Anjanaharibe Classified Forest (6561)
Madagascar, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Forêt Classée d'Anjanaharibe
Central coordinates: Latitude: -15.1333, Longitude: 49.6333
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 450 to 1140
Area of KBA (km2): 415.71522
Protected area coverage (%): 21.84
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This forest lies 32 km north-west of Maroantsetra, north-east of Andaparaty-Ambinanitelo. The terrain is undulating, with steep slopes and high peaks making access difficult. Three main rivers, permanent and turbid, flow to the south-west of Anjanaharibe peak: the Ambalanirana, Antsahabe and Longozabe. The Ambalanirana river is a tributary of the Sahantaha river. Low- and mid-altitude, dense, humid evergreen forest covers the site, and is dominated by Weinmannia, Canarium and Dalbergia. Areas of previous slash-and-burn cultivation are overgrown by secondary thicket, dominated by Harungana trees, traveller’s palm Ravenala and wild ginger Aframomum.
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)
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. Seventy-one species are known from the site, of which 37 are endemic to Madagascar. Non-bird biodiversity: Lemur: Varecia variegata rubra (CR).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | forestry | nature conservation and research | water management
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The main threat is slash-and-burn cultivation of hill-rice, but it is not yet much developed, e.g. affecting only 5% of the forest in the neighbourhood of Ambalanirana village. Another threat is the illegal exploitation of forest products.
Additional information
References: Andreone (1994), Langrand (1989), Projet COEFOR/CI SRF-DEF (1993), Rand (1936), Salomonsen (1934a, b).