Fritz Mueller Photography

Sadly, much of Madagascar has been destroyed by the gradual, collective small actions of farmers and herdsmen who have practiced destructive slash and burn agriculture for centuries. This method is rooted in their culture and is the only way they know how to survive. An estimated 10% of the island's forests remain, and 1 - 2% of its remaining forests are believed to be disappearing each year. The result of overgrazing and deforestation has been widespread soil erosion and desertification, earning Madagascar the name 'the red island' for its bleeding rivers and parched red hillsides.