Abstract Detail
Society for Economic Botany/BSA Economic Botany Section Randrianarivony, Tabita Noromalalaharivelo [1]. Magical plants of Analavelona Sacred Forest in southwestern Madagascar. In Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world, 80 % of population live in rural areas and depend widely on the natural resources available. Generally, forests are used as agricultural land, a source of timber and wood for construction or as a pharmacy for the surrounding communities. But in the Analavelona forest, that situation is different.
Analavelona forest is classified as a sub-humid forest within the arid region South western part of Madagascar. Analavelona forest is also a sacred forest to the local population as it̢۪s considered a source of life, a shelter for the spirits of their ancestors and a place of spiritual wealth. Magical and cultural uses of the forest make it an important resource for the local people, and its threatened biodiversity make it an interesting research site. Among the approximately 260 species cited during the data collection around Analavelona forest, around a hundred species are collected only from the Analavelona forest and more than 80% of them are used especially for magical or/and ritual use. Broader Impacts:
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1 - Missouri Botanical Garden, Madagascar Research and Conservation Program, PO Box 3391, Antananarivo, 101, Madagascar
Keywords:
Madagascar
Analavelona forest
ethnobotany
inventories
survey
magical plants
ritual plants.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 14
Location: Maryland Room/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Monday, July 11th, 2011
Time: 3:00 PM
Number: 14007
Abstract ID:1088 | 