Expedition Loholoka 2014 Report by Fxpeditions Kernow

Expedition Loholoka 2014: Explore Discover Conserve Expedition Report

A scientific study to a never before studied littoral forest on the south east coast of Madagascar

Loholoka Forest, Manakara, Madagascar 9th Augustâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;19th 19th September 2014 2

N. Davies, T. Kent, S. Philips, H. Pollock, H. Smith, J. Unwin

Published August 2015

Expedition Loholoka 2014: Explore. Discover. Conserve.

Loholoka Forest, Madagascar August 9th 2014 - September 19th 2014

Expedition Aim: Conduct terrestrial surveys of the flora and fauna of Loholoka over a 6 week period to create records of the flora and fauna present and their habitat requirements.

Acknowledgements In the lead up, during and following it’s completion, this expedition received a great deal of support and the team is incredibly grateful to everyone for their help and encouragement. Financing the expedition proved to be a big challenge the team put a lot of time into attempts at raising the required funds using many different approaches from small scale events like cake sales and ’Madagascar’ film nights to larger fundraisers like a Madagascan bar crawl aimed at University students. Setting up an online campaign on Indiegogo enabled anyone to donate in return for a choice of ‘perks’ this helped raise awareness of the expedition and proved very successful. Big thanks go to everyone who supported us in any of these events. Our thanks however do not stop with the financial support; from encouraging words to sound advice and ultimately the belief that we could do it, thank you to everyone.

Special thanks go to: Ben Toulson, Owen Greenwood, Professor Brendan Godley, Dr, Peter Long, Steve Backshall, Rob Gandola, Sam The’ Seing

Grant and Institutional support: Authors Hannah Smith, Hannah Pollock, Thomas Kent, Susie Phillips, Nicholas Davey, Jamie Unwin

The Royal Geographical Society with IBG, The Exeter Annual Fund, The John Muir Trust, Development & Biodiversity Conservation Action for Madagascar (DBCAM), University of Antananarivo, Sony UK, the Falmouth and Exeter Student Union

Compiled and edited by Hannah Pollock

Photography Hannah Pollock, Jamie Unwin, Hannah Smith, Thomas Kent

Contact Details Project email address: expeditionloholoka@gmail.com Project website address: www.fxpeditions.org

Contents Page Abstract

Overview

Madagascar Background

Loholoka Forest

Expedition Team

Team Descriptions

Expedition Aims

Planning and Preparation

Expedition Diary

Research Findings

Previous Research in Madagascar

Amphibians

Avifauna

Mammals

Reptiles

Botany

Community Interactions Andotsy

110

Loholoka

112

Future of the Forest Meeting

116

Overview

106

122

Abstract Expedition Loholoka: Explore, Discover Conserve was a project that conducted terrestrial surveys over five weeks spent in the field to create a species list for the Loholoka forest to address the previous gap in biodiversity knowledge. Studies focussed primarily on mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. The expedition revealed geographically important range extensions as well as potential new species/ subspecies previously unstudied, though this would require further study. In addition to the species list the team also set a number of sub scientific objectives for the expedition including identifying any threats to the regions biodiversity, aiding conservation efforts and working with local communities to fully understand their view on the conservation of their forest and how this might be achieved.

Overview Expedition Loholoka: Explore, Discover, Conserve was a student led project carried out by six students from the College of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Exeter. The expedition took place from August 9th 2014 to September 19th 2014 and consisted of terrestrial surveys into the mammal, bird, reptile and amphibian species found within the Loholoka forest. The project began in November 2013 through the University of Exeter Penryn campus FXpeditions, a programme run by the campus Expedition Society who advertised for applicants for student led expeditions to Cambodia as a follow up to Expedition Samleom 2013 and a new project in Madagascar. The opportunity to travel to Madagascar came about through a new Madagascan contact (Harrison R) made via the Fxpeditions director Ben Toluson and his existing contact Dr Peter Long of Oxford University. Expedition Loholoka was created from applicants for the original two projects who were deemed capable and enthusiastic candidates following a written application and interview. Peter Long came forward with a Madagascan contact who was keen to work with a group of students from the University of Exeter. This was Sam Theâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Seing, Coordinator of Development and Biodiversity Conservation Action of Madagascar (DBCAM). Following initial ideas of carrying out an expedition to Mahamavo where DBCAM work annually with Opwall, it was decided a change of location would make a more worthwhile expedition, as thanks to Opwallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work Mahamavo is relatively well studied in comparison to a lot of Madagascar. The Loholoka forest was chosen as our study site on the basis that DBCAM had previously carried out a reconnaissance visit for 2 days back in November 2013. This preliminary study showed there to be a large variety of species in the area but this was thought to be only a fraction of the forests biodiversity. The clear gap in scientific data from the region highlighted the fact that we would be the first research team to visit the forest. Loholoka is a littoral humid forest, one of the most threatened habitat types on the island, it is heavily fragmented and been reduced to a fraction off its former cover it is also one of the last forested areas in the region. During their time in Loholoka the team worked closely with students from The University of Antananarivo. This created a strong link between this and the University of Exeter and as such the team hopes there may be the possibility for future collaboration and even further expeditions to the area. The discoveries made and data collected ultimately provides valuable information on an area previously unstudied. The fact that the forest is such a threatened habitat is important and when facing threats such as illegal logging the team also felt it was important to investigate and note the threats to the regions biodiversity and discussions were had with the local communities to fully understand their view and hopes for the forest. The team is very motivated and passionate about making a positive difference to the area. By sharing the information and discoveries found it is their hope that a positive difference can be made towards the protecting an conserving of this forest and its inhabitants.

Madagascar Madagascar Today in western society “Madagascar” is frequently associated with the 2005 DreamWorks Madagascar Film franchise which follows the story of Central Park Zoo animals being shipwrecked on the coast of Madagascar. The film introduces serval characters through the plot including “King Julian” a ring tail lemur and “Maurice” an Aye Aye, both of which belong to Madagascar flagship group of endemic Primates the lemurs. The diversity of life in Madagascar depicted in the film and therefore the diversity many are familiar with is only a fraction of the endemic array of species that make their resident on the Island.

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Madagascar is the world’s fourth largest island once part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana, it has been isolated for the last 84 million years following its split from the Indian peninsula. This isolation has led to its fauna and flora following unique evolutionary trajectories diversifying to incredible levels and it is now globally recognised as a biodiversity hotspot. Approximately 90% of all species present on the island are endemic, representing 3.2% of global floral and 2.8% of global faunal diversity. Since the arrival of humans on the Island over 2000 years ago Madagascar has lost the majority of its original forest cover with only 10% remaining today in fragmented forest blocks. The true extent of this loss is only measured when considering the rate new species are still being discovered in the country. For instance between 1994 and 2010, 51 new lemur species were formally identified, doubling previous counts despite their ever shrinking habitat.

A multitude of environmental problems exist in Madagascar and have contributed to the aforementioned loss of forest cover. Tavy a traditional form of slash and burn agriculture used for converting forest into rice paddy’s is crucial for the substance of many Malagasy families however once the soil loses its nutrients recolonization by native plants is low and loose soils then increase problems with erosion. Illegal logging of Hardwoods like rosewood and the cutting of forest for fuelwood and charcoal are also significant threats. The hunting of native fauna and lack of regulations has led to the unstainable harvest of many species which also must compete with introduced invasive species has caused both direct and indirect consequences for Madagascar’s fauna. Despite these threats many NGO’s are working in partnership with the Malagasy Government to improve the outlook for Madagascar’s environment. In 2013 it was announced the country had tripled its protected area network which now covers more than 6 million ha, up from 1.7 million in 2003. This is all working towards the aim of the long term viability of the islands remaining forests. Through the expedition we have aimed to help contribute to the protection of Madagascar’s fragile and important ecosystems through our data collection. In providing necessary information to contribute to making more informed decisions in relation to land management and protection in the previously data deficient Loholoka region.

The Loholoka forest: The site is located at (S 21° 44’43.7” and E 48° 11’18.8). It is situated on the South-East coast of Madagascar, on the edge of the Loholoka littoral humid forest. The camp was set up just outside the forest, with an equal distance of the forest spread on either side. The nearest easily accessible village is Vohimasina Nord and from here in order to reach the site, off road vehicles are required. There are a couple of local small villages situated close to the site which we commonly traded with for food; Loholoka village and the Andotsy village. The forest is managed by local communities with the aid of DBCAM. A number of threats to biodiversity have been flagged, namely illegal logging and charcoal production.

SCALE (:) SOUTH EAST COAST OF MADAGASCAR.

Expedition Team UK Team Expedition Leader Hannah Smith BSc Zoology with Study Abroad student at the University of Exeter Logistics Manager/ Medical Director Hannah Pollock BSc Zoology with Study Abroad student at the University of Exeter Scientific Director/ Social Media Thomas Kent BSc Zoology with Study Abroad student at the University of Exeter Fundraising Officer Susie Phillips BSc Conservation Biology and Ecology at the University of Exeter Kit Manager Nicholas Davey BSc Zoology student at the University of Exeter Media Director Jamie Unwin BSc Zoology with Study Abroad student at the University of Exeter

Malagasy Team Team Leader Sam Theâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Seing Led by Sam Individuals from DBCAM and the University of Antananarivo played a huge part in the success of the expedition. Thank you also to the local villagers of the Loholoka forest for providing local guides for the duration of our stay as well as being so welcoming and allowing us to carry out the research, whilst also inviting us to their villages and engaging in discussions about the forest and its biodiversity.

Expedition Team Members Hannah Smith Expedition Leader Hannah has completed her second year of studying BSc Zoology at the University of Exeter. She took the lead of the expedition, being a confident delegator of the roles required of each team member. Hannah focused her efforts on the organisation of the expedition during the lead up to it; she was the primary contact with DBCAM and also contributed to grant writing and fundraising. She also took on the role as one of the two health and safety officers and so completed an Outdoor First Aid course in the run up to the expedition. From the expedition Hannah has gained invaluable experiences in leading a team and working with everyone to help maintain a positive team moral in a challenging environment. She has gone on to being Vice President of the fundraising committee RAD at university; organising and running many events. She has contributed to raising over £8000 for charities and particularly loves encouraging other students to also get involved. She was recognised for her efforts by the FXU Student Union and was awarded ‘Most significant contribution to fundraising’.

Hannah Pollock Logistics Manager/ Medical Director Hannah has completed her second year at the University of Exeter studying for a BSc in Zoology with Study Aboard. With a good knowledge of the natural world and a wide range of travel experience including a previous expedition to Peru she has a strong team ethic and was well equipped with the knowledge needed to face the challenges experienced on an expedition. She has completed a number of medical courses including Advanced Wilderness Medical Training and so was able to carry out her role as Medical Director competently . In the field Hannah took a particular lead on the cultural side of the project, making an effort to learn the Malagasy language meant she was able to speak at meetings with the village communities. Hannah has since gone on to work with other conservation projects including the Marine Cyprus Turtle Project and is in the process of planning an expedition to tackle the Ivory trade in Malawi. She is focussing on the cultural aspects of this project using the skills she learned in Loholoka to do this and hopes to inspire the younger generation to make a difference .

Thomas Kent Scientific Director/ Social Media After a only a year of his BSc in Zoology with Study Aboard degree the University of Exeter, Thomas had already built a varied skill base of the censing of species prior to the expedition. He completed a number of courses including mammal trapping, camera trapping, introductory GIS and a youth conservation program with specialists Durrell this acquired knowledge was then applied in the field to allow for effective surveying in a new environment. He is a strong and committed team player also being an active committee member of the University’s Ecological Society, this society experience aided with the planning of our fundraising events. Thomas is also experienced in graphic design and multimedia promotion allowing for the creation of a cohesive design of the expedition to be conveyed to the public through logo design, being active on social media and the production of a campaign video.

