Southwestern Madagascar Research Articles

Exploring the policy and institutional context of a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme for mangroves in southwestern Madagascar

Although Payments for Ecosystem Services schemes emerged since the 1980′s to manage forest ecosystems, their application to mangrove forests is still recent, and evidence of their effectiveness is still questioned towards the complex legal status of mangroves. This study explored the context of policy and institution regarding the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) implemented in the mangroves of the Southwestern Madagascar. We used Policy content analysis to examine the interactions between the Madagascar sectoral policies and the PES design frameworks developed under the Reduction of Emission from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In addition, semi-structured interviews with national and local stakeholders were conducted to identify i) institutional interplay between PES and mangroves and ii) challenges faced with the implementation of PES in the mangroves. We found that environmental, fisheries and land use planning policies that concern mangrove management are coherent with the frameworks and supportive of PES implementation. Lack of clear legal frameworks and coordination between the sectoral ministries, weakness of government organisations due to political instability, and limited local governance capacity are the major challenges for the implementation of PES schemes in mangroves. These led to lower motivation to collaborate in mangrove conservation efforts among the members of local communities. We emphasized that the existence of the mangrove PES initiative like in the Baie des Assassins could be a catalyst for Madagascar to develop clear policy, legislation, and institutions to support effective implementation of the PES schemes in mangroves.

The postcranial skeleton of the gliding reptile Coelurosauravus elivensis Piveteau, 1926 (Diapsida, Weigeltisauridae) from the late Permian Of Madagascar

ABSTRACT The postcranial skeleton of the gliding neodiapsid reptile Coelurosauravus elivensis (Lower Sakamena Formation, ?upper Permian, southwestern Madagascar) is re-described in detail based on all previously referred specimens. The exquisite preservation of the material provides three-dimensional details of the individual bones, which are missing in the Laurasian weigeltisaurid material. A new skeletal reconstruction of C. elivensis is proposed including the first reconstruction of a weigeltisaurid reptile in lateral view. The re-examination of the material highlights interspecific differences in the postcranium of weigeltisaurids, in particular in the trunk and patagial spars. These animals have long been considered as arboreal and gliding reptiles. However, new information on the postcranium of C. elivensis reveals strong similarities with both extant and extinct quadrupeds specialized for a clinging arboreal lifestyle. Additionally, the presence of an additional phalanx in the fifth digit of the manus is now attested for all weigeltisaurids where this region is preserved. We suggest that this morphology could have allowed weigeltisaurids to grasp their patagium as observed in the extant gliding agamid Draco. Weigeltisaurids are thus the earliest known gliding vertebrates and some of the first tetrapods with an obligatory arboreal lifestyle, but also represent the only known vertebrates with a hyperphalangy aligned with a gliding apparatus.

Sex-specific movement ecology of the shortest-lived tetrapod during the mating season

Sex-specific reproductive strategies are shaped by the distribution of potential mates in space and time. Labord’s chameleon (Furcifer labordi) from southwestern Madagascar is the shortest-lived tetrapod whose life-time mating opportunities are restricted to a few weeks. Given that these chameleons grow to sexual maturity within about three months and that all individuals die soon after breeding, their mating strategies should be adapted to these temporal constraints. The reproductive tactics of this or any other Malagasy chameleon species have not been studied, however. Radio-tracking and observations of 21 females and 18 males revealed that females exhibit high site fidelity, move small cumulative and linear distances, have low corresponding dispersal ratios and small occurrence distributions. In contrast, males moved larger distances in less predictable fashion, resulting in dispersal ratios and occurrence distributions 7–14 times larger than those of females, and males also had greater ranges of their vertical distribution. Despite synchronous hatching, males exhibited substantial inter-individual variation in body mass and snout-vent length that was significantly greater than in females, but apparently unrelated to their spatial tactics. Females mated with up to 6 individually-known mates, but frequent encounters with unmarked individuals indicate that much higher number of matings may be common, as are damaging fights among males. Thus, unlike perennial chameleons, F. labordi males do not seem to maintain and defend territories. Instead, they invest vastly more time and energy into locomotion for their body size than other species. Pronounced variation in key somatic traits may hint at the existence of alternative reproductive tactics, but its causes and consequences require further study. This first preliminary study of the mating system of a Malagasy chameleon indicates that, as in other semelparous tetrapods, accelerated life histories are tied to a mating system with intense contest and scramble competition among males.

