The site is located 11 km from Besalampy, on a coastal plateau. Within the reserve, the Bemarivo river is permanent while the small tributaries of the Marotondro river are seasonal. The main vegetation is dense, dry deciduous forest, dominated by trees of Ravensara, Dalbergia, Cordyla, Sideroxylon, Grewia, Diospyros and Eugenia. Outside the forest, there is secondary savanna with palms Bismarckia.
Key biodiversity
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. Sixty species are known from the site, of which 23 are endemic to Madagascar. However, the bird fauna of this forest is still poorly known and it is likely that other species remain to be discovered. Species of global conservation concern include Lophotibis cristata and Philepitta schlegeli.
