Reporting from the treetops of Madagascar

So here we are, dear reader… on a new adventure. Why would we stop at La Martinique when another Francophone pocket of the world calls. Let’s trade shipwrecks and volcanoes for island deserts, tropical rain forests and big discoveries and head to Madagascar!

So, Madagascar… know anything about it? Given a second thought beyond the beloved children’s animated movie? I hadn’t either, but now I do! Let’s get down in the dirt and discover Madagascar together. Now, I don’t pretend to amuse the idea that an entire country can be discovered in one small blog post. HOWEVER, we can catch a glimpse into Madagascar’s rich ecological and environmental history and go from there.

“Why focus on the ecology and environment of Madagascar?” Good question. Well, Madagascar was once a part of the super continent Gondwana but later split off to form the island it is today. Hold on, this becomes relevant. The animal and plant species stuck on the island after it split became isolated and started to form their own adaptations and subspecies which are unique only to Madagascar. Think Galapagos islands and all of Darwin’s special discoveries of new species. It’s the same deal with Madagascar. If this doesn’t interest you, let me see if this helps: a photo of Madagascar’s national tree - the baobab.

Look at this tree, people. Is that not one of the most magnificent things you’ve ever seen? If you say no, then this is not the post for you because I am truly in love with this tree and am dedicating the rest of this article to it… This is the Adansonia grandidieri, one of the six species of Baobab trees on the island of Madagascar. There are more species of Baobab trees found in Australia, Arabia and Africa, but this specific species is unique to Madagascar. The Adansonia grandidieri was named after Alfred Grandidier, who apparently was a big shot scientist in France. He made many discoveries in Madagascar, discovering about 50 new species of amphibians and reptiles. Bravo les scientifiques!

Okay, back to the trees. The Adansonia grandidieri can get up to 3 meters wide and 25 - 30 meters tall (this is the Alliance Française, we use the metric system). They produce vitamin-C rich seeds that are fresh or used for their oil. Just image a tree that large in your front yard…  food and climbing for days!

Researching and getting to know the Adansonia grandidieri isn’t all fun and games. Unfortunately, with the growing need for agricultural goods, agricultural lands are swallowing up the Adansonia grandidieri habitat. There were once forests full of Adansonia grandidieri, but now they are now dispersed over large agricultural fields. Consequently, they fall prey to fires, competition from weeds and seed predation, all of which hinder their ability to reproduce and for little baby trees to grow. And this specific species of baobab tree is the most exploited in Madagascar, due in part to it’s rich seed.

However, efforts are being made to protect and boost the survival of the Adansonia grandidieri. And thank goodness for that, because these are gentle giants and beauties to behold. If you are curious about more species unique to the island of Madagascar, check out this website and keep fuelling your curiosity!

A bientôt, mes amis!

Jane Eagleton

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adansonia_grandidieri#Life_cycle_and_ecology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Grandidier https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar