Atlas des bois de Madagascar

07/11/2012 - Article

This book describes 187 species of wood in Madagascar that are or can be used for joinery, cabinet-making, timber or packaging: distribution map, botanical elements, physical and mechanical properties of the wood, natural durability, performance during drying, processing and use, and main uses.

Be it for joinery or cabinet-making, building timber or packaging, use of wood in its various forms has grown over the past thirty years in Madagascar, as a result of resumed exports of unprocessed and processed wood to neighbouring islands, Asia and Europe, but above all of the island's booming building sector.

The wood supply chain has responded to demand, but the supply is limited in terms of its diversity, as only some fifty species are grown on the island. A few species that have been used for more than a century, such as ebony and rosewood, have now reached crisis point. As a result, for just over a decade, forestry policy in Madagascar has included regulatory systems governing logging operations, with partial bans on felling threatened species.

In the light of this, by providing the various stakeholders in the wood supply chain with information on Madahascan forest species acquired over many years of research, the Atlas des bois de Madagascar should serve to reduce the current pressure on a limited number of species by encouraging the use of other, less-known species that could satisfy the same requirements.

The book describes 187 species. For each species, it includes botanical elements, a distribution map, a description of the wood, and its physical and mechanical properties, natural durability, performance during drying, processing and use, and main uses.

This guide is primarily intended for wood sector professionals, but will also be of interest to anyone seeking to find out more about the natural heritage of Madagascar.

Atlas des bois de Madagascar
G. Rakotovao, A. Raymond Rabevohitra, Ph. Collas de Chatelperron, D. Guibal, J. Gérard
Editions Quae
2012