Field Guide to the Littoral Forest, Madagascar

This three year project started in 2005 to produce a field guide to the littoral forest trees of the Tolanaro region in southern Madagascar. The objective of the field guide is to promote and facilitate forest conservation in the region that will be mined by Rio Tinto subsidiary QMM for ilmenite (titanium dioxide). The littoral forest is extremely rich and diverse, with over 900 recorded plant species of which 30 are locally endemic. QMM is actively conserving what little forest remains and is keen to promote research, eco-tourism and local community interest. The field guide is central to their efforts.

The field team consists of Johny Rabenantoandro and Faly Randriatafika of QMM, David Rabevehitra of Missouri Botanic Garden and Stuart Cable of RBG Kew. The field guide will cover all 450 trees and shrubs known from the area and will be published by RBG Kew. It will be taxonomically rigorous, but it is aimed at non-specialists (students, scientists, conservationists, local community, tourists and guides) as well as botanists. The emphasis will be on field characters and photographs, with taxonomic descriptions and terminology kept to a minimum. The keys will make extensive use of photographs.