Susie Phillips Fundraising Officer Susie is 2nd year Conservation Biology & Ecology student at the University of Exeter’s Penryn campus. With over 2 years experience volunteering with both Chester zoo and Cheshire wildlife trust on local habitat management and surveying projects she has experience in small mammal trapping, habitat assessments, ecological surveys and familiarity in public engagement, all skills used on the expedition. Spending six weeks over the summer of 2012 completing a Nuffield Bursary Placement researching giant otter behaviour at Chester Zoo also helped to foster research abilities and develop report writing and presentation skills. “The expedition has affirmed my decision to pursue a career in practical conservation projects but has highlighted the many challenges faced by individuals and organisations working in challenging environments. The experience has also helped me develop a broader interest in adventure and exploring and I would love to see more of this incorporated into the university’s society. I am now considering further expeditions to Vietnam in 2016 and getting more into travel writing!” Now the director of Fxpeditions at the Expedition society at the Penryn Campus Susie aims to use her experience and knowledge gained in Loholoka to advise others planning future projects and ensure the future of project Loholoka.

Jamie Unwin Media Director Jamie has just finished 2nd year Zoology with study abroad at the University of Exeter. Being interested in wildlife since a young age Jamie turned to photography to capture and show others his fascination with nature, after persevering for a few years he was fortunate to gain sponsorship from Sony UK at the age of 15. Jamie has been advancing his photographic skills receiving international and national awards for his work. His photographic experience and animal tracking knowledge was easily translated to camera trapping in the Loholoka forest where he successfully set up a camera trapping network in the forest canopy to identify Lemur species. The expedition refined his skills when working within a group in challenging field conditions. Jamie has now gone onto produce a conservation film aimed at tackling the Ivory trade in Malawi, Africa (Stop Wildlife Crime, Protect Malawiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wildlife) as well as working with Steve Backshall to produce a film to raise money to save a chunk of Colombian rainforest. He is now planning a conservation trip around Malawi using a bicycle powered projection system and hopes to inspire hundreds of school children after raising enough money to take them into national parks to see their countries wildlife.

Nicholas Davey Kit Manager Nicholas has just finished his second year of Zoology at the University of Exeter. His studies have given him experience in surveying wildlife and report writing, which greatly enhanced his contribution to the expedition. Nicholasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past experience in fieldwork and conservation have also helped prepare him for the expedition. This includes working at his local nature reserve, and attending RSPB conservation weekends. He also attended camera trapping, and mammal trapping courses which proved very useful. Furthermore, Nicholas wrote an article for the RSPB WingBeat about blackbirds. This experience in media writing helped him helped him compile the blogs and the expedition diary. In the future Nicholas aims to use his experience in logistics, fieldwork and report writing to help with work at university as well as his future career.

Expedition Aims There were a number of expedition aims that the team hoped to complete during their time in Loholoka. The primary aim of the project was to create a species list for the Loholoka forest by conducting terrestrial surveys over the 5 weeks spent in the field to address the current gap in biodiversity knowledge. In addition to this a number of sub scientific objectives were also set for the expedition as an extension to the species list.

Perform a terrestrial survey of the biodiversity found in the Loholoka forest During the five weeks spent in the field the team aimed to complete terrestrial surveys to determine the species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians found in the Loholoka forest. This was the largest scientific study to be carried out in the Loholoka region and the information obtained would be used to fill a scientific gap in the knowledge of species diversity in this region.

Discover if large carnivores inhabit the Loholoka region such as Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) Large Carnivores act as apex predators and usually indicate a healthy ecosystem. Additionally, they are typically charismatic and can be used to engage the public in supporting conservation projects.

Identify any species present in Loholoka that are classed as threatened or endangered This knowledge will inform interested parties of the conservation status of the area. If Loholoka is found to be important to a particular species, then additional measures may need to be put in place in order to help conserve that species and its habitat.

Aid conservation efforts for the Loholoka littoral forest and raise awareness for a conservation status. The Loholoka region currently has no conservation measures put in place to protect the area; completing research on threatened/endangered species will help promote the need for conservation. We will identify any species present that are classed as threatened or endangered to highlight the importance of the area.

Identify the threats to the regions biodiversity This will allow if necessary, realistic conservation action to be implemented by DBCAM through grassroots approach whilst still allowing for local development.

Build links with the University of Antananarivo. The team hopes to build a relationship between the University of Antananarivo and the University of Exeter by working with students from both the Animal Biology and Botany Departments. We want to encourage more student led projects that will provide useful research and raise awareness of Madagascar for future years.

Work with the local communities and institutions in the area. The team would like to involve themselves with the local communities and any schools nearby in the area to exchange cultures and learn more about how they live and use their environment.

Expedition Logistics - Planning and Preparation Help and Support As previously stated, initial contacts which made the expedition possible arose through Dr Peter Long of Oxford University. The project was put together working closely with the in country partner DBCAM to understand the environmental situation of the forest and to ensure the expedition would meet the needs of Loholoka based on existing knowledge. On the UK side, the team worked hard to create a strong project from very little prior knowledge or experience. They were supported by the Fxpeditions advisory board, primarily by Ben Toulson, who along with the other expedition teams from the university, met weekly to discuss various aspects of expedition planning and any issues which arose. As the project progressed, The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) gave constructive advice during an interview for the expedition grant, this improved the project prior to funding. In May the team submitted a grant to the University of Exeter Annual Fund which was reviewed by the Fxpeditions advisory board and deemed worthy of funding. Following this further feedback was given and we were allocated a board member - Professor Brendan Godley who helped us to fine tune the project.

Training and equipment testing: Due to the main aim being to collect a species list of the area, the team was not required to be trained in any specialist equipment that would need training prior to the expedition. In terms of first aid, Hannah Smith undertook an Outdoor First aid course in Swanage with First Aid Academy and Hannah Pollock undertook a Wilderness Training First aid course enabling her to carry prescription medicines. Between them, these two members of the team had covered enough first aid that they felt comfortable that the team would be able to deal with a number of situations should any occur. Susie Phillips undertook

Basic First Aid training which was recommended to the whole team so that everyone has at least a basic understanding of safe working, however other members of the team struggled to organise it. The whole team had completed a Camera trapping course prior to the trip and were all confident in setting up and using them. We felt this necessary as the use of Camera Traps was a big aspect of our data collection for the documenting of more elusive species.

Permission and permits obtained DBCAM has a collaboration with the Animal Biology Department of the University of Antananarivo, and the department was responsible for submitting the proposal which enabled the team to conduct research in the forest; it had to be sent to the Ministry of the Environment, Ecology and Forests. The permit was accepted within one week and then a copy was sent on to DREF (Direction Régionale de l’Environnement et des Forêts), they are the regional ministry representative running the policy of government concerning the protection of the environment and forest management. The permit is also sent to the Chief Cantonnement Forestier de Manakara (Forest Agent), Commune Rural de Vohimasina Nord and the local community manager of the Loholoka Forest. Local communities are given management of many forests because Madagascar has very few forest agents, and so this helps reduce the large responsibility of the forest agents. No specimens were taken but permits were obtained so that it was an option if required.

Insurance: All team members had travel insurance, the majority went with ‘Banner Insurance’, it cost £113.66 each which covered them for the duration of the trip at the level they felt was necessary. No claims were made.

Medical Arrangements: For first aid and medical training, Hannah Pollock undertook an Advanced Wilderness Medical Training Course, Hannah Smith went on an Outdoor First aid course with First Aid Academy and Susie Philips completed a basic first aid course. Additionally, the Advanced Wilderness Medical Training course allowed Hannah Pollock to carry and administer prescription only medications. Prior to the expedition, all team members ensured they were fully updated for all necessary inoculations including all routine vaccines such as Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid and Rabies. All of Madagascar is a high risk in for Malaria and therefore all team members took Malaria tablets for the duration of the expedition. Precautions were also taken to avoid mosquito bites such as by covering up with clothing (long sleeves and long trousers) and using insect repellents on exposed skin. All members are aware that Malaria can still develop up to a year following exposure and so will remain vigilant in terms of monitoring their health

Travel, transport and freighting: in the year following the expedition. Medical supplies included an extensive medical first aid kit, in it was all the necessary items the team may need from Povidone iodine antiseptic and steri strips to strong pain killers, antihistamines, an epipen and the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin. The team had a satellite phone throughout the duration of the expedition meaning they would always be able to contact help in an emergency. This may have been contacting a doctor in the UK for advice or someone in country should an evacuation be necessary. A 4 wheel drive vehicle was available for the full duration that would be able to carry out an evacuation. The nearest hospital was located in Manakara, approximately a 4 hour journey away. Good hygiene was maintained for the duration of the trip; all drinking water was filtered and all precautions were taken to avoid bites. There were no major health issues whilst on the trip, the biggest medical issue that occurred was when one team member caught their thumb in the door of a car upon entering the forest. The nail turned black and he eventually lost it; treatment involved careful monitoring and ensuring it was sterilised and kept clean to avoid infection or further damage.

Communications:

The team and all equipment necessary travelled by plane. The team travelled from London Heathrow, transferred planes in Mauritius and then landed in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Once arriving in country, the team was picked up by a member of DBCAM, Sam The Seing. After spending a night in Antananarivo we then used a local minibus driver for the 14 hour drive from the capital to Manakara, a town found on the South-East coast. Afterwards they had another 4 hour drive in 4WD vehicles, which were hired for the duration of the trip. The fuel for the4WD vehicles was bought from the petrol station in Manakara. The generator for the electricity was also collected in Manakara. The team made use of local guides during the expedition to lead them around the forest along the various transect routes. This provided the local people with a source of income which was a great benefit.

Pre-expedition, Hannah Smith was the main communicator with Sam The Seing from DBCAM. All communication was done over email which made things quite challenging. In the field the team had a satellite phone as they were not sure if there would be phone signal. They found out after arriving that there was actually phone signal and so could have saved more money by using a locally bought sim card. The satellite phone was only used for communicating personally home for each member of the team, they had no emergencies or anything requiring necessary contact with home.

Food and accommodation: Accommodation consisted of two nights in hostels during the transit from Antananarivo, stopping in Manakara and then on to the study site. Tents were constructed for the rest of the trip until reversing the travel back to the capital. The team had four tents between the six of them. All the food was sourced locally, the majority of supplies were bought from Manakara. Alongside this, the local communities were keen to do business by selling their locally grown or caught produce. Seafood and vegetables were the primary source of nutrition with rice served at least twice a day. There were two cooks who prepared all the food. The water supply was provided by the Pangalanes Canal which ran alongside the base camp only a few hundred metres away. The water was used for cooking and washing with and was then filtered before drinking. During the expedition duration there was a lack of rain and so the water did run low, which caused some difficulty.

Expedition Diary

10th August 2014: Arrival in Madagascar.

12th August 2014: Travelling to Vohimasina Nord.

The team arrived in Antananarivo in the afternoon, after an incredibly long plane journey â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in excess of 12 hours. We met Sam the Seing at the airport, who is the head of DBCAM (Development and Biodiversity Conservation Action for Madagascar). This was a heartening experience, especially after the number of email exchanges between us in preparation for the trip. We were driven by jeep to the Tana-Jacaranda guesthouse in Antananarivo where we would stay the night. That evening we had a quick meeting with Sam, he told us the journey plan, which would be for him to travel to Manakara by jeep, and for us to travel by private minibus. From Manakara, the whole team would travel to Loholoka in 4x4 vehicles. Sam had already prepared all the scientific equipment we needed, which we would be taking with us from Antananarivo. In addition to the journey plan, we discussed our research aims. Sam suggested we each specialise in a certain area, either lemurs, small mammals, birds or herps. However, as a team we decided that it would be better to work in pairs, and for everyone to be involved in studying each category.

