Influence of agricultural practices and ecological environment on the diversity of the fallows of forest origin (Highlands, Madagascar)

The present study relates to the fallow (kapoka) of forest origin in western edge of the forested “corridor” Ranomafana-Andringitra on the Malagasy Highlands. The objectives of this research were to characterize the evolution of the vegetation in the fallows and to describe the cultivation parameters and those related to the ecological environment in order to determine those which could infl uence the dynamics of succession. A synchronic approach was adopted: 14 fallow fields of different ages were retained. Formal investigations and pedological studies were carried out in the fields. The results showed that: (1) the fallow vegetation can be in a progressive evolution leading to a shrubby and wooded vegetation when intensity of exploitation, characterized by the cumulated duration of the cultivated period, mode of tillage, and the age of the fallow, is weak; on the other hand when intensity of exploitation is high the regressive evolution leading to a grassy formation of pseudo-steppic type occurs; (2) vegetation diversity within each field in fallow is low (from 3 to 41 species), whereas when scale is changed, total diversity for the 14 fields is much more important (107 species)La présente étude concerne les jachères (kapoka) d'origine forestière en lisière ouest du « corridor » forestier Ranomafana-Andringitra sur les Hautes-Terres malgaches. Les objectifs de cette recherche sont de caractériser l'évolution de la végétation dans les jachères et de décrire les paramètres culturaux et liés à la station, afin de déterminer ceux qui pourraient influencer la dynamique de succession. Une approche synchronique a été adoptée: 14 parcelles d'âges différents ont été retenues. Des enquêtes formelles et des études pédologiques ont été effectuées dans les parcelles. Il ressort des résultats que: (1) la végétation des jachères peut évoluer d'une manière progressive si l'intensité d'exploitation, caractérisée par la durée cumulée de la phase culture, le mode de préparation du sol, et l'âge de la jachère, est faible, sinon, c'est l'évolution régressive aboutissant à une formation herbeuse de type pseudo-steppe qui l'emporte; (2) la diversité végétale au sein de chaque parcelle en jachère est faible (de 3 à 41 espèces), alors que si l'on change d'échelle, la diversité totale pour les 14 parcelles est beaucoup plus importante (107 espèces)

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

The impact of natural resource use on bird and reptile communities within multiple-use protected areas: evidence from sub-arid southern Madagascar

Multiple-use protected areas, in which sustainable levels of extractive livelihood activities are permitted, play an increasingly important role in the global protected area estate, and are expected to rise in prevalence. However, we know little about their effectiveness at conserving biodiversity. We surveyed bird and reptile communities in three areas across a forest disturbance gradient resulting from charcoal production and shifting cultivation within a multiple-use protected area in Madagascar’s sub-arid spiny forest. We scored individual species using a Conservation Value Index (CVI; a simple metric based on rarity, threat and distinctiveness), and estimated the total conservation value of each treatment by calculating the sum of frequency-weighted CVI scores across all present species. Bird and reptile community responses to forest disturbance were idiosyncratic. Bird richness was greatest in the moderate-disturbance treatment, but the low-disturbance treatment had the superior conservation value due to higher frequencies of locally-endemic species. Reptile richness was the same in low- and moderate-disturbance treatments, but the conservation value of the latter was greater. The high-disturbance areas had lowest richness and conservation value for both groups. For birds, increasing disturbance levels were accompanied by community turnover from high-value to low-value species, a pattern highlighted by CVI that is masked by assessing species richness alone. Although some endemic species appear to be resilient to degradation, multiple-use protected areas in Madagascar may lose biodiversity since most endemic species are forest-dependent. Stricter protected area models may be more appropriate in areas where much of the high-value biodiversity is sensitive to habitat degradation

Effects of tillage regime, cropping duration and fallow age on diversity and structure of secondary vegetation in Madagascar

The objective of this paper is to determine the effects of tillage regime, cropping duration and fallow age on the diversity, structure and floristic composition of secondary vegetation in a tropical forest of eastern Madagascar. Tillage regime was divided into three categories: (1) no tillage, (2) light tillage (local shallow tillage <10 cm deep) and (3) heavy tillage (tillage of the whole plot, 10-20 cm deep). Cropping duration was divided into three classes: (i) short (1-2 years), (ii) medium (3-4 years) and (iii) long (5-15 years). Eighty-nine fallows subdivided in three regrowth age classes (1-5; 6-10 and 11-29 years) were surveyed. We found that heavy tillage regime was associated with a long cropping duration favouring the establishment of herbaceous and wind-dispersed species and reducing species richness, basal area and maximal height. The recovery of species richness and maximum height was faster under no till compared to heavy tillage. Heavy tillage regime favours proliferation of herbaceous species in the middle age regrowths (6-10 years). Long cropping duration (5-15 years) slowed down the recovery rate of maximal height in the old regrowths (11-29 years). A blockage of secondary succession was never found but a total forest recovery takes a longer time when heavy tillage and long cropping duration were observed

Savoirs et usages des recrus post-agricoles du pays Betsileo : valorisation d'une biodiversité oubliée à Madagascar

Peoples belonging to the Betsileo cultural group have established villages and settlements in the Malagasy Central Highlands on the western edge of a forested &#34;corridor&#34; which links the national parks of Ranomafana and Andringitra. Their mixed economy is primarily based on the growing of irrigated rice, but also partly on the extensive domestic animal breeding and the slash-and-burn cultivation (cassava, sweet potato, corn, bean...) to produce food.  Insofar as the international aid and conservation communities want to stress the ecological importance of the regional of the secondary forests, as well as their important social and economic roles, it is paramount to have baseline data on the local ecological conditions, such as the botanical community occurring in the agricultural secondary forest and regenerating ecotones at the forest edge.  These secondary regrowth or fallow areas, known locally as kapoka, are excellent sites for a variety local bioindicators (succession, seasonality, and soil fertility), as well as local uses of plant resources (wood for heating, cooking, and construction; medicinal and ritual plants).  Through the analysis of local knowledge and the multiple uses of these lands, which are, as the species that compose them, physically and symbolically embedded between the rice plantation and the forest.  We also show the important and ancestral link between these components, which can exist between a ethnic group of rice growers and the Malagasy forest and its trees