Cyclones have been suggested to play a major role in the evolutionary history of the flora and fauna of Madagascar (Wright 1999). In spite of the proposed significance of cyclonic activity, very little is known about the specific effects of cyclones on Malagasy ecosystems (Birkinshaw & Randrianjanahary 2007). Understanding the effects of these severe natural disturbances requires comparing data collected both before and after the event. Because cyclones are stochastic, researching the influence of cyclones on Madagascar's biodiversity is difficult and opportunities to study their impact on forests are rare. Nevertheless, studies of the impact of cyclones on Malagasy biota are imperative because models of global climate patterns predict that large-scale tropical disturbances will increase in frequency and intensity in the future (Metcalfe et al. 2008).
