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Madagascar
occupies a land area twice the size of the UK, which
supports about 4% of the world’s total biodiversity
in plants and animals. Whilst the island only occupies
0.4% of the planet's land surface,
Madagascar has a much greater species diversity than
average for its land
mass.
Over 80% of the island’s species are unique to
it, the most widely known endemic creature being the
lemur. Madagascar also has two thirds of the world’s
chameleon species, and 6 of the planet’s 8 baobab
species (the African mainland has just one). Madagascar
is seen as one of the earth’s three top biodiversity
hotspots, which combined with it being one of the world’s
poorest countries make it widely regarded as the planet’s
highest conservation priority.
That staggering biodiversity and endemism persist in
a fraction of the island’s original habitat. Between
85-95% of its original forest cover has been destroyed,
primarily through local practise of ‘tavy’,
slash-and-burn, to clear land to grow subsistence crops.
Further pressure comes from legal and illegal logging
activities, plus other industrial pressures such as
charcoal production and mining. Another pressure on
the environment is from burning for ‘greenbite’
- vast areas are put to the flame to encourage the growth
of fresh juicy shoots to feed livestock. As with deforestation,
soil sterility and erosion naturally follow. |
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