Slash and burn in Madagascar

Covering only 1,9% of the African continent, Madagascar is ranked the 5th country with the greatest biodiversity in the world. In spite of this fact, more than 80% of its forests have already been cleared. The slash-and-burn agriculture is commonly practised in the island and is currently responsible for the great loss of the country’s forest cover. The disappearance of the rainforest also means valuable biodiversity is lost, a tragic circumstance considering that the majority of the island’s animal and plant species are endemic. To cite a few, 83% of its vascular plants cannot be found anywhere else in the world and it is home to 50% of the recognised chameleons and 36% of primates (94% of which are threatened). With Global change and conservation.