximité que ceux vivant plus loin et ressentant principalement des effets négatifs. Les résultats de ce premier échantillon devront être vérifiés de manière empirique

Tool development to understand rural resource users’ land use and impacts on land type changes in Madagascar

A majority of Madagascar’s rural people depend on the primary sector. The countrie’s agricultural hub, the Alaotra-Mangoro region, is mainly tied to fisheries and rice production. Increasing human population and decreasing output from fisheries and agriculture are pushing the rural resource users further into the protected marshlands. Understanding rural farmers’ decisions can help developing improved management plans to support long-term functioning of (socio-) ecological systems. We present here an example of inter- and transdisciplinary research which uses a participatory modelling approach to develop a shared vision of the Alaotra socio-ecological system. The purpose of this study is to introduce the used gaming approach in detail by documenting the process of co-construction of the Alaotra wetlands’ conceptual model. We then describe how the model is transcribed into a table-top role-playing game that will help researchers and stakeholders alike explore and understand decisions and management strategies. We finally report on first outcomes of the game including land use decisions, reaction to market fluctuation and landscape change. RésuméLa majorité des populations rurales de Madagascar dépendent du secteur primaire. Le centre agricole du pays, la région d'Alaotra-Mangoro, est principalement lié à la pêche et à la production de riz. L'accroissement de la population humaine et la diminution de la production de la pêche et de l'agriculture poussent les utilisateurs des ressources rurales vers les marais protégés. Comprendre les décisions des agriculteurs peut aider à développer de meilleurs plans de gestion pour soutenir le fonctionnement à long terme des systèmes (socio-) écologiques. Nous présentons ici un exemple de recherche interdisciplinaire et transdisciplinaire qui utilise une approche de modélisation participative pour développer une vision partagée du système socio-écologique d'Alaotra. Le but de cette étude est de présenter en détail l'approche des jeux utilisée ici, en documentant le processus de co-construction du modèle conceptuel pour les zones humides d'Alaotra. Nous décrivons ensuite comment le modèle est transcrit dans un jeu de rôle sur plateau qui aidera les chercheurs et les parties prenantes à explorer et à comprendre les décisions et les stratégies de gestion. Nous présentons enfin les premiers résultats du jeu, y compris les décisions d'utilisation des terres, la réponse aux fluctuations du marché et aux changements de paysages

Tool development to understand rural resource users’ land use and impacts on land type changes in Madagascar

A majority of Madagascar’s rural people depend on the primary sector. The country’s agricultural hub, the Alaotra-Mangoro region, is mainly tied to fisheries and rice production. Increasing human population and decreasing output from fisheries and agriculture are pushing the rural resource users further into the protected marshlands. Understanding rural farmers’ decisions can help developing improved management plans to support long-term functioning of (socio-) ecological systems. We present here an example of inter- and transdisciplinary research which uses a participatory modelling approach to develop a shared vision of the Alaotra socio-ecological system. The purpose of this study is to introduce the used gaming approach in detail by documenting the process of co-construction of the Alaotra wetlands’ conceptual model. We then describe how the model is transcribed into a table-top role-playing game that will help researchers and stakeholders alike explore and understand decisions and management strategies. We finally report on first outcomes of the game including land use decisions, reaction to market fluctuation and landscape change.RÉSUMÉLa majorité des populations rurales de Madagascar dépendent du secteur primaire. Le centre agricole du pays, la région d'Alaotra- Mangoro, est principalement lié à la pêche et à la production de riz. L'accroissement de la population humaine et la baisse de la production agricole et de la pêche poussent les utilisateurs des ressources rurales vers les marais protégés. Comprendre les décisions des agriculteurs peut aider à développer de meilleursplans de gestion pour soutenir le fonctionnement à long terme des systèmes (socio-) écologiques. Nous présentons ici un exemple de recherche interdisciplinaire et transdisciplinaire qui utilise une approche de modélisation participative pour développer une vision partagée du système socio-écologique d'Alaotra. Le but de cette étude est de présenter en détail l'approche des jeux utilisée, en documentant le processus de co-construction du modèle conceptuel pour les zones humides d'Alaotra. Nous décrivons ensuite comment le modèle est transcrit dans un jeu de rôle sur plateau qui aidera les chercheurs et les parties prenantes à explorer et à comprendre les décisions et les stratégies de gestion. Nous présentons enfin les premiers résultats du jeu, y compris les décisions d'utilisation des terres, la réponse aux fluctuations du marché et aux changements des paysages.

Technical Design Report for the PANDA Solenoid and Dipole Spectrometer Magnets

This document is the Technical Design Report covering the two large spectrometer magnets of the PANDA detector set-up. It shows the conceptual design of the magnets and their anticipated performance. It precedes the tender and procurement of the magnets and, hence, is subject to possible modifications arising during this process.Comment: 10 pages, 14MB, accepted by FAIR STI in May 2009, editors: Inti Lehmann (chair), Andrea Bersani, Yuri Lobanov, Jost Luehning, Jerzy Smyrski, Technical Coordiantor: Lars Schmitt, Bernd Lewandowski (deputy), Spokespersons: Ulrich Wiedner, Paola Gianotti (deputy

Physics Performance Report for PANDA: Strong Interaction Studies with Antiprotons

To study fundamental questions of hadron and nuclear physics in interactions of antiprotons with nucleons and nuclei, the universal PANDA detector will be built. Gluonic excitations, the physics of strange and charm quarks and nucleon structure studies will be performed with unprecedented accuracy thereby allowing high-precision tests of the strong interaction. The proposed PANDA detector is a state-of-the art internal target detector at the HESR at FAIR allowing the detection and identification of neutral and charged particles generated within the relevant angular and energy range. This report presents a summary of the physics accessible at PANDA and what performance can be expected.Comment: 216 page

Technical Design Report for the: PANDA Micro Vertex Detector

This document illustrates the technical layout and the expected performance of the Micro Vertex Detector (MVD) of the PANDA experiment. The MVD will detect charged particles as close as possible to the interaction zone. Design criteria and the optimisation process as well as the technical solutions chosen are discussed and the results of this process are subjected to extensive Monte Carlo physics studies. The route towards realisation of the detector is outlined.Comment: 189 pages, 225 figures, 41 table