Bemarivo Special Reserve (6554)
Madagascar, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2014

National site name: Réserve Spéciale de Bemarivo

Central coordinates: Latitude: -16.9560, Longitude: 44.4040

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 25 to 80

Area of KBA (km²): 120.35135

Protected area coverage (%): 98.39

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: 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.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Madagascar and Indian Ocean Islands Hotspot (2014). Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat status follow the 2013 IUCN Red List. The following KBA trigger species occur at this site but are not yet available in WBDB, either because they have only been globally Red-List-assessed recently (in 2012-2013; global Red List category is given in brackets, where triggering the Vulnerability KBA criterion) or because they have not yet been globally Red-List-assessed (most of these taxa are nevertheless listed as valid in Catalogue of Life or Tropicos); many of the latter species may prove to be globally threatened, or are already listed as regionally or nationally threatened, and nearly all of the following species are also likely to be endemic to the Hotspot, often with very restricted known ranges, thus also triggering the Irreplaceability 1 KBA criterion: PISCES: Pachypanchax arnoutti.

Additional 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. Non-bird biodiversity: Lemur: Propithecus verreauxi deckeni (VU). Carnivore: Cryptoprocta ferox (VU).

Habitats

Land use: forestry | nature conservation and research

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	76
Grassland	14
Wetlands(Inland)	2
Shrubland	8

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Threats include hunting, illegal exploitation of wood, and collection of forest products.

Additional information