Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Andringitra National Park is located 35 km south of Ambalavao. This mountainous, high-altitude massif comprises a series of rocky domes and a chain of outcrops with narrow crests which form numerous pinnacles, divided by deep, narrow valleys and gorges. The climate is hot and humid in the eastern low-altitude part, and temperate and humid in the higher western part. A highly developed hydrographic system drains the massif: the main rivers are the Zomandao, Menarahaka, Iatara and Rienana. Park vegetation includes low-altitude, dense, humid evergreen forest (with
Sloanea as an emergent), mid-altitude, dense, humid evergreen forest (characterized by trees of
Podocarpus,
Weinmannia, screw-pines
Pandanus, tree-ferns
Cyathea, as well as Compositae in the higher part, and
Vaccinium in the lower parts), and dense sclerophyllous montane forest characterized by trees of
Podocarpus, Araliaceae, Compositae, Erythroxylaceae and Verbenaceae. On the bare, open rock of the summits, the vegetation includes species of
Philippia,
Aloe,
Pachypodium, Liliaceae and
Kalanchoe, with a high level of local endemicity. There are some areas of savanna around the two highest summits, Pic Boby and Pic Bory, which are rich in terrestrial orchids, including
Cynorkis,
Habenaria and
Disa.
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. One hundred and twelve species are known from the site, of which 65 are endemic to Madagascar. The forest species present are largely those of middle and higher altitudes; several lowland species are missing. A population of rock thrushes
Monticola in the summit zone is possibly referable to
M. bensoni.
Ploceus sakalava, a species characteristic of the West Malagasy biome, occurs on the western slopes of the massif.
Non-bird biodiversity: Lemurs: Eulemur fulvus albocollaris (EN), E. rubriventer (VU), Hapalemur aureus (CR), H. simus (CR), Lemur catta (VU), Varecia variegata variegata (VU), Propithecus diadema edwardsi (EN), Daubentonia madagascariensis (EN). Carnivores: Cryptoprocta ferox (VU), Fossa fossana (VU).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Threats include itinerant slash-and-burn cultivation (particularly of forest at low altitudes), cattle-grazing, uncontrolled bush-fires and hunting.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Andringitra National Park (Madagascar). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/andringitra-national-park-iba-madagascar on 23/12/2024.
