Abstract
Protected areas (PAs) are a cornerstone for conservation biodiversity. Madagascar, as a hotspot for biodiversity, has a network of 114 terrestrial protected areas covering the main forest types occurring on the island. Deforestation continues unabated despite the network covering 11% of the island. Here we present a case study approach reporting on four PAs from the humid forests, dry western forests, and southwestern dry and spiny forests and thickets. To describe deforestation in and around the case sites, we have considered a time window of 30 years for analysis, focusing on six years with reliable data: 1990, 2000, 2010, 2015 (the year of latest PA network update), and 2017. We have considered forest versus other land covers within the PAs in “buffers” at a distance of 500 m, 2.5 km, 5 km, and 10 km from the border of the PA. These buffers were set from the border towards the center of the PA (inside the PAs) and from the border outside the PAs. The smallest PAs, Kasijy (IUCN IV), and Behara Tranomaro (no IUCN category), showed the least forest loss. Tsaratanana (IUCN I) had the highest deforestation rates within the last two years of analysis, with deforestation concentrated in the core area. Ranobe PK-32 (no IUCN category), originally with the largest forest extent, has lost most of its forest cover and showed the highest annual deforestation rate (3.5%) between 2015 and 2017. All four cases prove to be very challenging to manage. Future conservation activities require tailored interventions to account for site-specific current and potential future threats, as detailed in this contribution.
Highlights
Considering forest cover in the four case studies, Kasijy has the lowest proportion of forest cover (25%)
The last two years, 2015 and 2017, allowed us to compare the four sites at equal footing: all are under formal protection
The area was considered as an intact forest landscape in the 1990s, justifying its inclusion in the system of protected areas in 2015, but the forest loss in this area accelerated since 2005, especially during the last two years of analysis when all the four cases were under formal protection
Summary
11 aimed to protect a minimum of 17% of the global terrestrial areas that are of particular relevance for biodiversity and ecosystem services by 2020 [5]. This has led to rapid expansions of protected area systems in many countries. Assigning protected areas requires sophisticated conservation planning and decision-making [6,7,8,9]. It is critical for safeguarding biodiversity values for the future that protected area management is efficient and effective [10]. Studies have shown that only some 25% of the protected areas worldwide are based on sound management [11]; yet, “there remains a limited evidence base, and weak
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