In Manakara we met up with the rest of the DBCAM team who would be working with us in the forest, bringing along all their individual skills to help in identifying biodiversity. We also met Rob Gandola, who decided to join us in Loholoka in order to study crocodiles for his PHD research. Rob showed us around the market in Manakara. Sam also picked up the food we would be eating on camp; mokari, rice, vegetables, zebu, chicken etc. This would last two weeks, until his next visit to Manakara. In the afternoon we left for Loholoka, which is within the Manakara district and only 50km away from Manakara town. The road was much less easy going than yesterday, with plenty of potholes. Two and a half hours into the journey we reached a small town called Vohimasina Nord. The Mayor of the town, Julian, invited us to a communal meeting, where we introduced ourselves, and discussed our plans to research in Loholoka. He then advised that we should spend the night here, in order to avoid travelling at night. We were taken to a large barn, where we spent the night. That evening was our first opportunity to get to know our new team. It was good fun talking to the DBCAM students, who taught us some key Malagasy phrases. We had our first meal of rice and vegetables for dinner, which was a meal we would have to get used to!

Monday 11th August: Travelling to Manakara. We left at 8:30am for the journey to Manakara. We stopped early on to meet the University of Antananarivo students, who would become invaluable in helping us to find and identify the biodiversity in Loholoka. The journey was a good opportunity to observe the local culture, and the impressive scenery of Madagascar. The road was clear and of good quality for most of the route, but the 560km drive still took 15 hours. It was a welcome relief to finally reach our acommodation in Manakara for the night.

13th August 2014: Arriving at Loholoka and first night walk. We left at 8:00am for Loholoka. The terrain was rough, which made for a very difficult drive. One of the vehicles got stuck in a river, so the whole team spent an hour digging it out and building a makeshift bridge from rocks. The other mishap of the journey was when Nick trapped his thumb in the car door, causing his nail to fall off later on. This was painful, but not serious. He kept it covered, and used plenty of antiseptic wipes to keep it clean allowing it to recover gradually and free of infection. When we reached the village, some members of DBCAM wanted to camp right next to the village for security, but after much debate in the group we decided it would be better to camp more centrally in order to have better access to the whole forest. We set up our camp in the afternoon. The six of us were provided with four tents, the girls easily organised between themselves who would get the tent by themselves however the boys had an intense game of rock, paper, scissors before begrudgingly giving in to Nick, who won the rights to his own tent. The majority of the other facilities were all hand made; benches, kitchen area, tarped shelters for shade and even a ‘science table’ which would become our personal area. We took the rest of the afternoon as an opportunity to explore our surroundings, including the very welcoming beach, which was only 200m away from camp. That evening we all underwent our first night walk. It was the biggest group walk of the expedition, and included almost everyone from camp. This was only an easy, short walk to the north of the forest, but we were delighted to see Rufous mouse lemurs and Crossley’s dwarf lemurs, both of which became regular sightings, especially the mouse lemurs!

14th August 2014: Setting up pitfall traps, mammal traps and camera traps. We got up at 7:00am, to set up pitfall traps, and put out mammal traps. We ventured quite deep into the forest, but there were clear paths to follow already created by the local people living here. It was raining that morning, but the temperature still felt pleasantly mild - about 20oC. We had guides from the local villages to help us, which we had decided to take on all our surveys. The route was not treacherous, but the constant swamps made it challenging. Wet feet was something we would get used over the duration. There were a few fun slips in the mud, always being mocked by the local people who thought we were so incredibly unsteady on our feet, especially when crossing the make shift stick bridges.

The pitfall traps consisted of 10 buckets spaced over 100m, with a drift fence running between them. We only constructed one line, because at this stage we were just experimenting, and planned to move it and set up in various other locations later. We placed some of our mammal traps on the ground and others at different heights in the trees. Again, this was an experimental approach to see what worked best. In the afternoon Jamie, Tom and Nicholas went out again, in order to set up the first camera traps, the most exciting of which being one facing what appeared to be a mouse lemur hole in a tree. The rest of the group took the opportunity to type up data of the

species seen so far, which included the lemurs from the first evening survey, as well as some birds sighted during the morning work, which included Yellow Billed Kite, Frances’s Sparrowhawk, Crested Drongo, and Madagascar Bee-eater. We also discussed the plan for the forthcoming weeks of surveying, and decided we would split into three groups, and rotate between the different surveys. These included herp surveys, bird surveys lemur surveys, and checking and re-setting mammal traps and pitfall traps. The groups were Nick and Jamie, Tom and Susie, and the two Hannah’s. We also decided we would set up five routes on which to survey.

15th – 17th August 2014: Setting up routes, and start of surveys. We started working in our groups from this point. These first few days were used to create our five routes, which were spread throughout the forest. We used red flagging tape to mark the routes, as well as GPS. After setting up the last of the routes, the guides led Jamie and Nick to a roost of Madagascan flying foxes. It was an incredibly display of at least 100 animals. The guides told us that this was the only roost for this species in the whole forest, making this an incredibly important finding. This period also marked the beginning of our full surveys. The first pitfall and mammal trapping attempts proved fruitless, the only catches being black rats in some of the mammal traps. These are non-native rats that compete with the local fauna. We moved some of the mammal traps higher up in the trees, in the hope of catching mouse lemurs in future attempts.

During this period we all went on a crocodile survey with Rob. It was a tough route, which involved wading waste deep in water. We walked a long distance along the Pangalanes canal, but unfortunately spotted no crocodiles. The most notable sightings were herps, like the Heterixalus alboguttatus, and Lance-nosed chameleon, both of which became familiar sightings. Up until this period, we had not encountered any great dangers in the forest, however Mamy (DBCAM member) had found a scorpion near the camp, detected under UV lighting. We were also warned of two dangerous species of spider. These creatures all live amongst leaf litter and wood chippings, so great care was taken throughout the expedition when we had to disturb these areas to look for herps. Thankfully, there were no incidents to report.

18th – 21st August 2014: Surveys continue, with great findings! By this time, surveys were fully up and running. Tom and Susie enjoyed the first success with the mammal traps. One of the traps contained a mouse lemur – a strikingly cute sight compared to the black rats! It was taken to camp to be measured, weighed, and marked, before we released it back into the same place that evening. Another great discovery arose during a lemur survey, where Jamie and Nick found white fronted brown lemurs! These lemurs had only previously been recorded in north-east Madagascar, so this was a fantastic discovery. They are shy animals, and difficult to spot initially, but it was made possible by the help of both the local guide, and Kellard (lemur expert from DBCAM) Kellard was confident on the identity, and photographs made this clearer still.

The following day, some of the camera traps were checked, and revealed footage of the white fronted brown lemurs. They were fascinated by the camera trap, and spent a great deal of time staring at it. This footage was impressive and amusing, and incredibly popular around the camp! The other great discovery during this period was completely un-expected; Hannah and Hannah spotted humpback whales out on the horizon as they made their way back from route 5! They ran back to camp and quickly informed everyone, and soon the entire camp was watching these amazing creatures as they flung themselves out of the water, providing a spectacular display. The whales passed many times over the course of the expedition, providing a great source of entertainment during free time.

22nd August 2014: Civet footage and birthday break. After the hard work of the last two weeks, everyone welcomed a day off to celebrate Hannah Pollockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Birthday. In the morning we went out to check a camera trap, which had been placed on the dune, between the sea and the forest. To our delight, it had recorded footage of the Malagasy Civet. It had been attracted to the dead black rat we used as bait. This was another exciting discovery, and the entire camp loved the footage! The rest of the day was an opportunity to type up data, relax, and celebrate. Hannah received a goose and a coconut as a present from the Malagasy people, she was thrilled and even named the goose Lucy, that is until it was taken off her that evening and swiftly turned into dinner! The cooks made a birthday cake for Hannah (an incredible fete given the cooking conditions) as well as an incredibly nice dinner, which was a very kind gesture. It was a great time for everyone to come together, everyone played the limbo and the whole camp also danced to both Malagasy and Western music, we were introduced to a completely new way of dancing!

23rd â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 27th August 2014: Surveys continue, with new discoveries. By this stage, the old line of pitfall traps had been removed, and replaced with another two lines of 10 pitfall traps further south. On Saturday morning, five Greater Hedgehog Tenrecs were found in the pitfall traps. Despite being incredibly widespread, this was still a pleasing discovery.

The following evening, while Hannah and Hannah continued with herpetology surveys in the South which revealed a second species of chameleon – the Carpet chameleon. Jamie, Nick, Tom and Susie went out to the north of camp to set mist nets, in the hope of catching bats. This was because Seheno, who is a University of Antananarivo student studying mammals, believed she had seen Commerson's Leaf-nosed Bats on a previous night walk. These are a near threatened species of micro bat. Unfortunately, no bats had been captured when she checked the traps the following morning. During a herp survey one evening, two Chabert Vanga’s and a Madagascasy paradise flycatcher were observed roosting on very low branches just above the path. These are both birds we had heard the calls of on regular occasions, but this was an amazing experience and opportunity to observe up close as they did not fly away, even when we walked right up to them.

28th August 2014: Visits to Andotsy Village and Loholoka Village.

This day was a break from the usual surveying. Now we had had the chance to familiarise ourselves with the forest, it was time to meet the local people, and discuss the way they use the forest, and their attitudes to conservation. We stared with Andotsy Village, which was to the South of the forest. The journey there was an entirely new experience for many of us. After travelling south along the dune by jeep, we had to use a pirogue to cross the Pangalanes canal to the village. One of our guides rowed the boat, while the rest of us kept very still to minimise the risk of capsizing. Thankfully, despite a couple of unstable moments, we made it across in about 10 minutes. It was a real joy to meet the local people, especially the local children, who were very excited to see us, and loved posing for pictures. We were able to talk to the local people thanks to Sam, who acted as translator. The meeting yielded valuable information, like the fact that the locals do limit their use of the forest, but there are still many threats, like illegal logging companies cutting wood for profit. Our meeting with the Loholoka Village residents in the afternoon gave similar information.

29th – 31st August 2014: Continued surveying, and further discoveries. 54

The time arrived once again to retrieve camera traps. One of these had been placed in an area of secondary forest, slightly to the north of camp, with the aim of filming the Bush Pig. To our amazement, we received footage of the Madagascar crested ibis. This is a very rare, near threatened bird, of which the guides have only seen two in the forest. Another great discovery during this period was the Madagascar pygmy kingfisher, found roosting on a low branch at night. Similarly to the previous birds we found roosting, this was incredibly undeterred by our presence, providing a great photo opportunity.

1st September 2014: Botany For a change, the whole group went out with Mitia and Nhir (Botany students from the University of Antananarivo), in order to do botany. They taught us how to construct a plant transect, and measure the flora, it was a great opportunity and was good fun and interesting to learn.

2nd â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6th September 2014: Continued surveying, more surprises, and another useful meeting with local people. Up to this point, all the surveys have been running successfully. Bird surveys have been particularly fruitful, largely thanks the expertise of the bird experts from DBCAM (Mamsui and Virginie), who are capable of identifying virtually all the birds in the forest both visually and by call. Herpetology surveys have also been fruitful, but we have only been able to identify a few of the different species using the guides we had available. Pictures were taken of many of them, to allow us to identify them back in the UK. Yet more fascinating discoveries were made during this period. On a night herp survey Mamy (the herp expert from DBCAM) found a golden fish scaled gecko - a species that had never been recorded near the Manakara district. Another surprise was on a morning herp survey, when Jamie spotted two Madagascar crested ibis. Unfortunately these shy creatures had fled before photos could be taken, but it was still an impressive sighting. We believe it was one of these which had been seen by the camera trap, as this had been situated very near to this point. During this period we had a meeting with the Masondranokely village, to discuss similar topics as those discussed in Loholoka and Andotsy. It was amazing to observe the simplicity of the village. The school was only one room, with a few seats, and holes in the roof. Most of the other buildings were wooden, including the one for our meeting. Despite this simplicity, the people were delightfully up-beat in character, with the children showing off their ability to perform back flips in unison! It was incredibly touching to see how this simplicity did not take away the smiles from their faces - something to be admired! With the exception of the first few wet days, the weather had been calm and sunny until this point, with temperatures reaching about 25oC in the strong sun. Following this, the weather turned stormier. This did not impact the surveys, and made the herp surveys even more fruitful, however the wind and rain did lead to a few disturbed nights. Thankfully, this period passed over after about four days, and was followed by much more settled weather once again. The main mishap during this period was when the generator broke down. During its absence we could not charge our laptops and so by the time power returned we had a lot of data to write up

however we used a solar panel to charge batteries, which allowed the camp lights to work. Thankfully, Sam arranged a replacement to arrive three days later.

