Diversity and use of palms in Zahamena, eastern Madagascar

Madagascar's palm flora is very diverse (171 species) and has a high degree of endemism (97%). Palm products make an important contribution to the household economy of many rural families, especially in the palm-rich eastern escarpments. Many palms are, however, threatened by overexploitation and habitat destruction. We investigated which palm species were found and used in three villages on the eastern escarpments of Madagascar. The importance local people accorded to each species was compared to the number of its uses, number of people using it, and other aspects of its use. From this comparison it was concluded that even if important palms are used for more purposes than less important palms, they owe their importance to one or two of their main uses. We also investigated if there were any patterns in the distribution of informants' knowledge and whether such patterns could be related to socio-economic factors. There was a positive relationship between knowledge about palms and personal wealth and a negative relationship between distance to the forest and amount of knowledge. The latter can be a sign of an ongoing knowledge erosion. Sustainable use of native palms should be encouraged as it may contribute positively to village economy and knowledge preservation, and may provide incentives for preservation of remaining forest tracts.