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INTRODUCTION
The most widely used map of primary vegetation
for Madagascar is that of Du
Puy and Moat (1996), produced by the Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew. This map, and the majority
of those currently in use in Madagascar, are based
on Faramalala’s earlier vegetation map, which
in turn was derived from satellite imagery from
the late 1970s. The original information from which
these maps were derived is wholly out of date,
and it has been estimated that 20-30% of the primary
vegetation shown has disappeared since. An accurate
and updated vegetation map is thus imperative for
conservation planning and natural resource management
in Madagascar. It is also essential that the data
on which such a map is based be made freely available,
so that conservation organisations, Government
departments, academic institutions and other stakeholders
can use them as an up to date standard dataset
on which to base their activities. In order for
a vegetation map to fulfil its intended role it
must
a) accurately delimit areas with various vegetation types as they currently
exist, and
b) assign those areas to objective categories that can be easily recognized
in the field and that reliably reflect fundamental biological differences (primarily
structural features, i.e. physiognomy).
This Project, supported by the CEPF and
administered by RBG Kew, MBG and CABS,
aims to produce just such a map.
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Initial Classification
from Modis data 2002
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Landsat Composite from
mid 1990’s
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METHODS
Data sources: The CEPF vegetation
map of Madagascar will use state of the art
imagery from the MODIS and Landsat 7 satellites
to stratify the vegetation of Madagascar. This
stratification will be followed up with extensive
field survey and ground truthing, which will
be carried out by the network of botanical
and conservation organisations currently active
in Madagascar. -
Expertise: Botanical and conservation
expertise will be provided by local and international
contributors through a series of technical
workshops, and through a fully interactive
website. All input will be co-ordinated by
the Project Secretariat, based in Antananarivo.
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Products: The major products
arising from this Project will be digital and
paper versions of a new vegetation map for
Madagascar, designed and made publicly available
for conservation, scientific research and natural
resource management purposes.
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Dissemination:
The outputs of the Project will be disseminated
through
a Project website, paper publications, workshops
and training programmes.
Please see out methods web page for more details.
MAJOR OUTPUTS
The
major outputs of this project are essential tools
for assessing,
monitoring and managing biological
diversity both within and outside the existing
protected areas, and one that environmental managers
cannot afford to be without. They are:
- Digital and hard copy versions of a vegetation
map designed and made publicly available for
conservation, scientific research and natural
resource management purposes.
- Delivery of all Landsat and MODIS products,
all co-registered, to Madagascar conservation-based
collaborators, researchers and other stakeholders.
- A revised vegetation classification scheme
for Madagascar, developed, published and made
accessible to non-specialists through the Madagascar
Biodiversity Network and through the Project
website.
- Malagasy personnel trained in the use of remote
sensing and GIS for conservation purposes.
- A network of botanists, conservationists and
other stakeholders working in collaboration throughout
Madagascar
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| Landsat composite of
the Toliara region, 2001. Primary Vegetation
is bright red in this image |
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