Human Impact

Since 1950 deforestation has increased significantly, damaging a great amount of Madagascar's tropical rainforest. With the increase in inhabitants, pressure placed on the land to provide for this rapid growing population. At a rate of 11 million hectares a year, tropical rainforests are being destroyed.Thus, making this ecosystem ugly.

The shifting cultivation practice of "tavy" or slash and burn agriculture is one of the major threats to these forests. Forests are cut and burned to grow crops such as manioc and hill rice. An acre or two of forest would be planted with rice for two to three years of production and then left alone. The land would then be abandoned to allow for it to regenerate into bush land and thicket. Typically, after 10 years, the land could be used for agricultural crops once again. However, due to the pressure from the increasing population, this uncultivated period shortens and the land would become degraded to the point where crops cannot be planted anymore. Secondary grasslands are thus created.

http://travel.mongabay.com/madagascar/images/madagascar_0979.html

Logging for timber is another threat to Madagascar's tropical rainforest.  It introduces invasive species, reduces biodiversity, and causes damage from dragging the trees out of the forest. Illegal logging is occurring in many national parks in which people export hardwood, making this a business. The high value of hardwood such as ebony and rosewood cause people to cut down these forests. These hardwood can be sold at $2,000 a ton. In Masoala National Park, about 17,194 tons of wood has been exported during 2000-2001.

Illegal logging of Rosewood in Masoala

 http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/43142

 Madagascar's deforestation rate has increased by 36% since 2000-2010

http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0202-international_year_of_forests.html

1. Schuurman, Derek, and Porter P. Lowry III. The Madagascar Rosewood Massacre. Mwc-info. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. <http://www.mwc-info.net/en/services/Journal_PDF%27s/Issue4-2/MCD_2009_vol4_iss2_rosewood_massacre.pdf>.
2. "Threats to Madagascar's Biodiversity and Ecosystems." Madagascar: Environmental Profile. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. <http://rainforests.mongabay.com/20madagascar.htm>.
3. "Madagascar Lowland Forests." Madagascar Lowland Forests. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Madagascar_lowland_forests>.