Deforestation and Land Degradation's Nexus on Ecosystem Services in Madagascar,

Deforestation and land degradation are significant environmental issues in Madagascar, affecting ecosystem services that support local communities. A combination of remote sensing data and field surveys was used to assess changes in forest cover and soil quality over a decade. Deforestation has led to a 20% reduction in carbon sequestration capacity across degraded landscapes, with impacts varying by region. The study highlights the critical role of ecosystem services in understanding the effects of deforestation and land degradation in Madagascar. Policy-makers should prioritise reforestation efforts to mitigate further loss of these essential services. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.