7th – 9th September 2014: Measuring the forest perimeter, and carrying out our final surveys. After a morning survey, the whole group set out to measure the perimeter of the forest using GPS. This was a difficult task, because it was not easy to access the edge of the forest in a vehicle. We only managed a section on the first attempt, but managed to complete this over the next two days, as well as completing our last few surveys.

we used as an opportunistic boat survey. We split into two groups – Jamie, Nick and Tom did a boat ride in the north, while Hannah, Hannah and Susie went south. These trips proved very constructive, the boys observed a few new bird species, like the Purple Heron and the girls potentially saw two Nile crocodiles in the distance though this couldn’t be confirmed at the time and there were no further sightings.

10th – 13th September 2014: Finishing up, and boat ride. By this time we had finished all our planned surveys, so we filled our time by carrying out opportunistic surveys. Some of these were carried out on the usual five routes, while others were carried out on routes 6 and 7. These were new routes that Sam recently had set up in the south of the forest. There were not many new findings, but we were pleased to see a few species again, especially the white fronted brown lemurs. After one of the surveys, the Loholoka villagers gave Jamie and Nick honeycomb from a wild bees nest. This was absolutely delicious! One of the highlights of the last few days was a boat trip over the Pangalanes canal, which

Over the last few days, there were another two meetings. One of these was arranged by, among others, the local community manager of Loholoka forest. It was attended by people from many of the nearby villages. In this meeting we discussed our research, current uses of the forest, and steps that can be taken to improve conservation. The day before leaving, we had another meeting with the Loholoka villagers. We presented them with our research findings, including the camera trap footage, and also discussed ways that conservation can be improved. After learning and practising the Malagasy language over the duration of the expedition, Hannah Pollock was able to give a short speech at these meetings, it felt more personal to be able to talk directly to the villagers in their own language and thank them for their support.

14th – 18th September 2014: Breaking up camp and leaving Madagascar. We had planned to leave on the 15th, and travel straight to Manakara, however because

our research was done, we decided to leave Loholoka a day early and spend the night at Vohimasina, which would allow us to reach Manakara earlier the following day. A party was held on the last night in Loholoka and was attended by everyone, it was a perfect end to a successful expedition. The best news turned out to be the birth of a baby girl to one of the Loholoka guides, we were told he had decided to name the baby â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hannahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; after Hannah and Hannah on the expedition team. This was an absolute honour and the girls were thrilled. The drive to Vohimasina was quicker and easier the second time, because the troublesome river crossing had been piled with more stones to make it easy to cross. The following morning, we took the opportunity to present our findings in Vohimasana, before travelling back to Manakara. On arrival to Manakara, we were able to meet the head of environment and conservation in the Manakara district. She was very enthusiastic about our findings, and looks forward to receiving our scientific report. We travelled back to Manakara on the 16th, allowing us to spend the whole of the 17th in the market at Antananarivo. It was great fun to engage in the city culture, and everyone practiced their bartering. Before the late afternoon plane on the 17th, we had the chance to visit the crocodile farm, which was another worthwhile experience. We were then driven back to Antananarivo airport, and said a sad goodbye to Sam, before embarking on the long plain journey home.

Research Findings As no previous records existed for Loholoka it was crucial to gather as much data as possible whilst maintaining a high standard of scientific research. Therefore we decided to focus on amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds using simple and repeatable methodologies; we were confident that between the UK students and Malagasy partners we had the required skill and knowledge to successfully survey for these species. Additionally, we had made contact with internationally based researchers who would be able to offer identification support on return to the UK, providing we had detailed enough images of the species in question. Over the course of the expedition a total of 95 species were Identified in the Loholoka forest including 11 Mammals (4 Lemurs), 60 Birds, 13 Reptiles and 11 Amphibians.

Previous research in Madagascar Owing to its phenomenal level of endemism and unique biogeography, Madagascar is a popular research site and is becoming even more so in recent years as the rate of development threatens to destroy much of this. The most prominent conservation efforts are that of The Durrell institute; with over 25 years in Madagascar they have developed a unique approach to community engagement which involves working with traditional leaders and associations, and reinforcing traditional culture, rules and customs. However, most of these and other recognisable charityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is centred in the north of the country. In the south there is a lesser degree of scientific activity partly due to the accessibility of the region, it took us fourteen hours to travel from the capital Antananarivo to reach our study site in Loholoka. Funding often presents a hurdle to research in remote sites. Most comparable research in the south is centred in Ranamafana National Park which first came to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention with the discovery of the Golden Bamboo Lemur in 1986. The Ranamafana National Park is home to an estimated 115 species of bird, 62 species of reptile (10 lizard, 12 chameleon, 14 snakes) 98 species of frog, 90 species of butterfly, 40 species of mammal (12 lemur, 6 rodent, 11 insectivores, 8 bats and 6 carnivores), 6 species of fish, 350 species of spider and 6 species of crustaceans (crayfish). This demonstrates the biodiversity potential of the forest in the South East however there are important ecological differences, such as the rainforest density and composition, between Ranamafana and Loholoka which explains the differences in observations at the two sites.

Amphibians 68

Introduction The population of amphibians in Madagascar is made up exclusively of frogs, the order Anura. There are 300 described anuran species and many others yet to be described. Madagascar ranks 12th in the world for amphibian species richness, but this is likely an underestimate, due to the many species still being discovered and identified. Amphibian diversity is concentrated in the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rainforests and can incredibly reach over 100 species locally. Impressively, 99.8% of the species and 88% of the genera are strictly endemic to Madagascar and its inshore islands. In Loholoka, despite a lack of specialist knowledge within the expedition, it was important to survey for frogs to gain a true reflection of the forests diversity and contribute to the knowledge of species distributions to inform future research and conservation.

Methodology Equipment Used: Head torches and batteries Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar 3rd edition (978-3929449037) Thick gloves Tape measure 20L Buckets Digging tool Polythene sheeting Camera In addition to opportunistic sighting and pitfall trapping the main method of surveying employed for amphibians was systematic searching along the set transect routes.

Results A total of eleven amphibian species were positively identified in the Forest. Latin Name

Common Name

Surveys Identified On

IUCN Classification

Heterixalus alboguttatus

White belly Reed Frog

Transect/ Opportunistic

Least Concern

Guibemantis bicalcaratus

Sainte Marie Madagascar Frog

Transect

Least Concern

Boophis opisthodon

Eastern Bright-eyed Frog

Transect

Least Concern

Anodonthyla sp

Climbing Frog

Transect

Unknown

Plethodontohyla bipunctata

Forest Digging Frog

Transect

Least Concern

Mantella bernhardi

Bernhard's mantella

Transect

Endangered

Plethodontohyla notosticta

Mahanoro Digging Frog

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Rhombophryne alluaudi

Fort Dauphin Digging Frog

Transect

Least Concern

Aglyptodactylus madagascariensis

Madagascar Jumping Frog

Transect

Least Concern

Heterixalus betsileo

Betsileo Reed Frog

Transect/ Opportunistic

Least Concern

Ptychadena mascarensis

Mascarene Grass Frog

Transect

Least Concern

Discussion Like all our surveys these results have contributed to better understanding of the ranges of the species present in Loholoka. The most significant find from our amphibianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surveys was the endangered Mantella bernhardi, which shows the population is decreasing due to serval threats across it range. The Loholoka forest habitat is being degraded rapidly due to subsistence agriculture, timber extraction, charcoaling, livestock grazing, fires, and expanding human settlement. Until recently, this species was known only from a single locality, but recent fieldwork has extended its known range by the discovery of several new populations, all in south-eastern Madagascar. The discovery of a new population is very significant especially as it has a very limited suitable habitat which is fragmented within its range. Due to the polymorphic nature of many of the frog species and the huge diversity present in Madagascar identification in this group was particularly challenging for the team, relying on photo identification for the majority of species upon our return. The capturing of frogs for photography of the underside also proved difficult especially for the smallest individuals. Indeed for the most cryptic of species genetic identification is required which was not feasible for the team on the expedition. Nevertheless due to the large numbers of unidentified frogs is it likely many other species are found in Loholoka. Future studies of the forest would benefit from permits allowing the exportation of frogs for identification and more dedicated sampling techniques with a greater focus around water bodies to unveil greater amphibian diversity. These results are significant in the extension of ranges of all species observed with a significant gap in biological records for the area previously. The identification of Cheirgaleidae sp. will hopefully aid future classification of the species as it is currently data deficient.

Avifauna 74

Introduction

Results

Of the 283 Birds recorded in Madagascar, a limited 209 regularly breed on the island however 51% are endemic. There are five prominent endemic families; Mesite, Coua, Ground-roller, Asities and Vanga alongside a further 37 endemic genera occupying most of the habitat niches, with a degree of regional variation as is commonplace across Malagasy fauna (Schuurman 2011, Bradt Guide). Alongside these unique organisms the ecosystem also supports local representatives of more familiar families such as herons, ibises, grebes ducks and rails.

A total of 60 different bird species were observed Latin Name

Common Name

Surveys Identified On

IUCN Classification

Motacilla flaviventris

Madagascan Wagtail

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Streptopelia picturata

Madagascar Turtle Dove

Point count

Least Concern

Ceyx madagascariensis

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Bubulcus ibis

Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher Madagascar Malachite Kingfisher Cattle Egret

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Charadrius pecuarius

Kittlitz's Plover

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Dryolimnas cuvieri

White-throated Rail

Point count

Least Concern

Acridotheres tristis

Common Myna

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Methodology

Turnix nigricollis

Madagascar Buttonquail

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Equipment Used:

Asio madagascariensis

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Binoculars

Coturnix coturnix

Madagascar Long-eared Owl Common Quail

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Morris, P & Hawkins, F Birds of Madagascar: A photographic Guide Pica Press, UK 1999

Mirafra hova

Madagascar Bush Lark

Point count

Least Concern

Sound recorder to record bird calls

Alectroemas madagascariensis

Madagascar Blue Pigeon

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Oena capensis

Namaqua Dove

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Dendrocygna viduata

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Caprimulgus madagascariensis

White-faced Whistling Duck Madagascar Nightjar

Point count

Least Concern

Arenaria interpres

Ruddy Turnstone

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Numenius phaeopus

Whimbrel

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Phalacrocorax africanus

Long-tailed Cormorant

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Ardea purpurea

Purple Heron

Opportunistic

Least Concern

The results of the 2013 reconnaissance survey indicated that Loholoka boasted a range of diverse avifauna and we were interested to see if this was the extent or just a snapshot of what the forest supported. Due to the expertise of our colleagues at DBCAM we were able to identify species by calls made by the birds well as visual identification in order to maximise data collection and survey effort.

Point counts (Hutto et al 1986) were made at 10m intervals (marked by plastic tape) along the transects. A total of 10 sites along each of the 5 routes were sampled. During the allocated 10 minute sample time (which commenced after a 3 minute waiting period to avoid disturbance by the observer) the following was recorded: 

The number of individuals of each species detected within a visible 5m radius of the observer.



The abundance of individuals of each species detected beyond the radius but still within the habitat of interest.



Identification type (Sighting or call heard) was noted.

Egretta alba

Great Egret

Opportunistic

Least Concern



The identity of individuals detected by the observer whilst walking between count points.

Calidris ferruginea

Curlew Sandpiper

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Rallus madagascariensis

Madagascar Rail

Opportunistic

Vulnerable

Lophotibis cristata

Madagascar Crested Ibis

Opportunistic

Near Threatened

Lonchura nana

Madagascan mannikin

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Cisticola cherina

Madagascar Cisticola

Point count

Least Concern

Numenius arquata

Eurasian Curlew

Opportunistic

Near Threatened

Opportunistic data was also collected when birds were sighted/ heard on other surveys or excursions or around base camp, this data was treated separately to the point count data.

