Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
This forest is part of the Karimbola plateau, and lies on the banks of the Menarandra river, 40 km south of Ampanihy. The hilly terrain is bordered by an alluvial (clay) plain and old sand-dunes. The vegetation of xerophilous bushland is dominated by Didiereaceae (notably
Alluaudia) and Euphorbiaceae, with a canopy no higher than 6 m. There are isolated trees (the remnants of a degraded riparian forest), as well as alluvial vegetation, mainly composed of
Tamarindus,
Ficus,
Cedrelopsis and
Flacourtia. The bushland is, in some places, replaced by grassland with some woody species, including
Commiphora,
Phyllanthus,
Harpagophytum,
Adansonia (in the middle of
Alluaudia thickets), and
Euphorbia.
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. There is a particular abundance of species characteristic of
Euphorbia bushland, such as
Coua verreauxi and
Monticola imerinus. Species of global conservation concern include
Circus maillardi and
Coua verreauxi.
Non-bird biodiversity: Lemur: Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi (VU). Reptiles: Geochelone radiata (VU), Pyxis arachnoides (VU).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
In the Menarandra Forest, only a few areas, termed ‘alafaly’, have not been cleared, due to the presence of funeral monuments. Exploitation for firewood and cattle-grazing have negative impacts on the site.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Menarandra Forest / Vohindefo NPA (Madagascar). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/menarandra-forest--vohindefo-npa-iba-madagascar on 23/12/2024.