Allometric models to predict the individual aboveground biomass of shrubs of Malagasy xerophytic thickets

Xerophytic thicket (XT) is a shrubby vegetation found in the semi-arid southern and south-western Madagascar. Above ground biomass (AGB) is a key element to understand how this ecosystem is operating and then to design and implement any sustainable management strategy. This study aimed to build AGB allometric models for Malagasy XT shrubs. One hundred and ninety-eight individuals belonging to 20 XT common species were harvested. The models linked AGB to height, diameter at breast height (DBH), basal diameter, stem number and wood specific gravity. Empirical models taking into account the shrub architecture (multistemmed with single basal stem and first branches below a height of 1.3 m, multistemmed with multiple basal stems and shrubs with first branches over a height of 1.3 m) are more efficient to predict XT shrub AGB than the pantropical tree AGB model.

Goat Breeding: A Possible Sustainable Way to Manage Xerophytic Thickets in Southwestern Madagascar

Spiny thickets or xerophytic thickets (XTs) are a type of shrubby vegetation found in the far south and southwest of Madagascar, the driest parts of the island. This type of vegetation, which is rich in endemic animal and plant species, is endangered. Extensive local goat breeding (Capra hircus, for meat and milk production) based on XT browsing is an important source of household income. The aim of this paper is to analyse the possibility of using improved goat breeding as an alternative to wood charcoal (WC) production and slash-and-burn agriculture (SBA), which are unsustainable activities. The literature on (i) the impacts of SBA, WC production, and goat browsing on the XT ecosystem and (ii) the income provided by these three activities is reviewed to determine the sustainability level of improved goat husbandry. SBA and WC production reduced XT biomass and XT cover area, while goat browsing alone, at a stocking rate of one head per hectare, did not affect XT leaf biomass production and shrub regeneration. Furthermore, batch breeding and flushing techniques provided the highest annual income, mainly from the sale of surplus animal products. This improved goat husbandry may be a sustainable alternative to WC production. However, increasing the current stocking rate is necessary to surpass the combined income of WC production and SBA. An estimation of the XT carrying capacity would offer a basis to assess whether this ecosystem would support a higher stocking rate.

The phylogeographic history of Megistostegium (Malvaceae) in the dry, spiny thickets of southwestern Madagascar using RAD-seq data and ecological niche modeling.

The spiny thicket of southwestern Madagascar represents an extreme and ancient landscape with extraordinary levels of biodiversity and endemism. Few hypotheses exist for explaining speciation in the region and few plant studies have explored hypotheses for species diversification. Here, we investigate three species in the endemic genus Megistostegium (Malvaceae) to evaluate phylogeographic structure and explore the roles of climate, soil, and paleoclimate oscillations on population divergence and speciation throughout the region. We combine phylogenetic and phylogeographic inference of RADseq data with ecological niche modeling across space and time. Population structure is concurrent with major rivers in the region and we identify a new, potentially important biogeographic break coincident with several landscape features. Our data further suggests that niches occupied by species and populations differ substantially across their distribution. Paleodistribution modeling provide evidence that past climatic change could be responsible for the current distribution, population structure, and maintenance of species in Megistostegium.