Alcedo vintsioides

Latin

Common

Surveys Identified On

IUCN Classification

Otus rutilus

Malagasy scops owl

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Anas erythrorhyncha

Red-billed teal

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Actitis hypoleucos

Common Sandpiper

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Corvus albus

Pied Crow

Both

Least Concern

Nectarinia souimanga

Souimanga Sunbird

Both

Least Concern

Coracopsis nigra

Lesser Vasa Parrot

Both

Least Concern

Centropus toulou

Madagascar Coucal

Both

Least Concern

Vanga curvirostris

Hook-billed Vanga

Both

Least Concern

Newtonia brunneicauda

Common Newtonia

Both

Least Concern

Terpsiphone mutata

Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher

Both

Least Concern

Neomixis tenella

Common Jery

Both

Least Concern

Hypsipetes madagascariensis

Madagascar Bulbul

Both

Least Concern

Dicrurus forficatus

Crested Drongo

Both

Least Concern

Merops superciliosus

Madagascar Bee-eater

Both

Least Concern

Coua caerulea

Blue Coua

Both

Least Concern

Leptosome discolour

Cuckoo-Roller

Both

Least Concern

Foudia madagascariensis

Madagascar Red Fody

Both

Least Concern

Both

Least Concern

Both

Least Concern

Treron australis Nesillas typica

Madagascar Green Pigeon Madagascar Brush Warbler

Accipiter francesii

Frances's Sparrowhawk

Both

Least Concern

Copsychus allospecalaris

Madagascar MagpieRobin

Point count

Least Concern

Agaporinds camis

Grey-headed Lovebird

Point count

Least Concern

Randi pusdozosteraps

Rand's Warbler

Point count

Least Concern

Zosterops maderaspatana

Madagascar White-eye

Point count

Least Concern

Milvus aegyptius

Yellow Billed Kite

Point count

Not Evaluated (but common)

Falco newtoni

Madagascar Kestral

Point count

Least Concern

Nectarinia notata

Long-billed Green Sunbird

Point count

Least Concern

Leptopterus chabert

Chabert's Vanga

Point count

Least Concern

Coracopsis vasa

Greater Vasa Parrot

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Falco concolor

Sooty Falcon

Point count

Near Threatened

Polyboroides radiatus

Madagascar HarrierHawk

Point count

Least Concern

Numida meleagris

Helmeted Guinea Fowl

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Heron

Opportunistic

Unknown

78Ardea sp.

Discussion Most species found in the reconnaissance survey of 2013 were again found in our 2014 survey efforts (both point count and opportunistic sightings) with the exception of the Madagascan Cuckoo (Cuculus rochii) and the Cinnamon Roller (Eurystomus glaucurus) which were only found in November 2013. The Cinnamon Roller (Eurystomus glaucurus) is not a resident of Madagascar, it is present for breeding only which would explain the absence in August/September 2014 (Birdlife international 2015). The Madagascan cuckoo (Cuculus rochii) is resident all year round and considered a ‘Least Concern’ species by the IUCN red list with a stable population. It may have just been chance that limited the observation of this species and this perhaps shows the need for further research of the forest to confirm species diversity. In terms of a conservation status, the most significant finding from our study was the Madagascar Rail (Rallus madagascariensis). This species is classed as ‘Vulnerable’ and has a decreasing population trend due to habitat loss of wet forest and aquatic environments, as they are often used instead for rice paddy fields. The Sooty Falcon (Falco concolor), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) and Madagascar Crested Ibis (Lophotibis cristata) are classified as ‘near threatened’ due to a population decline primarily attributed to habitat destruction. All other birds observed are considered ‘Least Concern’. The prevalence of some scarcer species indicates that the forest harbours important habitats for a number of birds. Further studies on a long term basis would help to determine the population trends for all of these species and would be even more significant if completed over a number of different seasons. This data would be particularly insightful for the aforementioned species which are considered of conservation interest.

Figure 2. Bird species found in the reconnaissance survey of November 2013. Latin name

Common Name

Present 2014?

Corvus albus

Pied Crow

YES

Milvus aegyptius

Yellow-Billed Kite

YES

Hypsipetes madagascariensis

Madagascar Bulbul

YES

Nectarinia souimanga

Souimanga Sunbird

YES

Acridotheres tristis

Common Myna

YES

Motacilla flaviventris

Madagascan Wagtail

YES

Leptopterus chabert

Charbert’s Vanga

YES

Coracopsis nigra

Lesser Vasa Parrot

YES

Neomyxis tenella

Common Jery

YES

Zosterops maderaspatana

Madagascar White Eye

YES

Dryolimnas cuvieri

White Throated Rail

YES

Merops superciliosus

Madagascar Bee-eater

YES

Centropus toulou

Madagascar Coucal

YES

Turnix nigricollis

Madagascar Buttonquail

YES

Dicrurus forficatus

Crested Drongo

YES

Falco newtoni

Madagascar Kestrel

YES

Nesillas typica

Madagascar Brush Warbler

YES

Streptopelia picturata

Madagascar Turtle Dove

YES

Caprimilgus madagascariensis

Madagascar Nightjar

YES

Leptosomus discolor

Cuckoo Roller

YES

Nectarinia notata

Long-Billed Green Sunbird

YES

Newtonia bruneicauda

Common Newtonia

YES

Foudia madagascariensis

Madagascar Red Fody

YES

Lonchura nana

Madagascar Mannikin

YES

Vanga curvirostris

Hook-Billed Vanga

YES

Terpsiphone mutata

Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher

YES

Agapornis cana

Grey Headed Lovebird

YES

Accipiter francesiae

Frances’s Sparrowhawk

YES

Lophotibis cristata

Madagascar Crested Ibis

YES

Otus rutilus

Namaqua Dove

YES

Falco concolor

Sooty Falcon

YES

Cuculus rochii

Madagascan Cuckoo

Eurystomus glaucurus

Cinnamon Roller

Mammals 82

Introduction There are 241 extant mammal species belonging to 6 terrestrial and 2 marine orders in Madagascar. Madagasar is highly distinctive and many of the species found there are endemic to the country, this includes the fossa, which is the largest mammalian carnivore in Madagascar. Aside from the well known lemurs, Madagascar has a number of other charismatic mammals which have diverged. They occupy niches left open in the absence of many species now found on mainland Africa; an example of this are tenrecs, which as a result of convergent evolution, closely resemble hedgehogs, shrews, opossums and otters. With all four major lineages, carnivores, tenrecs, rodent and lemurs, present on Madagascar, diversity has appeared to have radiated from four single colonisation events. Furthermore, Madagascar has seen a number of invasive species introductions since colonization by humans which can displace the native species. In Loholoka, the surveying of small mammals was an important aspect of our surveys due to the large diversity present in country and being able to utilities the skills of Seheno who was specialising in small mammals at the University of Antananarivo. In addition we had hoped to find evidence of the Fossa in the area.

Methodology Equipment Used: Sherman traps Bait (banana, peanut butter, insects) Pitfalls (buckets, string, tarpaulin) Camera traps Sherman traps were used to survey small mammals, in addition pitfall traps were used in conjunction with drift fences. Trap lines consisted of eleven buckets with lips dug into the ground and dug 10 meters apart and checked twice a day (pitfall traps were also used to survey reptiles and amphibians). Camera traps were also placed for the identification of mammals, they were placed on trails and cross roads to allow for a higher probability of sightings. Due to time limitations some camera traps were baited in an effort to increase detection rates on camera traps. Further to these methods, mammals were surveyed opportunistically throughout the expedition, this included sightings of cetaceans from the shore.

Results A total of seven non primate mammals were identified in Loholoka including four native terrestrial species, two introduced species and one migratory cetacean, the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).

Species Identified: Latin Name

Common Name

Surveys Identified On

IUCN Classification

Rattus rattus Megaptera novaeangliae Potamochoerus larvatus Pteropus rufus Fossa fossana Setifer setosus

Black Rat Humpback whale Bush Pig Madagascar Flying Fox Malagasy Civet Greater Hedgehog Tenrec

Least Concern Least Concern Least Concern Vulnerable Near Threatened Least Concern

Hipposideros commersoni

Commerson's Leaf-nosed Bat

Sherman Trap Opportunistic Transect/Opportunistic Transect Camera Trapping Transect/ Pit fall/ Opportunistic Transect

Near Threatened

Discussion Surprisingly few small mammals were identified despite considerable trapping effort. Only one species of tenrec was identified, these were found only in less fragmented, central areas of the forest. We believe the reasons for the minimal observations of small mammals is due to their sensitivity to forest degradation, competition with Rattus rattus, the human consumption of small mammals and variation in seasonal activity. It is likely that more small mammal species do inhabit Loholoka although more extensive surveys would need to be done in order to cover a larger area. Based on discussions with local villages, they explained Setifer setosus were not a preferred food item due to its spines, but we found tenrecs were still eaten. Though not observed during the duration of the project the tailless tenrec Tenrec ecaudatus is likely to also be found in Loholoka due to its wide distribution throughout Madagascar. There were many signs of bush pig, such as digging markings and hair, found throughout the surveys across the forest including some exciting encounters at night as well as camera trap footage. As bush pigs are widely distributed throughout Madagascar, the species we observed was easily identifiable to the local Malagasy people. The presence of Fossa fossana was a positive sign that the forest was able to support a carnivorous species however in addition to threats faced by all the forest species many of the villages had a number of dogs which are both competitors and likely predators of the Fossa fossana. One roost of Pteropus rufus was identified in the forest, according to the locals historically there may have been severval more of these roosts as bats were previously a regular sighting near the village. We came across a cleared section of the forest below the roost ideal for netting the bats, the remains of a shelter was also identified, this evidence suggested the possibility of illegal hunting. Hipposideros commersoni was identified based on a single sighting however several smaller bats were observed flying overhead whilst on surveys suggesting the presence of additional species or multiple H.commersoni in the forest. The sighting of Megaptera novaeangliae was a pleasant surprise and was witnessed on several occasions offshore. Humpback whales were making their annual migration from the Antarctic to the sheltered waters around Ile Ste Marie where they are known to calve.

Lemurs Introduction Endemism at the genus and family level in Madagascar far surpasses that of any other hotspot, with more than 480 genera and 26 families endemic to this island nation. However, Madagascar is also one of the most heavily impacted countries in the world in terms of habitat loss, with some estimates indicating that as much as 90% of the original natural vegetation has already been destroyed and with much of what remains being severely fragmented. The lemur fauna of Madagascar have been heavily impacted by a plethora of anthropogenic threats. Lemurs are divided into 5 families, 15 genera, 99 species, and 103 taxa of lemur and together are the most threatened mammal species in the world, and single highest primate conservation priority with more than 90% of them facing extinction. It is therefore crucial that new populations of lemurs are identified so they can be given the appropriate level of protection. The Loholoka forest like many in Madagascar is a narrow fragment of its former existence, sharing many of the same threats as other areas of Madagascar. Surveying for lemurs was part of our overall baseline surveys to form a species list for the forest. As well as being crucial information on its own it will also act as a foundation for future research taking place in the area. Firstly, lemurs act as umbrella species meaning they are a good indication for the overall health of the forest. Furthermore they are key to public awareness of conservation in Madagascar with both charismatic behaviours and endearing appearances, particularly in the case of mouse lemurs. Finally, as more often the case, lemurs are now reported to have become locally extinct with range reductions rather than expansions, so our finding are particularly exciting.

