FS 3.228: Ethnobotany conducted in Bemanevika Protected Area

Bemanevika Protected Area (BPA), located in the Northern Highlands of Madagascar, Sofia Region, is covered by diverse ecosystems: swamps and marshes, savanna, and rainforests. The forests are part of a natural heritage that constitutes a habitat to a wide variety of flora and fauna diversities, with a high level of endemism. Local communities have a dependance on the natural resources of this site, especially on forest resources. To ensure the preservation of the site’s biodiversity, the implementation of Natural Resource Management Transfers, the maintenance and restoration of existing forest habitats are being promoted. In accordance with the national law Gelose (n°96 025 of September 30, 1996), four local communities are currently co-managers of the natural resources within BPA with The Peregrine Fund, the official manager. These COBAs manage and extract forest resources from these areas in accordance with rules of use (cahier de charge). In order to improve the sustainable management of these resources and resolve the human-wild conflits, an ethnobotanical study was carried out in a Management Transfer Zone, assessing the sustainability of the use of these natural resources by evaluating available stocks. Then, a survey of 156 households revealed 43 woody plants used by local people. These wood products are mainly used for building houses, hedges, furniture (tables, beds, sugar cane presses), fencing livestock, making agricultural equipment (carts, herds) and firewood as energy.