Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and is also considered a biodiversity hot spot. A biodiversity hot spot is an area that meets three different criteria: 1.) the number of species in the area, 2.) the number of species that are found nowhere else and 3.) the extent to which the species are faced with extinction. The island houses many different exotic plants and animals, many of which are not seen on the African continent. This means there are no large animals in Madagascar such as lions or elephants. The largest of the 8 total carnivores on the island is about the size of a cat. Madagascar is home to a quarter of all African plants, 80% of those plants are exotic and unique in their own way. One example is the Baobab tree which can grow to over 70ft in circumference. This is so unique because there are only eight species of the tree and six are located in Madagascar.
Approximately 2,000 years ago is when humans are said to have first arrived on the island. At that time it was covered with about 95% of forest. As people started settling on the island the forest area began to quickly diminish. In 1950 the forest area was drastically diminished to about 15% and then less than 10% in 1995. The traditional method of farming the land was to cut a small portion of trees down, burn it to fertilize the soil, and then plant seeds for rice. After farming the land for a couple of seasons they move on to another piece of land and then eventually return back to the original land. During the time between seasons where it is not farmed the land is regressed back to forest. However as more people migrated to Madagascar more land was chopped down and after being chopped down so many times, the forest can no longer regress.
This activity is part of an assignment I had to do for another class. Instead of thinking of how it pertained or related to that class because I just kept relating it to this class. During the unit where we discussed European dominance in Africa I kept thinking of what Africa was like uninhabited or when the land was not being abused. That, what it was like while uninhabited or just used for what was needed and not abused, is what Africa is or was. Africa is no longer that way because it is now overpopulated and ruled with disease.
This activity is part of an assignment I had to do for another class. Instead of thinking of how it pertained or related to that class because I just kept relating it to this class. During the unit where we discussed European dominance in Africa I kept thinking of what Africa was like uninhabited or when the land was not being abused. That, what it was like while uninhabited or just used for what was needed and not abused, is what Africa is or was. Africa is no longer that way because it is now overpopulated and ruled with disease.
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