Combining global tree cover loss data with historical national forest cover maps to look at six decades of deforestation and forest fragmentation in Madagascar

Vieilledent, Ghislain; Grinand, Clovis; Rakotomalala, Fety A.; Ranaivosoa, Rija; Rakotoarijaona, Jean-Roger; Allnutt, Thomas F.; Achard, Frédéric

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2018.04.008

Cited by 312 publications

(291 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Our findings in the Laoshan Region likely differ from the results for the entire NJNA, due to the variability in topographic, social, and economic factors [47]. Although forest cover maps developed with high-resolution remote sensing imagery with intrinsic differences between image capturing sensors and external differences in model parameter settings and driving factors might improve the accuracy of fragmentation mapping [25,30,40,66], multi-sources, temporal data, and algorithms, including LiDAR, advanced mapping models, in situ inventories, and biodiversity data are required to enhance our understanding of the causes and consequences of forest fragmentation [19,47,66,67]. Nevertheless, monitoring the abrupt changes in forest interior, especially for intact forest, can assist effective conservation efforts in urban forest ecosystems [12,68,69].…”

Section: Uncertainties and Future Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Current and Future Fragmentation Dynamics of Urban Forest Cover in the Nanjing Laoshan Region of Jiangsu, China

Shen

Mao

et al. 2020

Remote Sensing

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Accurate acquisition of the spatiotemporal distribution of urban forests and fragmentation (e.g., interior and intact regions) is of great significance to contributing to the mitigation of climate change and the conservation of habitat biodiversity. However, the spatiotemporal pattern of urban forest cover changes related with the dynamics of interior and intact forests from the present to the future have rarely been characterized. We investigated fragmentation of urban forest cover using satellite observations and simulation models in the Nanjing Laoshan Region of Jiangbei New Area, Jiangsu, China, during 2002–2023. Object-oriented classification-based land cover maps were created to simulate land cover changes using the cellular automation-Markov chain (CA-Markov) model and the state transition simulation modeling. We then quantified the forest cover change by the morphological change detection algorithm and estimated the forest area density-based fragmentation patterns. Their relationships were built through the spatial analysis and statistical methods. Results showed that the overall accuracies of actual land cover maps were approximately 83.75–92.25% (2012–2017). The usefulness of a CA-Markov model for simulating land cover maps was demonstrated. The greatest proportion of forest with a low level of fragmentation was captured along with the decreasing percentage of fragmented area from 81.1% to 64.1% based on high spatial resolution data with the window size of 27 pixels × 27 pixels. The greatest increase in fragmentation (3% from 2016 to 2023) among the changes between intact and fragmented forest was reported. However, intact forest was modeled to have recovered in 2023 and restored to 2002 fragmentation levels. Moreover, we found 58.07 km2 and 0.35 km2 of interior and intact forests have been removed from forest area losses and added from forest area gains. The loss rate of forest interior and intact area exceeded the rate of total forest area loss. However, their approximate ratio (1) implying the loss of forest interior and intact area would have slight fragmentation effects on the remaining forests. This analysis illustrates the achievement of protecting and restoring forest interior; more importantly, excessive human activities in the surrounding area had been avoided. This study provides strategies for future forest conservation and management in large urban regions.

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Section: Uncertainties and Future Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Current and Future Fragmentation Dynamics of Urban Forest Cover in the Nanjing Laoshan Region of Jiangsu, China

Shen

Mao

et al. 2020

Remote Sensing

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“…Many extant vertebrate species have populations in the east and west, but lack representation in the Central Highlands today (Goodman & Raherilalao, ; Muldoon & Goodman, ), which is largely depauperate of native vegetational communities. Much forest has been lost by burning and clearing for agriculture (McConnell & Kull, ); 44% of the island's natural forest cover has disappeared since 1953 (Vieilledent et al ., ). Despite the Central Highlands being a fairly large region, its natural forests comprise only 2.6% of the nation's total (Dufils, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

A new late Pleistocene subfossil site (Tsaramody, Sambaina basin, central Madagascar) with implications for the chronology of habitat and megafaunal community change on Madagascar's Central Highlands

