Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve (6589)
Madagascar, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2014

National site name: Réserve Spéciale de Beza Mahafaly

Central coordinates: Latitude: -23.6860, Longitude: 44.5780

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 100 to 200

Area of KBA (km²): 309.22441

Protected area coverage (%): 10.11

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: This site is located 17 km from Betioky, on the Mahafaly plateau, and is divided into two parcels, covering 80 ha (Parcel 1) and 520 ha (Parcel 2) respectively. It lies in a large valley, with flat lowlands and gentle slopes. The soil is generally sandy. The Sakamena river, a seasonal tributary of the Onilahy, flows along the boundary of the reserve. The vegetation comprises riparian forest and xerophilous bushland. Riparian forest, found mainly in Parcel 1, is dominated by trees of Tamarindus, Acacia, Quivisianthe and Albizia in the upper layer, by small trees and shrubs of Crateva, Azima, Antidesma and Euphorbia in the mid-stratum, and by Tarenna, Byttneria and Greslania in the ground layer. Xerophilous bushland, found mainly in Parcel 2, is dominated by Alluaudia, Cedrelopsis and Grewia in the upper layer, and by Commiphora, Euphorbia, Gyrocarpus, Pachypodium and Aloe in the lower layer.

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.

Additional biodiversity: See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. Sixty-one species are known from this site, of which 27 are endemic to Madagascar. Species of global conservation concern include Accipiter madagascariensis. Non-bird biodiversity: Lemurs: Eulemur catta (VU), Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi (VU). Carnivore: Cryptoprocta ferox (VU). Reptile: Boa dumerili (VU).

Habitats

Land use: agriculture | hunting | nature conservation and research

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	100

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Threats to the site include cattle-grazing, traditional hunting of birds, and hunting of tortoises for consumption.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Nomadic grazing	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Gathering terrestrial plants	Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting	Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest]	Ongoing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Named species	Ongoing

Additional information