Traveller’s palm (Ravenala spp.) as a habitat plant on formerly forested land in north-eastern Madagascar

Traveller’s palm (Ravenala spp.; Strelitziaceae) is an arborescent herb endemic to Madagascar, locally called ravinala and widely used by rural populations. Although ravinala often dominates formerly forested (fallow) land in north-eastern Madagascar, little is known about its density, structural properties or use by wildlife in these areas. Using satellite imagery (WorldView-2) across a 2500 ha area combined with terrestrial inventories, we quantified ravinala density and structure and assessed its use by amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.