Abstract
Located about fifty kilometers North of Toamasina (East Madagascar), the Commune of Mahavelona Foulpointe has a mangrove relic of about 2 hectares. Despite the ecological and socio-economic roles played by this ecosystem, it remains so far an orphan site, both in terms of official management and development. The purpose of this article is to take stock of the situation with a view to proposing methods for the sustainable development of this small mangrove via valuation of its natural dynamics. Systematic floristic inventory work was carried out, following a linear ABC transect of 50 - 100 m, from the sea (zone C) to the rear mangrove (zone A). Five mangrove species exist at Foulpointe: Avicennia marina, Sonneratia alba, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Rhizophora mucronata, Lumnitzera racemosa. With anthropogenic harvesting and tourism activities in the area, this ecosystem suffers an annual spatial loss of about 0.14 ha between 2009 and 2016. With a natural regeneration rate of about 966% the small man-grove has a strong capacity for regeneration. Taking into account the pace of current clearing, it would disappear in 10 - 15 years. The valorization of regenerated young plants, followed by intensive preservation and restoration actions, constitutes a sustainable development path.
Highlights
With 4260 ha of mangroves [1], the Malagasy East coast accounts for nearly 2% of Malagasy mangroves [2]-[8]
Five mangrove species exist at Foulpointe: Avicennia marina, Sonneratia alba, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Rhizophora mucronata, Lumnitzera racemosa
The objective is to propose a modality of sustainable management through the valuation of its natural dynamics, by combining restoration and actual involvement of the local population
Summary
With 4260 ha of mangroves [1], the Malagasy East coast accounts for nearly 2% of Malagasy mangroves [2]-[8]. Described as small mangroves [8] for the most part, these forests are mainly found at the Ambodivahibe, Irodo and Rigny complex, where 84% of the mangroves in the East of Madagascar are concentrated. About 2 hectares in size, the mangrove relic of Foulpointe, a rural commune located about fifty kilometers north of Toamasina (Figure 1), represents only 0.08% of the mangroves of the East. This ecosystem plays important socio-economic and ecological roles as raised by [10]. Mangroves are still an important ecological niche for the food and financial resources of the riparian population [11] [12]. The mangrove relic of Foulpointe remains unknown; it is an orphan site in terms of official manager and planning. This article aims to identify the ecological and development potentials of this small mangrove. The objective is to propose a modality of sustainable management through the valuation of its natural dynamics, by combining restoration and actual involvement of the local population
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