A population survey of sympatric cheirogaleids in southwestern Madagascar

AbstractZombitse‐Vohibasia National Park harbours a species‐rich but understudied lemur community in southwestern Madagascar. Local population estimates are dated or absent for its four sympatric species of Cheirogaleidae: the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), Coquerel's giant mouse lemur (Mirza coquereli), fat‐tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius) and pale fork‐marked lemur (Phaner pallescens). To provide local density and encounter rate estimates for these cheirogaleids, we conducted line transect surveys in the Zombitse sector of the National Park over a three‐week period in December 2018–January 2019. We calculated densities of 37.4 Mir. coquereli individuals/km2 (95% CI = 20.4–68.6) and 230.8 C. medius individuals/km2 (95% CI = 172.6–308.6). Our results highlight the conservation importance of Zombitse‐Vohibasia as a stronghold for these restricted and threatened species. The sample sizes for Mic. murinus and P. pallescens were insufficient for generating population estimates. Considering that Microcebus spp. are typically amongst the most abundant mammals at a given site, further studies are needed to investigate and verify this apparent scarcity.

Linking seagrass ecosystem services to food security: The example of southwestern Madagascar’s small-scale fisheries

Small-scale fisheries(SSF) are crucialfor food security and poverty alleviation. Many SSF are however under pressure, and in need of better management paying special attention to the key seascape ecosystems which are supporting them. This study investigates the importance of seagrass beds for SSF households and their food security in southwestern Madagascar. The specific aims of this study were to: i) analyze if and how seagrass-associated fish contributes to subsistence and/or the economy of local fishing households, ii) identify and compare seagrass ecosystem goods and services valued by local fishers in a rural and an urban setting, and iii) analyze links between local people and seagrasses in terms of local ecological knowledge, use and traditions. The results showed that seagrasses were the most important fishing habitats for most fishers. Seagrass-associated fish species were both the economically most important and most commonly fished species, and are a major source of protein in the region. Further, seagrass-derived sea urchins are important complements to local people’s diets. Thefindings illustrate that seagrasses contribute both through subsistence and income generation to food security and wellbeing of coastal people in southwestern Madagascar. This highlights the need to consider seagrass ecosystems in management towards sustainable SSFand their ability to sustain food security for future generations.

Estimating wood charcoal supply to Toliara town in southwestern Madagascar, a comparison of methods

Wood charcoal is the main energy source used by households in developing countries. However, due to the impact of wood charcoal production on forests, it is difficult to maintain a sustainable supply of wood charcoal for towns located in semi-arid environments. The supply of wood charcoal to the city of Toliara is a major challenge in southwestern Madagascar, the most arid part of the island. To design and assess the feasibility of initiatives to address these socio-environmental issues, an accurate estimation of the town's wood charcoal consumption is required. This paper aims to estimate the annual quantity of wood charcoal consumed in Toliara and to compare the errors associated with two estimation methods: (i) observation of wood charcoal flows on the main roads entering the town, and (ii) survey among Toliara wood charcoal traders (wholesalers and retailers). The first approach provided an annual rate of wood charcoal entering Toliara of 43 460 ± 2 017 t (mean±standard error). The second approach estimated annual wood charcoal consumption at 31 247 ± 3 337 t. The difference may essentially be explained by the fact that the first approach is more comprehensive and includes all possible wood charcoal flows whereas the second approach only includes those foreseen in the value chain model. The first approach gave more accurate results, but is more difficult to replicate as it is more time-consuming and requires more human and financial resources. Tree plantation was suggested to increase wood charcoal supply in Toliara town. About 56 000 ha of eucalyptus plantations would be needed to meet the current wood charcoal demand. Less than 500 ha of tree plantations have been done until now essentially due to willpower and organisational problems.

