Menarandra Forest / Vohindefo NPA (6596)
Madagascar, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: B2

Year of last assessment: 2014

National site name: NAP Forêt de Menarandra / Vohindefo

Central coordinates: Latitude: -24.9940, Longitude: 44.4920

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 120 to 200

Area of KBA (km²): 809.68257

Protected area coverage (%): 3.08

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: 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.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. 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: PLANTAE: Alluaudiopsis fiherenensis; Cynanchum floriferum; Hilsenbergia leslieae; Pentopetia albicans; Tephrosia bibracteolata subsp. subpalmatifolia.

Additional biodiversity: 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).

Habitats

Land use: agriculture

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: 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.

Additional information