Do seed dispersers facilitate sustainable development in Madagascar?

Madagascar plans to restore four million ha of forest by 2030 to offset the high rates of deforestation that have impoverished the country, led to unsustainable forest resource use and endangered biodiversity.

To more efficiently use limited resources and prevent conflicts between sustainability targets, forest restoration should synergize climate action, life on land, and human livelihood sustainable development goals.

Promoting seed dispersal by birds and mammals may achieve this by supporting diverse forests of native tree species with greater carbon storage capacity and a more diverse value for humans.

In our project, we will first develop a novel system that integrates camera traps and acoustic sensors to monitor seed dispersers in restoration areas.

We will then use these optimized methods in seven humid forest restoration sites to examine how landscape configuration, species composition, and age affect seed disperser communities. Surveys will determine which tree species local human populations prefer for provisioning ecosystem services.

With these data, we will finally simulate how different restoration scenarios drive seed disperser community composition and subsequently tree species diversity, carbon storage capacity and utility for humans.

We will work closely with key stakeholders to develop guidelines on how to reforest to aid restoration of seed dispersers and on how to monitor this progress.