PhD student
Project: Short to long-term impacts of forest fires on vegetation integrity and regeneration potential of dry deciduous forests in northwestern Madagascar
Fire has played a critical role in shaping the biodiversity of terrestrial ecosystems throughout Earth's history. Whether originating from anthropogenic activity or natural causes, the effects of fire on vegetation and wildlife are well discernible. Vegetation in fire-prone environments is typically selected for traits that facilitate plant survival and regrowth following fire events. Plant species with such traits can withstand fire or even benefit from specific fire regimes in terms of facilitated rejuvenation
My research focuses on the impacts of fire in the Ankarafantsika National Park, a dry deciduous forest in northwestern Madagascar by (1) reconstructing its fire history using remote sensing techniques, (2) investigating the regenerative potential of the dry deciduous forests after fire, and (3) testing hypotheses regarding the development of fire tolerance in woody plant communities in fire-prone environments.
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
2022 – present: Doctoral student at the Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany
2015-2017: Master study (Equivalent to full MSc.) in Science and Technics in Geophysics and Geomatics at the Institute and Observatory of Geophysics of Antananarivo (I.O.G.A), Department of Physics, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar
2011-2014: Licence study (Equivalent to BSc.) in Disaster Management and Risks Reduction in the Department of Physics, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar
2010: High School Diploma
PUBLICATIONS
Rasolozaka, M., Schüßler, D., Randriafenontsoa, J., Andriatsitohaina, F., Rakotomamonjy, P., Rabarison, H., & Radespiel, U. (2024). Reconstructing the alarming fire history of Ankarafantsika National Park in northwestern Madagascar over a 35-year period. SSRN Preprint. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5063584
Schüßler, D., Andriamalala, Y., Bach, R., Katzur, C., Kolbe, C., Maheritafika, M., Rasolozaka, M., Razafitsalama, M., Renz, M., Steffens, T., Radespiel, U., & Brenner, J. (2023). Thirty years of deforestation within the entire ranges of nine endangered lemur species (3 CR, 4 EN, 2 VU) in northwestern Madagascar. Ecotropica, 25, 202304. https://doi.org/10.30427/ecotrop202304
Venart, L., Andriantsaralaza, S., Rasolozaka, M., Rabevao, E., & Rasoanaivo, H. (2023). Perceptions of lemur conservation among Malagasy and non-Malagasy. Primate Conservation, 2023.
