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DIVERSITY. Where in the World?. Where in the World?. Synthesis. The island's geographic isolation created a wonderland of biological richness. Now population pressures and political turmoil speed the plunder of its rosewood, minerals and gems. THE PIERCED HEART of MADAGASCAR.
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Synthesis • The island's geographic isolation created a wonderland of biological richness. Now population pressures and political turmoil speed the plunder of its rosewood, minerals and gems. THE PIERCED HEART of MADAGASCAR
What brings Tourists? Morondava – Avenue of the Baobabs = deforested farmland
Sketch in context Antalaha Masoala National Park Antongil Bay madagascar.mongabay.net
Lemurs Colourful Lesser Chameleon Boababs
Watch the sequence of eight slides … see if you can understand the process
Process • Rosewood Cut in Masola National park is hauled to riverside banks in pre-cut sections • The Piroque men move this downstream in rafts continuously breaking up loads at cataracts • Collected at larger camps it is then transferred to vehicles for transportation to Antalaha • Eventually it will find itself to China – equivalent to $200 million in just a few months • Here it is used for furniture,
Earnings • Cutter earn $6 a day – fell tree, remove white exterior and cut into 7 foot lengths • Two extractors drag the logs to the forest edge -1 to 2 days for $10 to $20 [400lbs each] • Radeau [raft] operators earn $25 a log down the rapids • Piroquemen paddle the flatter section [$12 a log] • Park officials bribed $200 for two weeks • Police officers $20 each on manned checkpoints • Middlemen select the logs and transfer these to trucks for $12 a log
Rosewood • Rosewood Bound for China • Rosewood dining table can cost you $5000 • Timber exported largely to China – insatiable appetite • Most ‘barons’ still dabble in Vanilla too http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RosewoodPieces.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RosewoodGuitarBack.jpg
Vanilla • Traditionally the main harvest based outside of Antalaha • Falling prices and cyclones have reduced output • Workers have explored new sectors to support their families
Masoala National Park – Rosewood earns this forester $6 • Selectively cut from the forest • [typical Madgascan lives on a dollar a day] • 20 million growing at 3% a year
Politics Aid falls off and Tourists decline leaving flowers unsold at the market following the 2009 Coup • 2002 Marc Raalomanana comes to power as president on a green platform • 2009 routed from power by the military • 2000 ban on exporting Rosewood • 2009 overturned by cash-strapped government
Sapphire minersIlakaka • Most rights to prospect owned by foreign owned companies • Gold • Nickel • Cobalt • Ilmenite [titanium] • + Sapphire [1/3 of world market]
Pipeline for Ambatovy Nickel Mine • Tolanarro • Anglo Australian company Rio Tinto • Good Neighbour project • Extraction or Ilmenite for titanium – paints., paper and plastic • Built new road, schools and employed locals • Now has also secured unique littoral forests with endemic species as well.
$50 or best offer • Forest guide notices a real difference in the forest – very quiet • No lemur • Forest loggers supplement their poor diet of rice with Lemur • One group caught 16 Lemurs in one sitting • ~Most species polygamous but the INDRI has no tail [black and white] and is monogamous Locals [indigenous] either see the Lemur as evil or the realm of the white tourist
All photographs Pascal Maitre • http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/09/madagascar/maitre-photography • Text from September 2010 National Geographic • Slide 20 Jud Mc Cranie – chess pieces + guitar back – creative commons – address illustrates licences http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/09/madagascar/maitre-photography