USAID SANREM CRSP

Planning Grant Workshop

16 June - 20 June 2005

Centre ValBio, Ranomafana - Madagascar

  Restoration of biodiversity and economic values to degraded rainforest and agricultural landscapes in southeastern Madagascar .

  Meeting Notes and Summary, Days 4 and 5

Sunday - 19 June 2005 (AM)

  Field Trips

Sunday - 19 June 2005 (PM)

Mini Technical Sessions

Session I: Landscape Restoration in Agricultural versus Forest Habitats: Debates and Challenges ? (FOFIFA, WWF, Centre Valbio…)

Session II: Resource Tenure, Gender within the Context of Forest and Agricultural Landscape Restoration (ERI Fianarantsoa)

Session III: Rural Observations on Forest and Landscape Restoration Dynamics

Session IV: Hot Topics for Future Research

Monday – 20 June 2005 (AM)

Scientific Rapid Assessment. Break-out groups formed to address key issues highlighted during preceding days of the workshop.

Group 1. Land Tenure

Discuss in detail the laws as it relates to different types of land use. See presentation 10 for a review.

Group 2: Restoring land for biodiversity or economic benefits, what are the conflicts?

In summary, this group recommends that training of villagers and local authorities is critical. Biodiversity must be valorized through education. Infrastructure severely limits the likelihood of forest products generating income. Agricultural productivity must be restored or improved if there is to be any conservation of biodiversity in other zones.

Group 3: Passive versus Active Restoration in the Corridor

Summary: The corridor is being threatened by both fragmentation and narrowing. Two factors will determine the likelihood of the success of passive restoration or the need for active restoration: forest size and type of use/zonage of a particular region/

Forest Size: The state of the forest, the size of a fragment will determine the source and availability of seeds. Seeds may limit regeneration.

Forest Zone: The specifics of villages and cultures will greatly affect likelihood of regeneration or need for active restoration. The history of the particular zone will affect the soil quality and type of vegetation currently on site.

Closing, See Presentation 13.