The Madagascar rosewood massacre

Valuable timber has been exploited from Madagascar’s rainforests for many decades, and Malagasy rosewood and palissandre (Dalbergia spp.) are among the most sought after hardwoods in the world. Large quantities have been harvested and exported at an increasing rate over the last decade, almost entirely from illegal logging in protected areas, in particular Masoala and Marojejy National Parks, which comprise part of the newly-established Atsinanana UNESCO World Heritage Site in the SAVA (Sambava - Antalaha-Vohémar-Andapa) region of northeast Madagascar. We present information obtained from sources in the region that documents an unprecedented, highly organized expansion in the illegal timber trade operating openly in the wake of the country’s current political turmoil, with more than 625 containers of rosewood worth an estimated US $130 million leaving just from the port of Vohémar (Iharana) since early 2009 to cater for the demand of the international market. Members of local communities around Masoala and Marojejy derive very little benefit from timber harvesting, which severely compromises the integrity of the protected areas and their ecosystems, while nearly all the profits go to those who run the illegal operations. Income from ecotourism and other potential benefits is limited at Masoala and Marojejy by the region’s climate, relative inaccessibility and poor infrastructure, making it nearly impossible for locals to resist short-term gains from forest exploitation. Insufficient in numbers and lacking authority, park staff are unable to effect any control over logging activity within protected areas. The current scramble for resources in Madagascar’s parks and reserves challenges the viability of the previous government’s plans to protect 10$ 130 millions du seul port de Vohémar (Iharana), pour couvrir la demande du marché international. Les membres des communautés villageoises limitrophes des parcs de Masoala et de Marojejy ont peu profité de la manne que représente l’exportation de ce bois précieux qui compromet par ailleurs l’intégrité des zones protégées et leurs écosystèmes alors que la quasi-totalité des gains va à ceux qui organisent le trafic. Les revenus de l’écotourisme et d’autres activités sont limités aussi bien dans les parcs de Masoala que du Marojejy par le climat de la région, l’inaccessibilité relative et des infrastructures modestes qui font qu’il est difficile aux gens de la région de résister aux gains à court terme de l’exploitation forestière car elle représente leur seule bouée de sauvetage en cas de crise, qu’il s’agisse d’un cyclone saisonnier ou d’une crise politique comme celle de 2009, d’autant que les agents des parcs n’ont pas les moyens de s’y opposer et ne sont pas assez nombreux. La course actuelle aux ressources des parcs et réserves de Madagascar compromet la légitimité et la viabilité du plan de l’ancien gouvernement de protéger 10% du pays et remet en cause l’engagement pour la protection de la nature du régime actuel

Conservation status of vascular plant species from the QMM/Rio Tinto mining area at Mandena, Tolagnaro (Fort Dauphin) region, southeast Madagascar

A botanical inventory of the Mandena littoral forest, completed in 1991 as part of an environmental impact assessment study for a titanium oxide mining project being developed by QMM/Rio Tinto in the Tolagnaro (Fort Dauphin) region of southeastern Madagascar, identified 29 plant taxa as priorities for conservation, including 16 known only from the proposed mining path (Priority 1) and 13 restricted to the exploration zone (Priority 2). A re-evaluation in 2001 added 11 taxa from Mandena (the first of three sites targeted for mining, to be followed later by Petriky and then Sainte Luce) and removed 13 others, leaving a total of 27 taxa, five classified as Priority 1 and 22 as Priority 2. Using currently available data, we have removed four additional taxa from the list (three because populations were found outside the Tolagnaro area and one because it’s earlier inclusion on the list had been in error) and transferred four others from Priority 1 to Priority 2 as populations had been located within one or more of the newly - established conservation zones at Sainte Luce (747 ha), Mandena (230 ha) and Petriky (125 ha). Of the 15 currently recognized priority taxa present at Mandena, only two (an undescribed species in each of the genera Canthium and Pseudocatha) appear to be endemic there, but all remain a focus of QMM’s environment, conservation and restoration activities. A total of 15 Mandena taxa are listed as threatened on the 2008 IUCN Red List (3 Critically Endangered, 7 Endangered, and 5 Vulnerable), most of which must be regarded as important for conservation; only three of these taxa also appear on the priority list, and none of the 12 remaining priority taxa from Mandena have been assessed for the Red List, underscoring the urgent need to expand evaluation to encompass the entire Malagasy flora and in particular range-restricted taxa. RÉSUMÉ Un inventaire botanique de la forêt littorale de Mandena, clôturé en 1991 dans le cadre d’une étude d’impact environnemental portant sur un projet d’extraction minière d’oxyde de titane élaboré par QMM/Rio Tinto dans la région de Tolagnaro (Fort-Dauphin) au sud-est de Madagascar, a identifié 29 taxons de plantes prioritaires en matière de conservation, dont 16 taxons qui n’étaient connus que des seules parcelles à exploiter (Priorité 1) et 13 taxons dont la distribution était limitée à la zone d’exploration (Priorité 2). Une nouvelle évaluation en 2001 ajouta 11 taxons de Mandena (premier site qui fera l’objet de l’exploitation minière et qui sera suivi par Petriky puis Sainte Luce) et retira 13 autres taxons, ramenant ainsi la liste à 27 taxons dont cinq taxons de Priorité 1 et 22 de Priorité 2. En considérant les données actuellement disponibles, nous avons retiré quatre autres taxons de la liste (trois taxons pour lesquels des populations ont été localisées au - delà de la région de Tolagnaro et un dernier taxon car son inclusion initiale sur la liste n’était pas justifiée) et en avons déclassé quatre autres taxons en les passant de Priorité 1 à Priorité 2 avec des populations identifiées dans une ou plusieurs zone(s) de conservation nouvellement mise(s) en place à Sainte Luce (747 ha), Mandena (230 ha) et Petriky (125 ha). Sur les 15 taxons prioritaires actuellement reconnus et qui sont rencontrés à Mandena, seulement deux (une espèce non décrite dans chacun des genres Canthium et Pseudocatha) semblent y être endémiques mais tous sont concernés par les activités environnementales, de conservation et de restauration de QMM. Quinze taxons de Mandena figurent sur la Liste Rouge des espèces menacées 2008 de l’UICN (3 ‘en danger critique d’extinction’, 7 ‘en danger’ et 5 ‘vulnérable’) dont la plupart doivent être considérés comme importants pour la conservation ; seuls trois de ces taxons apparaissent également sur la liste prioritaire alors qu’aucun des 12 autres taxons prioritaires de Mandena n’a été évalué pour la Liste Rouge, soulignant ainsi le besoin urgent d’étendre l’évaluation pour inclure l’ensemble de la flore malgache et plus particulièrement les taxons avec des distributions réduites

