Methods of rapid appraisal for in-situ management of genetic resources: a Malagasy set of tools

摘要

The Convention on Biological Diversity confirms the sovereign rights of States over their biological resources. This implies duties of conservation and management. The tools placed at their disposal are often lacking, especially in developing countries with low technical and financial means. The work undertaken here, by a multidisciplinary Franco-Malagasy team, made it possible to give a diagnosis of the current conditions of in-situ management of two species exploited in Madagascar for their pharmaceutical interest: Prunus africanum and Centella asiatica. We developed tools for fast and indirect evaluation of the impact of the harvesting practices on the dynamics of the genetic diversity. A matrix was established to analyze the complexity of legal aspects. Economic features of commodities were surveyed. We showed that the management of populations of economically significant species is often alarming. Harvesting practices take little account of the risks incurred by a reduction in genetic diversity. The sharing of benefits arising from the exploitation of the genetic resources is far from equitable.