Summary
As a consequence of anthropogenic climate change, it has been hypothesized that human-mediated deforestation degraded closed-canopy forest into grasslands dominated by fire- and grazing-resistant grasses. There is accumulating evidence, however, that tropical grasslands are natural biomes with origins that predate human activities. The extent to which grasslands have expanded and contracted in response to natural climate cycles versus more recent agricultural practices remains an open question and is the motivation for the proposed research. MADGRASS focuses on the grasslands of central Madagascar, because identifying ancient grasslands and protecting them is of urgent conservation interest. Population genomic methods and novel bioinformatic approaches will be used to test demographic hypotheses that will identify the timing of grassland expansions and contractions, population structure, and gene flow between populations. Research goals are made possible by recent advances in the analysis of polyploid species, which will be implemented through MADGRASS. There are direct conservation policy outcomes expected from MADGRASS. Currently, tree-planting programs are attempting to re-forest the grasslands of central Madagascar. These programs often include invasive tree species that grow quickly and require more water than is available, which can unintentionally lead to increased frequency and intensity of fires and overall detrimental outcomes. We will identify the range of Madagascar’s natural grasslands that should be protected. Results will also be used to identify which grasslands should be released from protected status for community and commercial use, building respect and trust with local Malagasy people. All aspects of the proposed research will be conducted in close collaboration with Malagasy colleagues and include specific outreach activities for both local communities in Madagascar and broader scientific and lay groups.
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More information & hyperlinks
| Web resources: | https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101026923 |
| Start date: | 10-01-2022 |
| End date: | 09-01-2024 |
| Total budget - Public funding: | 224 933,76 Euro - 224 933,00 Euro |
Cordis data
Original description
As a consequence of anthropogenic climate change, it has been hypothesized that human-mediated deforestation degraded closed-canopy forest into grasslands dominated by fire- and grazing-resistant grasses. There is accumulating evidence, however, that tropical grasslands are natural biomes with origins that predate human activities. The extent to which grasslands have expanded and contracted in response to natural climate cycles versus more recent agricultural practices remains an open question and is the motivation for the proposed research. MADGRASS focuses on the grasslands of central Madagascar, because identifying ancient grasslands and protecting them is of urgent conservation interest. Population genomic methods and novel bioinformatic approaches will be used to test demographic hypotheses that will identify the timing of grassland expansions and contractions, population structure, and gene flow between populations. Research goals are made possible by recent advances in the analysis of polyploid species, which will be implemented through MADGRASS. There are direct conservation policy outcomes expected from MADGRASS. Currently, tree-planting programs are attempting to re-forest the grasslands of central Madagascar. These programs often include invasive tree species that grow quickly and require more water than is available, which can unintentionally lead to increased frequency and intensity of fires and overall detrimental outcomes. We will identify the range of Madagascar’s natural grasslands that should be protected. Results will also be used to identify which grasslands should be released from protected status for community and commercial use, building respect and trust with local Malagasy people. All aspects of the proposed research will be conducted in close collaboration with Malagasy colleagues and include specific outreach activities for both local communities in Madagascar and broader scientific and lay groups.Status
SIGNEDCall topic
MSCA-IF-2020Update Date
28-04-2024
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