\u3cem\u3eAlectryon vitiensis\u3c/em\u3e: A New Species of Sapindaceae Endemic to Fiji

A new species of Alectryon Gaertn. (Sapindaceae) endemic to the Fijian archipelago is described as A. vitiensis Buerki, Lowry, Munzinger & Callm. based on morphological and molecular evidence. It can easily be distinguished from the two congeners currently known from Fiji by its smaller leaves, subsessile leaflets, apetalous flowers, and crested fruits. A phylogenetic analysis using ITS sequence data shows that the new species is closely related to two Australian endemics, A. diversifolius (F. Muell.) S. T. Reynolds and A. oleifolius (Desf.) S. T. Reynolds, but differs in having compound leaves covered with a golden indument. Moreover, the Australian taxa are associated with dry habitats, whereas the new species from Fiji is confined to evergreen humid forests. Among apetalous species (all of which belong to a well-supported clade), A. vitiensis morphologically most closely resembles the generic type, A. excelsus Gaertn., endemic to New Zealand, but they differ from one another in the type of indument covering their branches and leaves and the arrangement, shape, and nature of the indument on their leaflets; and they belong to different clades. The new species is provisionally assigned a conservation status of “Endangered” according to the IUCN Red List criteria

Clarification on protected area management efforts in Madagascar during periods of heightened uncertainty and instability

In early May 2022, Eklund and colleagues published an article in Nature Sustainability in which they attempted to demonstrate that the early 2020 lockdown imposed in Madagascar by the emerging COVID-19 pandemic had a direct impact on Protected Areas (PAs), with an increase in the number of fires, which then stabilized once the lockdown was over. The authors, undoubtedly in good faith but based on an incomplete understanding of the situation on the ground, were attempting to draw the attention of the international community and donors to the need to maintain and strengthen PA management efforts. Their contribution, while highlighting a real and urgent need, does not, however, do justice to Madagascar’s PA managers, who, in collaboration with the populations living in the vicinity of parks and reserves, maintained and in some instances increased efforts to ensure the integrity of parks and reserves during the COVID-19 period. Following the publication of this paper, we contacted the authors as well as the editors of Nature Sustainability in a collegial effort to draw their attention to the errors identified in the analysis and to point out how this led to a misinterpretation of what actually transpired during the lockdown. We submitted a carefully worded and argued rebuttal for possible publication in Nature Sustainability, which we regarded as justified given the nature and significance of the considerations we had carefully presented

Le référentiel taxonomique Florical et les caractéristiques de la flore vasculaire indigène de la Nouvelle-Calédonie

