THE INTEGRATION OF ECOLOGICAL DATA IN A MINERALS ASSESSMENT IN SOUTHEASTERN MADAGASCAR

The Anosy region of southeastern Madagascar is a region of concern for conservation biologists because it has a high level of endemism but is also one of the poorest regions of one of the poorest countries in the world. In the Anosy, ecosystem services provided by forests, wetlands, and other habitats are an important part of the local and regional economy. However, in many locations in the region current land use practices are unsustainable. Both governmental and non-governmental organizations have come to the consensus that in order to preserve biodiversity, a program of sustainable development must be pursued. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was invited by the World Bank and the Malagasy government to conduct a minerals assessment for the Anosy. This assessment used the standard minerals assessment methodology that has been developed by the USGS. To assess the economic potential of hard rock mining this approach combines: remote sensing; historical documents; on-ground inspection of geology and mineral deposits; consideration of infrastructure (e.g., roads, power grids); and the economic value both on the local and world markets for various hard rock minerals. In addition to the written report the assessment also includes a geographic information system (GIS) in a format in which cost-benefit analyses and synergies can be examined. However, unlike previous studies, our analysis also included region-wide assessments of hydrology and ecology. This presentation will focus on the approaches I developed to integrate ecological information into the larger minerals assessment framework at multiple scales using available data layers.