Methodology Equipment Used: Lemurs of Madagascar, Tropical Field Guide 3rd ed. (978-1934151235) Guide to the Mammals of Madagascar (978-0713670431) Garmen GPS Flag Tape Permeant Marker Measuring Tape Bushnell Camera Traps x11 Sherman Traps x40

The main survey methods utilised to study lemurs were line transects. Five main transects were established across the length of the forest covering the nine identified vegetation types. These transects were surveyed a minimum of six times, specifically for lemurs, with three morning and three evening surveys. Upon sighting of lemurs, date, time, GPS location, weather conditions and vegetation type were recorded and distance from the

route and height above the ground estimated. Once the data was recorded, lemurs were then slowly approached off transect to allow for species identification when not possible from a distance. We also established group size and distinguished between adult and juveniles where possible. To allow for identification of the agile Microbus species and survey the small mammals of the forest, Sherman traps were used being placed both above and at ground level. Traps were baited alternatively with banana and peanut butter and set up along sections of four of the main transects and along the forest strip between the planned line canal and the sea. Traps were placed 10 m apart and each trapped line baited for six nights before being moved to another section of the forest. Mouse lemurs successfully caught in traps were weighed and measurements were taken of the tail, body, ears and muzzle. Caught lemurs were also marked and a small tissue sample taken from the ear which can then be used to confirm species ID and will also be utilised in Sehenoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PhD on mouse lemur genetics. Finally in addition to opportunistic sightings on other surveys, lemurs were identified using camera trap footage. With a limited number of camera traps, traps were placed in areas where lemurs had been spotted or signs of lemur activity present e.g. seed and fruit cases on the forest floor, the cameras were placed at a variety of heights.

Discussion These results are significant as they show an extension of ranges in all species observed, with a significant gap in biological records for the area previously. The identification of Cheirgaleidae sp. will hopefully aid future classification of the species as it is currently data deficient. Both the A. peyrierasi and M. rufus were most widely distributed of all the lemur species observed, this is consistent with previous research of lemur species inhabiting secondary forests. In comparison to Ranomafana, the closest National Park, where twelve lemur species have been identified, Loholoka holds a lower diversity of lemurs. Although this was found to be the case, Loholoka also has E.albifrons which is a unique species from that of Ranomafana. This presence of E.albifrons is extremely far south of its current known range in the North. This suggests a lack of ecological barriers historically thought to exist between neighbouring Kianjavato-Vatovavy forest where other species of Eulemur are found and Ranomafana. It is possible the population is a fragment remaining from its former population or it may have been introduced to the forest more recently. Nevertheless being classed as Endangered by the ICUN this finding is significant and genetic analysis will be required to determine the true origins of the population.

Results A total of four lemur species were identified in the Forest all belonging to different genera, only two species were seen on the DBCAM initial visit to Loholoka. Latin Name

Common Name

Surveys Identified On

IUCN Classification

Avahi peyrierasi

PeyriĂŠas' Wolly Lemur

Transect

Vulnerable

Eulemur Albifrons

White-fronted Brown Lemur Rufous Mouse Lemur

Transect

Endangered

Transect/ Sherman Trap/Opportunistic Transect/Opportunistic

Vulnerable

Microcebus rufus Cheirgaleidae crossleyi Possibly also waiting for email back about ID Cheirogaleus major

Crossley Dwarf Lemur Greater dwarf lemur

Both Data Deficient

All species identified were nocturnal besides the cathemeral E. Albifrons. A. peyrierasia and M. rufus were identified on all transects in the forest and appeared widely distributed throughout. E.Albifrons were only observed in the central areas of the forest between routes two and four. The majority of C. idae sightings were made opportunistically in the forest strip between the canal and beach being sighted once on route four and also on a camera trap. The forests A.peyrierasia population was observed to be breeding with multiple juveniles been observed towards the end of the field period.

Reptiles Reptiles 92

Introduction 96% of Madagascarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recognised reptile species are endemic (about 365 species) this astounding figure is indicative of the unique biogeography which shapes the isle, with many families more closely related to South American or Asian stock than African. For this reason it can be said that the ever increasing rate of deforestation poses a more significant threat to this taxonomic group than any another found in the country. Chameleons are perhaps the most researched indigenous reptile due to the fact that Madagascar is home to about half of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chameleon species (including both the smallest and the largest). They are so highly adaptable they inhabit virtually every available niche (Brandt guide 2011). Gekkos are also abundant and often spotted basking around camp and in local villages. None of the Malagasy snakes (the most frequently observed being the Giant Hognose which can grow to over 1m long), pose any threat to humans however they are generally treated with caution by locals and in some areas are considered to be a bad omen. As part of our river surveys we were interested to investigate reports of Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) however it appears if they were once present they might have been driven away by villagers.

In a similar way to the amphibian survey efforts comprised of systematic searching along all 5 transect routes both day and night. Opportunistic sightings from off route locations were also recorded and included within the dataset. Two excursions taking boats along local rivers were undertaken in order to assess viability of Nile crocodile habitat. Individuals were primarily identified via photographic evidence. A small number of organisms were captured by hand for closer inspection and later released where they were found.

Results A total of thirteen reptile species were positively identified in the Forest. Latin Name

Common Name

Surveys Identified On

IUCN Classification

Calumma gallus Phelsuma madagascariensis

Lance-Nosed Chameleon Madagascar Day Gecko

Transect/ Opportunistic Transect

Endangered Least Concern

Ithycyphus perineti Leioheterodon madagascariensis

Perinet's Night Snake Malagasy Giant Hognose snake Peacock day gecko Carpet Chameleon Nose-Horned Chameleon Lined day gecko House Gecko Common big-eyed snake Boettger's Mabuya (Skink) Fish scaled gecko Green sea turtle

Transect Transect/ Opportunistic

Least Concern Least Concern

Transect Transect Transect Transect/ Opportunistic Transect Transect Opportunistic Transect Opportunistic

Least concern Least Concern Least Concern Least Concern Least concern Least concern Least concern Unknown Endangered

Phelsuma quadriocellata Furcifer lateralis Calumma nasutum Phelsuma lineata Hemidactylus mercatorius Mimophis mahfalensis Trachylepis boettgeri Geckolepis sp. Chelonia mydas

Methodology Equipment Used: Snake hook (standard hook) Exo Terra Explorarium/Quick-release full screen Terrarium Glaw, F & Vences M A. Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar 2007

Discussion Our surveys, both transect walks and opportunistic sightings found a total of 13 reptile species (3 chameleon, 3 snake, 5 gecko, 1 turtle and 1 skink species, ) 10 of these are considered ‘Least Concern’ in terms of conservation importance however an important discovery is that of the Lance-Nosed Chameleon (Calumma gallus) which is classified as ‘Endangered’ by the IUCN with a decreasing population trend due to population fragmentation. “The low-elevation humid forests and littoral forests this species occupies are at risk from accidental burning, degradation from cattle grazing, timber extraction for fuel, construction and charcoal production. The species is of interest to the international pet trade, but this should not be considered a major threat at this time” (IUCN 2015). There are a number of protected national parks which support the Lance-Nosed Chameleon however to ensure greater genetic diversity of the species further protected areas across the country may be beneficial. Further interesting findings include the Fish scaled Gecko (Geckolepsis sp.). The Geckolepsis species is a yet unnamed next operational taxonomic unit, meaning it may be a new species. Currently, researchers do not have enough samples to prove this, it is clearly genetically distinct from the species which are currently recognised. There are predictions for possibly 5 new species, but these are awaiting confirmation following genus relationship identification. In addition to our survey efforts we were informed of a Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) which had been caught by a local fisherman and we were in fact presented with the individual. This chance encounter shows the potential of the marine biodiversity off the coast of the study site, this opens the possibility for further research on future expeditions. This is a particularly significant finding due to its IUCN listing as ‘Endangered’.

Botany 98

Introduction to the area The coastal forest along the East of Madagascar consists of a discontinuous band, of dense humid lowland forest (Consiglio et al, 2006) home to numerous endemic species of vascular plant which represent 10% of Madagascarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flora (Rabevohitra et al, 1998). This forest is degrading at an alarming rate due to over exploitation of wood and the practice of slash and burn. Worryingly, only 13.83% of this forest is within protected areas, equivalent to 695 Ha (Vincelette et al, 2007) Loholoka forest is currently un-protected. No comprehensive study had been undertaken on the flora and fauna in Loholoka forest. Therefore, from August-September 2014, students from the University of Antananarivo working with DBCAM undertook a study to better understand the importance of the forest. This included a study of the types, and characteristics of the vegetation present. Loholoka forest is in South Eastern Madagascar, and covers an area of 1700 Hectares. It is a coastal forest with many streams, alongside the Pangalanes Canal. The terrain is generally flat, and the area includes sand dunes, thickest at sea level decreasing until 30 metres above this point. The climate is hot and humid (Cornet, 1974), with an average temperature of 25oc. Heavy rainfall is common, especially during the rainy season from December to April. This visit was during the dry season (Donque, 1972).

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Species found This study found 189 species, 120 genera, and 66 families of plant. The most abundant taxonomic group was broadleaf (72.3%), followed by Monocotyledons (23.6%). The most diverse families are Orchidaceae specific level (27 species), Clusiaceae (10 species), Euphorbiaceae (9 species) and Melastomataceae (8 species). 73.35% of the flora found are endemic to Madagascar. This study collected floristic data which supports the need for conservation of the forest. 22 species are listed in the IUCN red list, including 1 ‘Vulnerable’ species, 5 ‘Endangered’ species, and 1 ‘Critically Endangered’ species. These species require special protection to prevent their gradual disappearance over time.

Structure of Vegetation The structure of forest can be divided into three units. Each unit is characterised by the average height of trees, and the structure and type of vegetation. These include low open canopy, moderately high open canopy, and high open canopy. In the low open canopy, trees are no taller than 8 metres, with a diameter no greater than 40cm. The canopy is open, and there are many herbaceous plants and shrubs. This part is fragmented and degraded in the far south, far north, and far eastern parts of the forest due to the selective exploitation of wood by the local villages. In the moderately high open canopy, the average tree height varies from 10 to 12 metres. Shrubs are common, and there are trees up to 16m. This is the most common type of vegetation in the forest, and although there are some holes, the general vegetation structure is well retained.

In the high open canopy, the average height of trees is 16m, with the tallest reaching 18-20m. Vegetation is very open, allowing an undergrowth layer with shrubs and herbs. Succession was studied from the sea, towards the west of the forest. Nine vegetation types were discovered: These include grass on the beachfront, regenerated vegetation after human disturbance with many invasive species, low dense vegetation, low open canopy forest, moderately high open canopy forest, and savannah.

Management and conservation recommendation Protection under IUCN category V has been proposed by the botany team who helped collate the proceeding data. One of the major problems identified is lack of knowledge in the local population of the importance of biodiversity and the local environment, to address this issue there should be formal or informal education on environmental topics available to all. Another problem is the deficiencies in management by Vondron'Olona Ifotony (VOI). These deficiencies are due to safeguarding of social cohesion, and threats made by loggers. To prevent this problem, close collaboration is needed between the state, the municipality, the fokontany the ampanjaka and VOI. VOI should implement the use of a fine for over logging, and the establishment of a local convention called DINA. Ecotourism could also be implemented to enhance the use of the local resource for the good of the region and the country. Tourist attractions include the beach, the Pangalanes canal, some species of flora, like the famous carnivorous plant Nempenthes madagascariensis, lemurs (Eulemur albifrons), reptiles (Brookesia sp), birds, insects, and cultural heritage (such as a building constructed during the colonial period). The study of flora in the forest is incomplete and future research is required. This could include in depth study of the flora itself, mapping, and studying the dynamics of vegetation.

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Threats: Threats are mainly anthropogenic. Selective harvesting of timber for commercial use by the villagers has been identified as a key threat. Trees with a straight trunk and hard wood are targeted. To offset this, reforestation should be implemented to ensure maintenance and natural regeneration of the forest. Bush fire has also led to fragmentation and gradual disappearance of the forest. Some of this is voluntary, carried out by farmers with shifting cultivation, whereby after three years of rice cultivation, they leave the land and search for a new plot.

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Social Interactions with Local Communities The expedition had positive economic effects on local communities as food and other resources were bought from the local people enabling them to have an additional source of income and trade. The UK team made strong efforts to learn the Malagasy language thus enabling them to communicate with the local people. This improved their social skills with the Malagasy people and, together with help from members of DBCAM, enabled them to converse and explain what it was they were doing in the forest and how local communities could get involved.