Teasing Apart Impacts of Human Activity and Regional Drought on Madagascar’s Large Vertebrate Fauna: Insights From New Excavations at Tsimanampesotse and Antsirafaly

Madagascar experienced a major faunal turnover near the end of the first millenium CE that particularly affected terrestrial, large-bodied vertebrate species. Teasing apart the relative impacts of people and climate on this event requires a focus on regional records with good chronological control. These records may document coeval changes in rainfall, faunal composition, and human activities. Here we present new paleontological and paleoclimatological data from southwestern Madagascar, the driest part of the island today. We collected over 1500 subfossil bones from deposits at a coastal site called Antsirafaly and from both flooded and dry cave deposits at Tsimanampesotse National Park. We built a chronology of Late Holocene changes in faunal assemblages based on 65 radiocarbon-dated specimens and subfossil associations. We collected stalagmites primarily within Tsimanampesotse but also at two additional locations in southern Madagascar. These provided information regarding hydroclimate variability over the past 120,000 years. Prior research has supported a primary role for drought (rather than humans) in triggering faunal turnover at Tsimanampesotse. This is based on evidence of: (1) a large freshwater ecosystem west of what is now the hypersaline Lake Tsimanampesotse, which supported freshwater mollusks and waterfowl (including animals that could not survive on resources offered by the hypersaline lake today); (2) abundant now-extinct terrestrial vertebrates; (3) regional decline or disappearance of certain tree species; and (4) scant local human presence. Our new data allow us to document the hydroclimate of the subarid southwest during the Holocene, as well as shifts in faunal composition (including local extirpations, large-vertebrate population collapse, and the appearance of introduced species). These records affirm that climate alone cannot have produced the observed vertebrate turnover in the southwest. Human activity, including the introduction of cattle, as well as associated changes in habitat exploitation, also played an important role.

Ethnic Markers without Ethnic Conflict : Why do Interdependent Masikoro, Mikea, and Vezo of Madagascar Signal their Ethnic Differences?

People often signal their membership in groups through their clothes, hairstyle, posture, and dialect. Most existing evolutionary models argue that markers label group members so individuals can preferentially interact with those in their group. Here we ask why people mark ethnic differences when interethnic interaction is routine, necessary, and peaceful. We asked research participants from three ethnic groups in southwestern Madagascar to sort photos of unfamiliar people by ethnicity, and by with whom they would prefer or not prefer to cooperate, in a wage labor vignette. Results indicate that southwestern Malagasy reliably send and detect ethnic signals; they signal less in the marketplace, a primary site of interethnic coordination and cooperation; and they do not prefer co-ethnics as cooperation partners in novel circumstances. Results from a cultural knowledge survey and calculations of cultural FST suggest that these ethnic groups have relatively little cultural differentiation. We concur with Moya and Boyd (Human Nature 26:1-27, 2015) that ethnicity is unlikely to be a singular social phenomenon. The current functions of ethnic divisions and marking may be different from those at the moment of ethnogenesis. Group identities may persist without group conflict or differentiation.

Tarehylava, a new planthopper genus from Madagascar (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Ricaniidae)

A new monotypic genus of ricaniid planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Ricaniidae), Tarehylava gen. nov., is described for T. avymaina sp. nov. (type species), based on four females collected in the spiny forest ecoregion of south-western Madagascar. Habitus, as well as external and internal female genital structures of the new genus and species are described and illustrated.

Ecological Consequences of a Millennium of Introduced Dogs on Madagascar

Introduced predators currently threaten endemic animals on Madagascar through predation, facilitation of human-led hunts, competition, and disease transmission, but the antiquity and past consequences of these introductions are poorly known. We use directly radiocarbon dated bones of introduced dogs (Canis familiaris) to test whether dogs could have aided human-led hunts of the island’s extinct megafauna. We compare carbon and nitrogen isotope data from the bone collagen of dogs and endemic “fosa” (Cryptoproctaspp.) in central and southwestern Madagascar to test for competition between introduced and endemic predators. The distinct isotopic niches of dogs and fosa suggest that any past antagonistic relationship between these predators did not follow from predation or competition for shared prey. Radiocarbon dates confirm that dogs have been present on Madagascar for over a millennium and suggest that they at least briefly co-occurred with the island’s extinct megafauna, which included giant lemurs, elephant birds, and pygmy hippopotamuses. Today, dogs share a mutualism with pastoralists who also occasionally hunt endemic vertebrates, and similar behavior is reflected in deposits at several Malagasy paleontological sites that contain dog and livestock bones along with butchered bones of extinct megafauna and extant lemurs. Dogs on Madagascar have had a wide range of diets during the past millennium, but relatively high stable carbon isotope values suggest few individuals relied primarily on forest bushmeat. Our newly generated data suggest that dogs were part of a suite of animal introductions beginning over a millennium ago that coincided with widespread landscape transformation and megafaunal extinction.

