Historical State

About 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period Madagascar split from Africa. It is the world’s fourth largest island. Then about 2000 years ago humans arrived to the island. Ever since humans inhabitated Madagascar, the forest cover has began disappearing. Over time, 90 percent of the forest cover vanished and now the forest is not recovering but instead it is being destroyed. According to the conservation report, “by 1985, Madagascar’s rainforest was half its extent in 1950 and a third of its original area” ("The Conservation Report" 1). Now, we are only left with 10 percent of the original forest cover. Madagascar serves as a biodiversity hot spot because of its isolation from everywhere else and it is home to many endemic species of plants and animals. However, the loss of forest cover plays a threat to the species on the island.

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"The Conservation Report." The Conservation Report. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://conservationreport.com/tag/madagascar-deforestation-article/>.
"Deforestation of Tropical Rainforests - A Case Study of Madagascar." Geocases. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. <http://www.geocases1.co.uk/printable/Deforestation%20of%20TRF%20a%20case%20study%20of%20Madagascar.htm>.