Effects of global changes on the vegetation management plan of the Ibity protected area, Madagascar

Madagascar is one of the largest reservoirs of biological diversity in the world. Yet in the last 50 years, its ecosystems have suffered from great pressures, leading to a profound modifi cation of natural processes (e.g. fi re regimes), contributing to environmental and, ultimately, to socio-economic and cultural impoverishment of the island and its inhabitants. As part of a prospective conservation project, Swanni T. Alvarado has joined forces with local institutions and communities in an effort to better manage and protect the vegetation of the Ibity Mountain from its greatest threat: fi re. She is combining data on the effects of fi re frequency on Ibity’s biodiversity, climate and annual burned areas with ecological and sociogeographic analyses in order to propose an appropriate vegetation management plan. Besides its paramount importance for local actors, Alvarado’s work may inform land-use management policies.