New species of the genera Limentinus Distant, 1917 and Calodia Nielson, 1982 (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Cicadellidae, Coelidiinae) from the Makay Massif of Madagascar, with a key to Malagasy species

Three new species of the genus LimentinusDistant, 1917 and one new species of the genus CalodiaNielson, 1982 are described from the former Toliara Province of southwestern Madagascar: Limentinus oryx n. sp., L. nielsoni n. sp., L. nigrifacies n. sp., Calodia makayensis n. sp. The genus CalodiaNielson, 1982 is recorded for the first time from Madagascar. Coelidia perinetiEvans, 1953 is redescribed and transferred to the genus Limentinus with a new combination formed, Limentinus perineti (Evans, 1953) n. comb. Key to species of the tribe Coelidiini Dohrn, 1859 known currently from Madagascar is given.

Paleogenomics illuminates the evolutionary history of the extinct Holocene \u201chorned\u201d crocodile of Madagascar, Voay robustus

Ancient DNA is transforming our ability to reconstruct historical patterns and mechanisms shaping modern diversity and distributions. In particular, molecular data from extinct Holocene island faunas have revealed surprising biogeographic scenarios. Here, we recovered partial mitochondrial (mt) genomes for 1300–1400 year old specimens (n = 2) of the extinct “horned” crocodile, Voay robustus, collected from Holocene deposits in southwestern Madagascar. Phylogenetic analyses of partial mt genomes and tip-dated timetrees based on molecular, fossil, and stratigraphic data favor a sister group relationship between Voay and Crocodylus (true crocodiles). These well supported trees conflict with recent morphological systematic work that has consistently placed Voay within Osteolaeminae (dwarf crocodiles and kin) and provide evidence for likely homoplasy in crocodylian cranial anatomy and snout shape. The close relationship between Voay and Crocodylus lends additional context for understanding the biogeographic origins of these genera and refines competing hypotheses for the recent extinction of Voay from Madagascar.

An investigation of the 27 July 2018 bolide and meteorite fall over Benenitra, southwestern Madagascar

Several dozen stones of an ordinary chondrite meteorite fell in and around the town of Benenitra in southwestern Madagascar during the early evening of 27 July 2018, minutes after a widely observed meteor fireball (bolide) transit and detonation. The event was confirmed by low-frequency infrasound recordings received at ~17h15 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time; 19h15 local time) at the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) infrasound station I33MG near Antananarivo, 542 km north-northeast of Benenitra. An energy release equivalent to 2.038 kt of TNT was calculated from the infrasound signals. Seismograph readings at the SKRH station 77 km north-northwest of Benenitra recorded a twostage signal consistent with the arrivals of an initial air-coupled ground wave at 16h48:08 UTC and a stronger pulse at 16h49:22 UTC linked directly to the atmospheric pressure wave. The infrasound and seismic signal arrival times suggest that the bolide entry and detonation occurred at approximately 18h46 local time (16h46 UTC), entry was from the northwest, and the detonation hypocentre was located within ~20 km of Benenitra. Despite meteorite debris being found among buildings within Benenitra, there was no damage to structures or injuries reported. Eyewitness accounts and photographic records indicate that approximately 75 mostly intact stones were collected; however, the remoteness of the area, the rugged nature of the terrain and sales of fragments to meteorite collectors have limited scientific analysis of the fall and the extent of the strewn field. The total mass of recovered stones is estimated at between 20 kg and 30 kg, with one fragment of 11.2 kg and several of ~1 kg. Petrographic and mineral chemical analyses indicate that the stones belong to the L6 class of ordinary chondrites. Cosmogenic radionuclide analysis confirms that the fall is linked to the bolide event. The name Benenitra has been officially accepted by the Meteoritical Bulletin Database.Significance:
 
