Abstract

This study is a spatial analysis of the forests west of Mt. d’Ambre National Park in the far northern portion of Madagascar. This area has little spatial, ethnographic, or historic data pertaining to the environment. After a research trip to this area from June to August 2017, the need for a temporal study of forest change materialized. Utilizing Landsat data, NDVIs were generated to assess forest cover density from 1978 to 2018. This spatial analysis saw deforestation across the study area. Deforestation in this area is mainly caused by agriculture, large foreign companies, recent immigration, and local exploitation of timber for income. (Gezon and Freed, 1999). Supplementing past research in this area, a spatial study provides context on a larger scale. Remotely sensed data has a limited scope temporally, but the significance of the environmental events since the 1970’s forgives the short time span. Observing patterns of change in forests across primate habitat can provide a base for future research in behavior, ecology, and the interactions between humans and the immediate environment.

Semester/Year of Award

Fall 12-14-2018

Mentor

Benjamin Z. Freed

Mentor Professional Affiliation

Anthropology, Sociology, and Social Work

Access Options

Open Access Thesis

Document Type

Bachelor Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Scholars

Degree Level

Bachelor's

Department

Language and Cultural Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology

Department Name when Degree Awarded

Anthropology, Sociology, and Social Work

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