Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
This site is located on an undulating littoral plain, west of the Morombe–Toliara road. It is delimited in the east by the foothills of the Mikoboka-South calcareous plateau. The soil is sandy, with dunes in some areas. Lake Andranobe is semi-permanent. The native vegetation of xerophilous bushland (up to 12 m high) is dominated by
Didierea,
Euphorbia,
Aloe,
Adansonia,
Albizia,
Tamarindus and
Givotia. The bushland in the northern area is very degraded near Lake Ihotry and is bisected by a belt of savanna in the west. Towards the coast, the vegetation is lower and bushier, and, in the central area, there is dry deciduous forest, similar in structure to the forest north of Mangoky.
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. Ninety-eight species are known from the site, of which 40 are endemic to Madagascar.
Monias benschi and
Uratelornis chimaera do not occur in any other IBAs.
Monias benschi is found mainly in the densest bushland, and
Uratelornis chimaera in the most open bushland.
Non-bird biodiversity: Lemurs: Lemur catta (VU), Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi (VU). Reptiles: Geochelone radiata (VU), Pyxis arachnoides (VU), Phelsuma standingi (VU), Boa dumerili (VU).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Human activities are threatening the site—the exploitation of wood for charcoal production and construction is causing significant damage to the bushland and forest. Cattle-grazing (in particular near the lake), slash-and-burn cultivation (especially in the central area) and bush-fires also have a negative impact on the vegetation.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mikea (Madagascar). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mikea-iba-madagascar on 23/12/2024.
