Multiple values of isolated and clusters of Ficus tree species protected by Betsileo farmers in rural landscapes in Madagascar: implications for biodiversity conservation

In Madagascar, biodiversity, local livelihoods and agroecosystems are increasingly threatened. It is critical to understand and support local social-ecological systems that sustain livelihoods and value biodiversity. This study investigates why Betsileo communities in Ambendrana and Sahabe protect isolated individuals and clusters of Ficus species in their rural landscapes. Ficus trees have multiple values and sustain webs of ecological interactions that favor biodiversity. We show that spontaneous seedlings of Ficus are protected and that people also actively propagate Ficus by stem cuttings. Their multiple values and uses and the distribution patterns of each species, are linked to social-ecological dynamics and to the historical construction of local landscapes. Both past and present uses associated with each Ficus species define how they are protected. Different sets of practices associated with each species are governed by both material and symbolic considerations. Ficus reflexa, a boundary marker of zebu corrals, has a symbolic role in protecting humans and livestock and checks erosion; F. lutea is a marker of residences of ancient noble classes and F. tiliifolia is a remnant of swidden agriculture and a marker of the memory of ancestors, but its numbers are shrinking. Ficus trees are protected but there is no strict taboo against cutting them when they hinder crop production. Their potential role for biodiversity conservation is linked to these social-ecological dynamics. Based on these findings, we propose some rules of thumb for developing collaborative approaches which consider synergies between local and scientific knowledge.