In meetings held towards the end of the expedition at local villages, research findings were explained to the local communities which could then help in terms of management of the forest. The team were in contact with and met with the local forestry commission and again this ensured all parties were aware of the process and goings on and therefore all information was shared. During their stay in Loholoka the team had the opportunity to discuss with the people of both the Loholoka and Andotsy villages on their opinions and use of the forest.

The camp was constructed from many natural resources, locally sourced upon arrival into the forest to minimise environmental impacts. Rubbish was disposed of in a hole and then burned meaning there were no lasting negative impacts on the area. Everything was deconstructed and no trace of presence was left.

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Andotsy The area of forest in which Andotsy village lies is owned by the Government and managed by the local community of Vohimasina Nord. It was found that wood from all tree species is used to make homes once permission is asked of Vohimasina Nord and tax is paid depending on the size of the construction (for example a 1m by 5m house is valued at 2000 AR). The tax money is used to transport people to the local town of Manakara to meet the forest department to discuss any concerns with the forest. After this payment is made, individuals can cut as much wood as is required for the structure, this is unregulated and there is no penalty for excessive use. Indeed the only regulation on the species of tree harvested is the suitability for construction purposes and as price is based on house size not material all species cost the same to harvest. The system is based on faith and reliability of community members taking what they need and avoiding excess, as a consequence illegal logging was not considered a threat. There is somewhat of an action plan in place; illegal loggers, when recognized buying/selling have to pay a small penalty to the local community. The wood they cut is usually used to build furniture, such as tables which fetch a high price at market. It seems unlikely that the current penalty will stop very rich businesses and the scale of this practice is currently unknown. With foresight to the sustainability of this practice there is a community action plan with an area of forest as a designated ‘no take’ zone whereby members of the community may not remove any resources here. Additionally, a small area has been replanted with a contract stipulating this which was signed in 2003, however as it ran out in 2005 it needs renewing. According to locals this process is currently underway but it is complicated for us to understand and the language barrier adds extra challenges. Firewood is not harvested from the stand, only fallen wood is permitted for this purpose. However it was found that medicinal plants were actively taken from the forest, the following species were identified as important to the villagers medicinal requirements; Ferombositra, Anjavidilahy, Tsivazavazaha, Zahana Phyllarthon sp, Mazambody- Clidemia hirta and Hento. Peroke wood for boats mainly comes from other places as prevalence of this species is low in the Loholoka forest. The Andotsy village economy is centred around fishing with additional production of rice, cassava, oranges, bananas, jack fruit and coffee. There is no evidence of any large scale exports, with these commodities only being consumed locally as opposed to being used for trade. The exploitation of fauna as well as flora in the forest was also discussed. In Madagascar ‘Fady’ are beliefs related to many different elements of life and many animals are considered ‘Fady’, bringing good or bad omens. Fady beliefs vary wildly from community to community, for example in Andotsy we found that few people are scared of chameleons which are considered by some to possess magical powers, and so here they are not seen as a threat and so are not killed like they are in other areas. It seemed that fears were based on danger of injury to an individual - local people are afraid of crocodiles and wild pig. We were informed that locals do not kill crocodile, preferring to simply move away but wild pig were frequently eaten. No members of the community actively hunted lemurs. When asked if any species of animal was observed to increase or decrease in prevalence over the past decades we were told that in the 1960’s bats were found nearby to the village however they are now found much further away.

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Loholoka Our second discussion took place in the Village of Loholoka itself which again is part of the local constituency of Vohimasina Nord operating under the same guidelines, however their use and views of the forest differ from that of Andotsy. Local people use trees from the forest to make houses but also chairs, tables, beds (this is the primary use of forest), with different tree species used depending on what is being made. We were told it takes about 60 pieces of wood to build a standard house. The building lasts 10 years then will usually need repairs, mainly to the roof. The house we held the meeting in was built in November 2013 and the walls came from travellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plant (big fan looking tree), although not all of the materials used were from Loholoka. Villagers also used to use leaves of local trees for medicine like the residents of Andotsy but now they use European drugs. These medicines come from the hospitals/chemist in Vohimasina Nord and Ampasimanjeva villages. The main work providing income in Loholoka is logging, however locals want sources of income to allow other more sustainable ways of making a living; a reward or paid replantation scheme was mentioned whereby individuals are given seeds to replant and are paid to do this. The village has started a voluntary scheme replanting trees in order to offset the current rate of harvest, however when asked who had planted a tree before very few answered yes, so this is clearly not a wide scale practice. It was also reported that most people are busy and have no time to control illegal logging. The meeting made it clear that there needs to be more communication between communities as currently it is difficult to reinforce the existing rules and regulations. When asked about hunting practices it was found that guinea fowl and some tenrec species (not including Setifer setosus) were widely consumed. Despite being feared and requiring a permit from the forest ministry, the wild bush pig (Potamochoerus larvatus) was often taken, possibly as it was also considered a pest. Interestingly, in contrast to the village of Andotsy, lemur was also eaten but reportedly difficult to hunt. Wild honey is also collected from the forest. There were no â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fadyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; observed in the village however locals did fear snakes such as Ithycyphus perineti, and scorpions in addition to the wild pig but this could be down to personal fears. When asked about changes in species present in the forest and how this may have changed over the past few decades, general observations included a growth in lemur abundance; with positive reports of new babies each year. We were also told that the Crested Ibis was often sighted despite its low abundance in the country as a whole, due to its slow reproduction rate of one egg per year. As far as locals were aware the fossa does not occur in Loholoka forest however it may be found in the Tsiazzombazaha forest approximately 50km away. Indeed there was no knowledge of large carnivores, we were told that some fish in the nearby lake grew so large that they pose a threat to crocodiles (We remain sceptical on this point). Problems caused by zebu were highlighted including destruction to the village and crops and the fact that many trees must be cut down in order to build protective fences. Local people want to grow more food such as rice in become more self-sufficient and thus preserve the forest more, however zebu from other villages trample crops impeding this effort.

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Future of the Forest Meeting Towards the end of our expedition, the future of the forest was discussed at a big meeting held at our camp on the 11th September. Those present included the members of Expedition Loholoka, the Forest Department of Vatotavy Fitovinany and all the surrounding village communities were invited. The minutes of this meeting can be found on the next page. After discussion of current uses, issues and threats concerning the Loholoka forest, it was concluded that stricter management guidelines needed to be introduced. This includes enforcement of logging laws, zonation of the forest to allow for replantation schemes and a diversification of agriculture to lessen dependency on logging in conjunction with the introduction of controls on grazing zebu in the forest. Due to the difficulty observed in law enforcement in the forest it remains to be seen if any of the suggestions/implementations will be successful but the discussions have raised awareness of the issues which is an important first step for the local communities.

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Future of the Forest Meeting 11/09/2014 10:15-13:20 The meeting was organized by the local community manager of Loholoka forest, the community of Vohimasina Nord and the Forest Department of Vatotavy Fitovinany. Many people joined the meeting from several local villages including Namorona, Masondranokely, Vohimasina Nord, Loholoka and Andotsy. DBCAM and students from the University of Exeter assisted the meeting in the locality called Beboky near Loholoka village.

The staff of the forestry department of the Vatovavy Fitovinany region explained the policy of Malagasy law in terms of managing the natural resources, including forest, in Madagascar. They also enquired if the local people would like to renew the contract enabling the community to manage the forest of Loholoka. The first contract expired in 2005 after the first period beginning in 2003.

There seemed to be a lack of responsibility taken from villagers surrounding the Loholoka forest who all use the forestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resources. Most members of the local community who manage the forest live in Vohimasina Nord and therefore take a more active approach in protecting the forest in contrast. However Vohimasina Nord is quite far from the Loholoka forest which is why more local communities should be encouraged to take on more of an active management role.

await a map from us to then make a decision on the zoning of the different areas, this includes a conservation area, an area for local people to use in daily life and activity and an area suitable for village extension.

Zebu are a problem, they destroy any strata of vegetation in the forest. There is a law that bans zebu from the forest perimeters, but like a lot of Malagasy law, it is not reinforced. This law should be applied. Wood collection from the forest is allowed to make a house, however this can only happen after writing a request addressed to the committee of the local community who manage the forest. It must then be approved by the forest agent in Manakara. Collecting dead wood for firewood is allowed, cutting live trees (this includes logging) is banned. Any sanctions for this are not respected.

Logging that generates any income for the local people is banned and hence classed as an illegal practice. The communities addressed are ready to practice new agriculture methods (such as cassava growing) increasing cultivated areas for agriculture and thereby halting current logging practices. There is however a widespread concern that uncontrolled herds of zebu destroy attempts at growing cassava. Therefore villagers require some wood from the forest to build fences in order to keep the zebu off of the agricultural land. It is concluded that a law will be applied to restrict zebu grazing in the forest vicinity.

Several things were discussed and explained to the local people; ecosystem services (eg. The water cycle generated and the fact that Loholoka is the only remaining littoral forest in the Manakara district), other socio-economic values and the existence of biodiversity to promote possible ecotourism in the area. The representatives of the villages present at the meeting understood the importance of the forest and its uses.

The investigation and expedition undertaken by the students of the University of Exeter and DBCAM was also a major topic of discussion, it is the first scientific exploration of the Loholoka forest which is an exciting prospect for everyone. Local people and the wider communities are pleased that the study took place. The scientific work which has taken place was then described such as biodiversity assessment and mapping (Perimeter of the current forest was listed; the area of remaining natural forest, overlapping layouts of biodiversity and threats and agriculture etc). The study results will help to update the new contract and management plans in order to manage the forest in the near future. They will

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Overview

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Photography/Film

Species Lists

During the expedition a wide range of photographs were taken by all team members, wildlife and cultural. Particularly with regard to the wildlife this was a great help in terms of identifying various species without the need for capturing them and taking them back to camp, by taking enough close up photographs we were able to identify them without causing any distress to the animal which minimises our impact on the forest.

A total of 94 species were Identified in the Loholoka forest including 11 Mammals (4 Lemurs), 60 Birds, 12 Reptiles and 11 Amphibians.

We had plenty of support from specialists for identification confirmation once back in the UK for any species we were perhaps unsure of. No permissions were needed for either filming or photography. After following up communication with DBCAM, the feedback was that the local people (in particular the children) loved this aspect and certainly when we were out there, we found there to be great interest in the filming and photography that we did. Technical problems that were encountered included issues with audio recording which was difficult because the wet conditions damaged the audio jack causing audio to cut out while filming with no warning. Damp also caused one camera to break in week 4, meaning for the last 2 weeks of the expedition only one camera worked. Checking video quality was difficult because it was not possible to watch the film recordings on the laptops that we were using in the field, this meant any footage that could have done with being re filmed was not highlighted until we were back in the UK. Footage from the expedition has been cut into two films, a short 15minutes film as well as a longer 60 minutes film. For any of this film footage as well as links to radio Interviews that were broadcasted to BBC Radio Oxford weekly please contact: expeditionloholoka@gmail.com Equipment list: (Sony equipment provided by Sony Digital Imaging UK) Sony Alpha A77 SLT Camera (2) Sony 18-50mm f2.8 SSM Lens Sony 70-200mm f2.8 SSM Lens Sony 1.4x teleconverter Sony 2x teleconverter Rode Shotgun Mic Manfrotto filming tripod LaCie 1TB hard drive (2) 32GB Sandisk Extreme (4) Camera Trap footage proved to be especially useful as it allowed us to identify species we did not see in person such as the Bush Pig and Malagasy Civet.