 Eyewitness reports, CTBTO infrasound records, seismograph records and cosmogenic radionuclide analysis confirm a meteorite fall over Benenitra on 27 July 2018.
 Petrographic and geochemical analyses confirm that the meteorite is an L6 ordinary chondrite.
 Recovery of meteorite falls is rare; this is Madagascar’s second known meteorite fall and the first that can be linked to a bolide.
 Regional and global science monitoring networks can be interrogated to improve the understanding of bolide events.
 Interaction of scientists with local communities is important to dispel misunderstandings around scientific phenomena, and can improve collection of data.

Agent-based modelling of the social-ecological nature of poverty traps in southwestern Madagascar

CONTEXTIn Madagascar land use pressure on natural resources has increased drastically over the last decades. For subsistence farmers this situation often leads to an accelerated unsustainable exploitation of resources with negative consequences for their livelihood, which can be described as a social-ecological trap (SET). OBJECTIVEOur paper seeks to understand the dynamics of SETs and demonstrates a model-driven scenario on how farmers may escape the trap. For this, we developed a spatially explicit empirical agent-based model (SEALM) to simulate possible future trends of farmers' crop management and the effects of these trends on the environment, household (HH) economy, food self-sufficiency (FSS) and HH coping strategies to food insecurity. METHODSUsing links between social-ecological system (SES) components that depict real-world conditions, SEALM focuses on three village communities for which extensive data were available from transdisciplinary research comprising surveys, remote sensing analysis, and field-based validation. To identify the most significant parameters and to quantify how parameter uncertainty influences model outcomes, local and global sensitivity analyses were performed. Simulations were conducted in annual time steps from 2015 to 2045 to depict two contrasting scenarios: A baseline scenario (A) and an improved crop management scenario to increase FSS (B). For scenario assessments we used direct simulation outputs (FSS, HH income, land cover) and further indices calculated based on model outcomes (coping strategy index, landscape fragmentation, and the Gini coefficient). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSScenario A predicted expansion of cropland and fragmentation of remaining forest areas. Simulations at each time step displayed how SET situations occurred due to self-reinforcing ecological and social constraints and affected HHs future coping capacity to food shortages. Here, FSS was insufficient (< 1.0) for most HHs and was <0.5 for years with rainfall deficits. Scenario B demonstrated a way to navigate out of the SET by increasing crop yields reflecting improved management and resulting in significantly higher FSS values and a lower coping strategy index. SEALM considers the heterogeneity in farmers' abilities, constraints, behaviour and decision-making and depicts the dynamic interplay of SES components contributing to SET. SIGNIFICANCESEALM serves as a discussion support with local stakeholders and experts and it allows to better tailor site specific land use recommendations due to its empirical driven and spatially explicit character. However, strategies and interventions that lower the poverty rate in the long term and encourage exit out of trap situations require major policy changes.

A new cranial reconstruction of Coelurosauravus elivensis Piveteau, 1926 (Diapsida, Weigeltisauridae) and its implications on the paleoecology of the first gliding vertebrates