The taxonomic reference base Florical and characteristics of the native vascular flora of New Caledonia. The floristic inventory presented here comprises the evolving computerised database Florical (http://www.botanique.nc/herbier/florical). As of the date of publication, it lists all native vascular plant species (as well as infraspecific taxa) present in the territory of New Caledonia, whether validly published or in press, along with their basionym, organised according to the most recent classifications systems (APG III 2009 for the angiosperms, Smith et at [2006] for the ferns and lycophytes, and Mabberley [2009] for the gymnosperms), accompanied by their status (native or endemic) and the various vegetation types in which they occur. After a brief historical review of our knowledge of New Caledonian botany, the characteristics (richness, composition and endemism) of the different taxonomic groups (ferns and lycophytes, gymnosperms and then angiosperms -mono- and dicotyledons) are analyzed, followed by an assessment of the distribution of these groups among the vegetation types. The vascular flora of New Caledonia is characterised by its high level of richness (3371 species, including 3099 for the flowering plants alone), despite the absence or under-representation of some taxa that are abundantly represented elsewhere in the tropics, and especially by its remarkable distinctiveness (with endemism at the species level reaching 74,7%, and 77.8% for the flowering plants). The flora stands out by the presence of several relictual taxa and a high level of speciation among certain groups, despite the fact that the island was re-colonised relatively recently following the total submersion of its much older basement during the Paleocene and the Oligocene. Details of the measures taken to conserve this extraordinary natural heritage show that only 3.4% of the territory's total surface area is effectively protected. Despite the undeniable progress made in recent years by the authorities concerned, significant work remains to be done, especially in the northern Province

CITES must urgently take the steps to save Madagascar’s unique species of rosewood and ebony

This contribution is an open letter to all CITES Management and Scientific Authorities, which is signed by all of the co-authors. As CITES convenes its 19th Conference of the Parties in November 2022, some of the largest seizures in history of illegally harvested CITES-listed species are poised to be handed back to the criminals who smuggled them out of Madagascar. Nearly 40,000 rosewood logs were illegally exported from the country in 2014, in clear violation of CITES and national embargos, as explicitly declared in Notices issued by the CITES Secretariat. The logs were seized by Singapore, Kenya, and Sri Lanka, but as a result of both passive and active interference from various Malagasy officials and aggressive use of these countries’ national court and political systems, orders have now been issued for the logs to be returned to the smugglers. Release of this wood would have catastrophic consequences for the future sustainable management of Madagascar’s remaining rosewood and ebony resources. We propose five essential steps that should be taken at the upcoming CITES CoP 19 in Panama to prevent this from happening

Identification of priority areas for plant conservation in Madagascar using Red List criteria: rare and threatened Pandanaceae indicate sites in need of protection

A major problem in establishing effective protocols for conserving Madagascar's biodiversity is the lack of reliable information for the identification of priority sites in need of protection. Analyses of field data and information from herbarium collections for members of the plant family Pandanaceae (85 spp. of Pandanus; 6 spp. of Martellidendron) showed how risk of extinction assessments can inform conservation planning. Application of IUCN Red List categories and criteria showed that 91% of the species are threatened. Mapping occurrence revealed centres of richness and rarity as well as gaps in Madagascar's existing protected area network. Protection of 10 additional sites would be required to encompass the 19 species currently lacking representation in the reserve network, within which east coast littoral forests are particularly under represented and important. The effect of scale on assessments of risk of extinction was explored by applying different grid cell sizes to estimate area of occupancy. Using a grid cell size within the range suggested by IUCN overestimates threatened status if based solely upon specimen data. For poorly inventoried countries such as Madagascar measures of range size based on such data should be complemented with field observations to determine population size, sensitivity to disturbance, and specific threats to habitat and therefore potential population decline. The analysis of such data can make an important contribution to the conservation planning process by identifying threatened species and revealing the highest priority sites for their conservatio

Diversity dynamics in New Caledonia: towards the end of the museum model?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The high diversity of New Caledonia has traditionally been seen as a result of its Gondwanan origin, old age and long isolation under stable climatic conditions (the museum model). Under this scenario, we would expect species diversification to follow a constant rate model. Alternatively, if New Caledonia was completely submerged after its breakup from Gondwana, as geological evidence indicates, we would expect species diversification to show a characteristic slowdown over time according to a diversity-dependent model where species accumulation decreases as space is filled.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We reanalyze available datasets for New Caledonia and reconstruct the phylogenies using standardized methodologies; we use two ultrametrization alternatives; and we take into account phylogenetic uncertainty as well as incomplete taxon sampling when conducting diversification rate constancy tests. Our results indicate that for 8 of the 9 available phylogenies, there is significant evidence for a diversification slowdown. For the youngest group under investigation, the apparent lack of evidence of a significant slowdown could be because we are still observing the early phase of a logistic growth (i.e. the clade may be too young to exhibit a change in diversification rates).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results are consistent with a diversity-dependent model of diversification in New Caledonia. In opposition to the museum model, our results provide additional evidence that original New Caledonian biodiversity was wiped out during the episode of submersion, providing an open and empty space facilitating evolutionary radiations.</p