Madagascar
Environmental Issues of Madagascar
Western International University
SCI 275 Environmental Science
Environmental Issues of Madagascar Madagascar is located off the Southeastern tip of Africa. The island is one of the four largest islands in the world with a land area of 226,657 square miles. Geological theory is that the island broke away from the African continent over 150 million years ago, but humans did not inhabited the island until 2000 years ago (wildmadagascar.org, 2007). The isolation over that period has helped develop a unique biodiversity on the island. Its biodiversity is among the richest on the planet, with over 250,000 species across the island. Most of that biodiversity is found in the tropical rainforests that cover most of the Eastern half of the island. What really makes Madagascar’s biodiversity unique is that almost 175,000 (75%) of those species are only found on this island. There are an estimated 12,000 plant species, and almost 8,500 of those are unique to Madagascar, including 1,000 types of orchids. One of the more popular symbols of Madagascar’s unique wildlife is the Lemur. There are over 50 varieties of this primate, and all of them are endemic to Madagascar (wildmadagascar.org, 2007). Unfortunately, Lemurs are on the endangered list as a threatened species. There have been 45 species recorded as extinct on Madagascar, and many more species are on the endangered list. The threatened list includes 57 birds, 51 mammals, and 61 fish species endemic to Madagascar (biodiversityhotspots.org, 2007). The island also has some severe environmental problems that threaten this biodiversity. Madagascar has one of the highest soil erosion numbers recorded in the world at 112 tons per acre annually (wildmadagascar.org, 2007). This is particularly difficult for an island whose number one source of income is agriculture. The severe loss of soil and nutrients has its affect on agriculture, but it also
Western International University
SCI 275 Environmental Science
Environmental Issues of Madagascar Madagascar is located off the Southeastern tip of Africa. The island is one of the four largest islands in the world with a land area of 226,657 square miles. Geological theory is that the island broke away from the African continent over 150 million years ago, but humans did not inhabited the island until 2000 years ago (wildmadagascar.org, 2007). The isolation over that period has helped develop a unique biodiversity on the island. Its biodiversity is among the richest on the planet, with over 250,000 species across the island. Most of that biodiversity is found in the tropical rainforests that cover most of the Eastern half of the island. What really makes Madagascar’s biodiversity unique is that almost 175,000 (75%) of those species are only found on this island. There are an estimated 12,000 plant species, and almost 8,500 of those are unique to Madagascar, including 1,000 types of orchids. One of the more popular symbols of Madagascar’s unique wildlife is the Lemur. There are over 50 varieties of this primate, and all of them are endemic to Madagascar (wildmadagascar.org, 2007). Unfortunately, Lemurs are on the endangered list as a threatened species. There have been 45 species recorded as extinct on Madagascar, and many more species are on the endangered list. The threatened list includes 57 birds, 51 mammals, and 61 fish species endemic to Madagascar (biodiversityhotspots.org, 2007). The island also has some severe environmental problems that threaten this biodiversity. Madagascar has one of the highest soil erosion numbers recorded in the world at 112 tons per acre annually (wildmadagascar.org, 2007). This is particularly difficult for an island whose number one source of income is agriculture. The severe loss of soil and nutrients has its affect on agriculture, but it also
References: biodiversityhotspots.org (2007) Madagascar and The Indian Ocean Islands. Retrieved July 22, 2007, from http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/madagascar Care Organization (2007). Madagascar Country Description. Retrieved July 28, 2007, From http://www.care.org/careswork/countryprofiles/76.asp? endangeredspecie.com (2007). WhySave Endangered Species? Retrieved July 27, 2007, from http://www.endangeredspecie.com Miller, G. T., Jr. (2005). Living in the environment–principles, connections, and solutions (14th ed.). Australia: Thomson Learning. wildmadagascar.org (2007). Educational Materials on Madagascar. Retrieved July 21, 2007, from http://www.wildmadagascar.org/media/madagascar.html