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Lemurs Latin Name

Common Name

Surveys Identified On

IUCN Classification

Avahi peyrierasi Eulemur Albifrons

PeyriĂŠas' Wolly Lemur White-fronted Brown Lemur Rufous Mouse Lemur

Transect Transect

Vulnerable Endangered

Transect/ Mammal Trapping/Opportunistic Transect/Opportunistic

Vulnerable

Microcebus rufus Cheirgaleidae crossleyi Possibly also waiting for email back about ID Cheirogaleus major

Crossley Dwarf Lemur Greater dwarf lemur

Both Data Deficient

Mammals Rattus Rattus Megaptera novaeangliae

Black Rat Humpback whale

Mammal Trapping

Potamochoerus larvatus Pteropus rufus Fossa fossana Setifer setosus

Bush Pig Madagascar Flying Fox Malagasy Civet Greater Hedgehog Tenrec

Hipposideros commersoni

Commerson's Leaf-nosed Bat

Transect/Opportunistic Transect Camera Trapping Transect/ Mammal Trapping/Opportunistic Transect

Opportunistic

Least Concern Least Concern Least Concern Vulnerable Near Threatened Least Concern Near Threatened

Reptiles Calumma gallus Phelsuma madagascariensis

Lance-Nosed Chameleon Madagascar Day Gecko

Transect Transect

Endangered Least Concern

Ithycyphus perineti Leioheterodon madagascariensis Phelsuma quadriocellata Furcifer lateralis Calumma nasutum Phelsuma lineata Hemidactylus mercatorius Mimophis mahfalensis

Perinet's Night Snake Malagasy Giant Hognose snake Peacock day gecko Carpet Chameleon Nose-Horned Chameleon Lined day gecko House Gecko Common big-eyed snake

Transect Transect/ Opportunistic

Least Concern Least Concern

Transect Transect Transect Transect/ Opportunistic Transect Transect

Least concern Least Concern Least Concern Least Concern Least concern Least concern

Trachylepis boettgeri Geckolepis sp. Chelonia mydas

Boettger's Mabuya (Skink) Fish scaled gecko Green sea turtle

Transect Transect Opportunistic

Least concern Unknown Endangered

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Avifauna Otus rutilus

Malagasy scops owl

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Polyboroides radiatus

Madagascar Harrier-Hawk

Point count

Least Concern

Anas erythrorhyncha

Red-billed teal

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Numida meleagris

Helmeted Guinea Fowl

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Actitis hypoleucos

Common Sandpiper

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Ardea sp.

Heron

Opportunistic

Corvus albus

Pied Crow

Both

Least Concern

Motacilla flaviventris

Madagascan Wagtail

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Nectarinia souimanga

Souimanga Sunbird

Both

Least Concern

Streptopelia picturata

Madagascar Turtle Dove

Point count

Least Concern

Coracopsis nigra

Lesser Vasa Parrot

Both

Least Concern

Ceyx madagascariensis

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Centropus toulou

Madagascar Coucal

Both

Least Concern

Alcedo vintsioides

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Vanga curvirostris

Hook-billed Vanga

Both

Least Concern

Bubulcus ibis

Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher Madagascar Malachite Kingfisher Cattle Egret

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Newtonia brunneicauda

Common Newtonia

Both

Least Concern

Charadrius pecuarius

Kittlitz's Plover

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Terpsiphone mutata

Both

Least Concern

Dryolimnas cuvieri

White-throated Rail

Point count

Least Concern

Neomixis tenella

Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher Common Jery

Both

Least Concern

Acridotheres tristis

Common Myna

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Hypsipetes madagascariensis

Madagascar Bulbul

Both

Least Concern

Turnix nigricollis

Madagascar Buttonquail

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Dicrurus forficatus

Crested Drongo

Both

Least Concern

Asio madagascariensis

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Merops superciliosus

Madagascar Bee-eater

Both

Least Concern

Coturnix coturnix

Madagascar Long-eared Owl Common Quail

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Coua caerulea

Blue Coua

Both

Least Concern

Mirafra hova

Madagascar Bush Lark

Point count

Least Concern

Leptosome discolour

Cuckoo-Roller

Both

Least Concern

Alectroemas madagascariensis

Madagascar Blue Pigeon

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Foudia madagascariensis

Madagascar Red Fody

Both

Least Concern

Oena capensis

Namaqua Dove

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Treron australis

Madagascar Green Pigeon

Both

Least Concern

Dendrocygna viduata

White-faced Whistling Duck

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Nesillas typica

Madagascar Brush Warbler

Both

Least Concern

Caprimulgus madagascariensis

Madagascar Nightjar

Point count

Least Concern

Accipiter francesii

Frances's Sparrowhawk

Both

Least Concern

Arenaria interpres

Ruddy Turnstone

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Copsychus allospecalaris

Madagascar Magpie-Robin

Point count

Least Concern

Numenius phaeopus

Whimbrel

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Agaporinds camis

Grey-headed Lovebird

Point count

Least Concern

Phalacrocorax africanus

Long-tailed Cormorant

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Randi pusdozosteraps

Rand's Warbler

Point count

Least Concern

Ardea purpurea

Purple Heron

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Zosterops maderaspatana

Madagascar White-eye

Point count

Least Concern

Egretta alba

Great Egret

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Milvus aegyptius

Yellow Billed Kite

Point count

Calidris ferruginea

Curlew Sandpiper

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Falco newtoni

Madagascar Kestral

Point count

Not Evaluated (but common) Least Concern

Rallus madagascariensis

Madagascar Rail

Opportunistic

Vulnerable

Nectarinia notata

Long-billed Green Sunbird

Point count

Least Concern

Lophotibis cristata

Madagascar Crested Ibis

Opportunistic

Near Threatened

Leptopterus chabert

Chabert's Vanga

Point count

Least Concern

Lonchura nana

Madagascan mannikin

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Coracopsis vasa

Greater Vasa Parrot

Opportunistic

Least Concern

Cisticola cherina

Madagascar Cisticola

Point count

Least Concern

Falco concolor

Sooty Falcon

Point count

Near Threatened

Numenius arquata

Eurasian Curlew

Opportunistic

Near Threatened

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Key conclusions The key conclusions to be taken from the results of the biodiversity survey are the number of species present that are classed as ‘Endangered’ or ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN. Those classed as endangered include: Calumma gallus (Lance-nosed chameleon), Chelonia mydas (Green sea turtle), Mantella bernhardi (Bernhard's mantilla), Eulemur Albifrons (White-fronted Brown Lemur) and the following are vulnerable; Rallus madagascariensis (Madagascar Rail), Avahi peyrierasi (Peyriéas' Wolly Lemur), Microcebus rufus (Rufous Mouse Lemur) and Pteropus rufus (Madagascar Flying Fox).

assess what would be the most feasible and beneficial route to achieve this in order to advise and assist DBCAM. On a more personal level we can conclude that the expedition aims have been fully achieved thereby demonstrating the capacity for future student led projects from the University Exeter. Each member also gained a great sense of personal development from the project which is invaluable in shaping future career decisions.

Other observations Alongside the results of our biodiversity surveys, significant observations include the wellbeing and health of the forest. Whist walking the transects we were shocked by the patchiness of the forest, with large sections being lost to slash ad burn practices, logging, charcoal production and destruction from zebu. The extent of zebu destruction is more far reaching than first assumed with evidence of destruction caused by cattle within the sections of forest which were considered to be ‘untouched’ by other human activities. The floral studies support this line of argument. The occurrence of hunting needs to be fully researched so its effects on the forest health might be determined. We believe the low diversity of small mammals caught in the traps is correlated to the locals hunting of tenrecs reported in the social studies. Unless these identified impacts are mitigated the forest will be extremely difficult to preserve and restore. This is an even more worrying realisation given that there are no forests nearby which are feasible for the recolonization of the flora and fauna.

Limitations of the project

This highlights the need for more stringent protection of the area of forest in order to preserve these populations which may help to bolster the survival of the species as a whole in the face of environmental persecution which threatens the whole country’s biodiversity. It was also evident that although the locals appreciate the importance of the forest and are keen to conserve it for future use they lack the resources to do this efficiently. Indeed the minutes of the community meeting demonstrate there is a great deal of disparity between the management regulations of the area. It is clear this needs to be clarified, with tighter laws on grazing of zebu and illegal logging, with local people taking a central role and being rewarded for policing their area of forest. Additionally the current reforestation scheme requires updating with a rewards based incentive for the whole community to get involved. We aim to contact a number of NGO’S who work on projects such as these to

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At the start of the expedition process there were some concerns as to whether we would be able to confidently undergo an expedition of such a scale based on our previous experiences and expedition knowledge. Indeed there was perhaps a degree of naivety in our aims, however this is all part of the learning experience of the expedition and we hope we can use this knowledge to advise future students who decide to undertake the same process. The fact that we undertook the project in 8 months meant we had to financially supplement the project and scientific research was not as structured as we would have liked.

Difficulties encountered During our time in the field we had several setbacks with surveys however we successfully overcame them and were able exceed our baseline surveys target by the end of the expedition. The language barrier and hence poor communication at the start of the expedition, with a lack of clarity on where survey routes had been set up, lead to a number of failed surveys at the start of the expedition. Throughout the expedition the continuous

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crossing of water meant our footwear choice was an issue. It was hard to find a balance between minimising blisters as a result of wet boots when the alternative was following the lead of the locals and wearing flip flops which left our feet exposed. By the end of the expedition our feet were not in the best of condition, however have since made a full recovery. The power of Gaffa tape was also put to the test on the expedition; not only was it found to be the perfect flip flop fixer, but also a saviour for leaky roofs, and when attached to bin bags, makes the perfect rain coat as member of the team found out when her raincoat was no longer waterproof! The relationship of the team members was challenged at times due to living in close proximity with each other for an extended period of time. The language barrier, although we made our best efforts to learn the Malagasy language, also meant that holding conversations was limited with a few individuals. Our camp generator failed temporarily during our time spent in field and due to the remoteness of our location it took serval days to get a replacement which had to be sent from Antananarivo. This set us back considerably with data input, however once the power was restored we ran the generators for longer each evening to allow us to catch up on missed input time.

Follow up work In light of our findings it is clear that the Loholoka forest requires more research in order to ascertain its biodiversity potential. The team will encourage and support additional expedition groups to travel to undertake further research endeavours in the Loholoka forest. Further expeditions could carry out the same surveys over a number of years in order to assess the longitudinal health of the forest, but perhaps also at different seasons to determine fluctuations in populations. Indeed a number of fauna samples would be needed to clarify the species found as we were purely working from sightings and photographic evidence, therefore collaboration with specialists in the field would be recommended. The additional marine sightings of both a green turtle and humpback whales demonstrates the potential for marine biodiversity which would make for an interesting expedition in the future. The results of the social study highlight the need for community action in preserving the forest, the team are all prepared to contact both conservation and humanitarian Charites to aid in future expeditions in order to set up a long term conservation project with DBCAM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Project Loholokaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Modifications to field technique A lack of plastic sheeting for drift fences in combination with a bucket shortage towards the end of the expeditions meant some pitfalls actually consisted of 9 or 10 buckets rather than the standard eleven. In an ideal world, without early problems with communication and time management, the survey effort could have been increased to investigate routes at the southern extremity of the forest in more detail.

Overall the team had an amazing experience in Loholoka and produced some fantastic findings, thank you to everyone for your continued support.

Opportunistic Projects As a result of DBCAMs work in the north of Madagascar at the Opwall site, Rob Gandola, a Senior Herpetologist and currently undertaking a PhD studying Crocodiles, came to Loholoka with us to survey for Crocodiles. We were able to join him on several night surveys, with him we searched specifically for crocodiles as well as more generally any reptiles or amphibians we encountered. Joining Rob was Aina Soaelina who was working towards a PhD in fish ecology, her additional unexpected data has enabled us to include fish species in our species list which otherwise would have not been possible. We were also able to utilise the additional skills of Seheno in attempting to mist nest for small bat species although we were unsuccessful in finding anything it was educational experience for the team. Aside from additional surveys, we were welcomed by the wider community who showed an interest in the work we were doing in the forest. This allowed us to have serval meetings with different local communities to gain an insight into how the forest was used by them and learn how they perceived wildlife and change over time. Finally before our departure we were able to give a short presentation of our findings to them and share camera trap footage with the Loholoka village and Vohimasina.

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