SEED Madagascar

Project Palms aims to further understand and protect the conservation status of six IUCN Red List palm species in the Sainte Luce littoral forest: Beccariophoenix madagascariensis (VU), Chrysalidocarpus prestonianus (VU), Chrysalidocarpus psammophilus (EN), Chrysalidocarpus saintelucei (EN), Dypsis brevicaulis (CR), and Dypsis scottiana (VU).

A previous study by SEED identified rapidly declining populations of B. madagascariensis and C. saintelucei in Sainte Luce between 2012 and 2020 (Hyde Roberts et al., 2020). While limited information exists on the current demography and distribution of the other four target species, it is believed that their local populations are also in decline.

In Sainte Luce, there are several community uses of the target palm species. Primarily palms are used for lobster pot production, as lobster fishing is the primary method of income generation for many households in Sainte Luce. Palms are also frequently used for house construction. Despite their importance for biodiversity and local livelihoods, the palm species in Sainte Luce remain relatively understudied and poorly understood.

Given the intensifying pressure from growing human populations, compounded by projected impacts of climate change on species extinction, there is now an urgent need for prioritised action for Madagascar palms

Rakotoarinivo et al., 2014, p. 16

Project Palms began in August 2021 to address significant knowledge gaps for the six target species of palm, while aiming to bolster and protect their populations in protected fragments of the Sainte Luce littoral forest.

SEED has completed a palms population census, microhabitat assessments, phenology and pollinator surveys, and, within SEED’s nursery, germination monitoring, survival and growth trials, and soil composition trials. These data are being used to inform the in-situ planting of 1,800 palms into protected forest fragments in 2024. They will also contribute to the development of a holistic Conservation Action Plan for the Sainte Luce littoral forest.

SEED is working closely with local communities to implement Project Palms. Information on knowledge and usage of the six target species, as well as community preferences for palm protection, has been gathered through a community consultation survey, focus groups, and interviews with key informants and local experts. Community involvement in the project will continue through in-situ planting and establishment of a community resource use site. Additionally, SEED continues to strengthen its relationship with local forest management bodies CoBA (Communautés de Base; forest management association), FIMPIA (Forestry Police Association), and Polisin’ala (local forest patrol) – a highlight being the collaboration between SEED, all three forest management bodies, and other key stakeholders during the trial transplanting of 66 C. saintelucei into forest fragment S9 in February 2023.

Progress (August 2021 - July 2023)

• 153,616 individual palms from Project Palms six target species encountered across five fragments of the Sainte Luce littoral forest during the palms population census.
• 123 microhabitat assessments conducted on individual adult palms, with a minimum of 20 assessed per species.
• 1,820 palms germinated in the SEED nursery by July 2023. 
• 98% survival rate, six months after planting, of 66 C. saintelucei transplanted into four sites across protected forest fragment S9 in February 2023 as a trial in-situ planting. 
• 12 focus groups held, totalling 178 participants, to gauge community motivation and suggestions for protecting palms.
• 25 respondents to a community consultation survey and five key informant interviewees identified community uses and knowledge of the six target species.
• Seasonality calendar outlining fruiting and flowering periods for all six species produced from phenology surveys and interviews with local experts. 
• Composition and order of pollinators described for the first time for C. psammophilus, D. brevicaulis, and D. scottiana. 
• Five technical reports completed: Initial Stakeholder Consultation, Microhabitat Assessment, Nursery Growth, Phenology and Pollinators, and Population Census. 

Next Steps 

• Planting 1,800 palms from the six species in protected forest fragments of the Sainte Luce littoral forest.
• Dissemination of project learnings and focus group findings to the community through awareness-raising and feedback sessions.
• Monitoring the palms planted in protected fragments to increase knowledge on post-transplantation survival and growth rates. 
• Providing aftercare and replanting palms if necessary. 
• Protection of in-situ palms through alternative resource provision, in the form of planting seedlings from the target species in a community resource use site.  
• Submission of gathered data to a journal, to bolster international understanding of these six palm species.

Donors

Project Palms is thankful for the generosity of Fondation Franklinia for contributing partial funding to the project - https://fondationfranklinia.org