Since the 1950s, Madagascar has lost over 27,000 square miles of forest – more than half of its natural forest cover. The decimation of the forests has been the result of small-scale agriculture, illegal logging for fuelwood and charcoal extraction, and from uncontrolled fires.
While conservationists are working to restore the island’s native forests, the recovery of the woodlands is being undermined by a highly aggressive invasive plant species: the strawberry guava. Native to Brazil, the strawberry guava plagues ecosystems across the globe and is listed as one of the 100 worst invasive species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Madagascar faces the economic problem that it does not have the funds to undertake a major guava eradication campaign. But it also faces a more unique problem. Many of the 100 species of lemurs on the island, nearly all of which are in danger of extinction, love to eat the sweet fruit and seem to thrive in places where the guava plants densely grow. Thus, there is a real conflict between competing ecological problems.
Madagascar’s ecological future depends on protecting its remaining forests as well as restoring natural landscapes that were disturbed by human activities. It is unclear whether there is enough forest left to sustain the island’s lemur population. However, many areas where there are efforts to restore damaged forests are also places where guava trees have taken over.
Invasive species have played a role in 60% of global extinctions and 90% of island extinctions.
