Recolonizing Restored Areas

Assessing the potential of frogs for recolonizing restored areas in transitional forests in Southern Madagascar

The transitional forest in Southern Madagascar is of highest conservation and scientific interest as its fauna and flora, including amphibians, is composed of both species found usually in the dry Western Madagascar as well in Eastern humid forests. This habitat is highly endangered, and within the last decades the forested area has been greatly reduced and fragmented by slash-and-burn, wild fires, illicit charcoal production and selective logging.

In Ambatotsirongorongo, near the coast in Southern Madagascar, one of the largest ecological restoration projects in Madagascar was recently started aiming to connect remaining fragments of natural forest in the next years by planting 1 Mio trees per year. Our project is integrated into this restoration project, and it aims to asses the potential of frog species to recolonize the reforested area from the remaining fragments of natural forest.

The first part of the project focuses on the complete frog community. By a combination of ecological survey methods (e.g. quantitative transect sampling, spatial analyses) we aim to assess the biodiversity value of the remaining forest fragments and gallery forests for amphibians. The second part focuses on a set of three endangered frog species, i.e. Mantella haraldmeieri, Anodonthyla nigrigularis and Boophis majori. By studying habitat preferences and subsequent statistical modelling, the project team assess the habitat suitability of the reforested sites. This will lead to specific recommendations for and modifications of the reforestation process in creating more suitable habitats for amphibians. Ultimately, this project intends to improve the protection of one of Madagascar’s most vulnerable biodiversity hotspots and the success of its ecological restoration.