Samonds

Crowley

Rasolofomanana

et al. 2019

J Quaternary Science

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Madagascar is a complex ‘biodiversity hotspot’ with a rapidly dwindling biota. The Late Quaternary subfossil record includes many extinct species whose loss is attributed to natural climate change and human impacts. Investigation of the chronology of these events is challenging because few localities document pre‐Holocene communities not impacted by humans. Caves with extinct lemurs of large body size comprise some of Madagascar's richest subfossil sites, but provide only a limited window into the island's past. Open highland sites may have fewer primates, but may better document other megafauna, and allow the analysis of the role of the Central Highlands as refugia and as corridors for the dispersal of vertebrates before and after human arrival. Here we present a new subfossil site, Tsaramody (Sambaina basin, Central Madagascar), a high‐altitude wetland area that preserves a diverse late glacial and postglacial vertebrate community. Tsaramody bears testimony to fluctuations in the highland flora during the transition from glacial to postglacial conditions, and the composition of a highland vertebrate community before humans arrived. We compare its biota to those of other sites to begin to document the decline and disappearance of megafauna from some of Madagascar's open ecosystems – wetlands dominated by hippopotamuses and crocodylians. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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“…6B), although there was a lower number of endemic species in the managed habitats than in the natural habitats (64 vs 78 %). It is known that species' reactions to anthropogenic disturbance in Madagascar are generally negative, but they still re-main poorly known (Irwin et al 2010, Vieilledent et al 2018). Our results have confirmed the negative effect of the management practice of deforestation and burning.…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Today, only 10-15% of Madagascar's natural areas remain relatively well-preserved, while some areas and regions are managed and cultivated with high intensity and some are abandoned or seminatural (Vences et al 2009, Irwin et al 2010, Vieilledent et al 2018. Forest habitats, in particular, are critically endangered by massive deforestation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assemblages of orthopteroid insects along environmental gradients in central and southern Madagascar

Krištín¹,

Heller²,

Zemko³

et al. 2019

JOR

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Madagascar is one of the world hotspots for endemics, and its rapidly changing habitats accelerate the need for their study and conservation. Orthopterans, mantids, phasmids, and cockroaches were sampled in five main habitats (savanna and shrubland, semiarid spiny forest, rainforest, mountain grass- and shrubland, and cultivated habitats) in central and southern Madagascar (41 sites, 0–2250 m a.s.l.) with the aim of getting the first data on their diversity and distribution along environmental gradients shortly after the rainy period. Samples were collected primarily by sweeping herb and shrub vegetation along transects 100 m long and 1–2 m wide (5–8 transects/site) and supplemented using other techniques. Altogether 117 species of orthopteroid insects were found (94 Orthoptera, 7 Mantodea, 4 Phasmida, and 12 Blattodea), among them two katydid species which had been recently described as new to science (Mimoscudderia longicaudata Heller & Krištín, 2019, Parapyrrhicia leuca Hemp & Heller, 2019). High species diversity was documented: altogether 63 species (53.8%) were present at only one site, 14 (12%) at two sites, and 5 species (4.2%) at three sites. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis on species composition did not clearly separate the assemblages of the sampled sites. Species assemblages from four habitats overlapped due to their similarity. Only assemblages from the rainforest sites were partially separated from the other sites. Cultivated habitats were characterized by the most frequent (F > 50%) and abundant grasshopper species, such as Acorypha decisa, Aiolopus thalassinus rodericensis, Oedaleus virgula, Gelastorrhinus edax, Gymnobothrus spp,. and Acrotylus spp. We found a significant association between habitat management and species rareness, where the number of rare species was higher in natural/unmanaged habitats. However, we found no association between habitat management and the number of endemic species. For several species we provide the first detailed data on their localities and habitat.

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Combining global tree cover loss data with historical national forest cover maps to look at six decades of deforestation and forest fragmentation in Madagascar

Cited by 312 publications

References 47 publications

Understanding Current and Future Fragmentation Dynamics of Urban Forest Cover in the Nanjing Laoshan Region of Jiangsu, China

Understanding Current and Future Fragmentation Dynamics of Urban Forest Cover in the Nanjing Laoshan Region of Jiangsu, China

A new late Pleistocene subfossil site (Tsaramody, Sambaina basin, central Madagascar) with implications for the chronology of habitat and megafaunal community change on Madagascar's Central Highlands

Assemblages of orthopteroid insects along environmental gradients in central and southern Madagascar

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