ABSTRACT The cranial skeleton of the enigmatic gliding neodiapsid reptile Coelurosauravus elivensis (Lower Sakamena Formation, Lopingian, Southwestern Madagascar) is re-described in detail. All previously referred specimens are re-examined under both direct observations and Reflectance Transformation Imaging. Their exquisite preservation yields detailed three-dimensional information on the outline of individual bones and their osteological relationships, which are missing in the Laurasian remains. In contrast to previous studies, the ontogenetic maturity of all specimens is re-affirmed. Previously unidentified elements of the palate, braincase and mandible are described, and a novel reconstruction is proposed, including the first palatal reconstruction in a weigeltisaurid reptile. C. elivensis has the smallest skull of all weigeltisaurids and differs from other species in its facial ornamentation, parietosquamosal frill and larger anterior maxillary dentition. We also provide extensive comparisons with contemporaneous reptiles, possibly closely related taxa and more recent analogs, as well as a preliminary discussion of the functional anatomy of the peculiar cranial morphology of weigeltisaurids. The cranial skeleton is a truss construction with large orbits and temporal fenestrae. By analogy with extant chamaeleonids, the elongate parietosquamosal frill is associated with an increase in length and diameter of the temporal jaw adductors, resulting in an increased gape and/or bite force and speed. Additionally, the spikes and frills of weigeltisaurids most likely served as a display and defensive structure.

Long‐term groundwater resource observatory for Southwestern Madagascar

AbstractMadagascar has one of the highest poverty rates in the world and consequently the long‐term monitoring of groundwater resources is not a priority for the authorities. However, groundwater is often the only sustainable resource that has a satisfactory quality to supply the population. This is especially true in the south‐west of the country, which is a semi‐arid region and a global change hot spot (intense land use and climate changes). In response to the lack of data, the Groundwater Resource Observatory for Southwestern Madagascar (GROSoM) was established to monitor piezometry and meteorology over the longer term as part of a humanitarian response. The first site was setup in 2014 in a catchment located over a carbonate plateau; in 2018, a second site was installed in an alluvial setting within a crystalline basement catchment and a third site will be installed in 2020 to monitor groundwater dynamics in a coastal setting. The three sites, located between Toliara and Taolagnaro cities, are complementary and representative of various hydrogeological systems in Southwestern Madagascar. Each site includes a weather station and between 3 and 6 piezometric probes. The monitoring data indicate a strong inter‐annual variability in precipitation, which induces a strong variability in aquifers recharge. One of the driest years in 2016 seems to be consistent with strong El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effects observed at the global scale, while years with higher recharge appear to be related to cyclones such as Fundi in 2015 and Eketsang in 2019. Preliminary results of cross‐disciplinary studies demonstrated a link between groundwater and health issues (i.e., admissions to basic health centres). This observatory aims to produce long‐term data and has two objectives: (i) strengthening the early warning system for humanitarian crises in Madagascar; (ii) contributing to a better understanding of the effects of climate change on groundwater resources in this semi‐arid region.

Human-Bat Interactions in Rural Southwestern Madagascar through a Biocultural Lens

Human-bat interactions are common in rural areas across the tropics. Over 40 bat species occur in Madagascar, most of which are endemic. Forest loss is changing the distribution of bats throughout the island, with potential increases in both the abundance of synanthropic species and human-bat interactions. We set out to study knowledge of, interactions with, and attitudes towards bats in rural Madagascar, including reports of food and ethnomedicinal uses of bats, their cultural representations in folklore, and the existence of culturally enforced taboos in relation to them. We administered 108 surveys with open- and closed-ended questions with adults from the Tanala and Betsileo ethnic groups living around Ranomafana National Park. Most interviewees mentioned at least two types of bats. Over 10% of the interviewees had consumed bats and ∼20% used bat guano as a fertilizer. Around one-fifth recognized cultural taboos inhibiting bat hunting and consumption and most considered bats not to be dangerous. However, some informants mentioned that bats could carry diseases and complained about the bad smell and noise associated with bat roosts in houses and public buildings. Nearly 25% of the respondents could identify cultural representations of bats in local folklore. Malagasy rural communities interact closely with bats, but severely underestimate the diversity of bat species around them. Taken together, our results greatly increase the understanding of social-ecological complexities of human-bat relationships in rural Madagascar, offer possible pathways for biocultural approaches to conservation, and yield insights applicable to other communities coexisting with bats across the humid tropics.