The Madagascar lowland forests or Madagascar humid forests are a

tropical moist broadleaf forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Description TSMF is generally found in large, disco ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas o ...

found on the eastern coast of the island of

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

, home to a plant and animal mix that is 80 to 90% endemic, with the forests of the eastern plain being a particularly important location of this endemism. They are included in the

Global 200 The Global 200 is the list of ecoregions identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature ( WWF), the global conservation organization, as priorities for conservation. According to WWF, an ecoregion is defined as a "relatively large unit of land or w ...

list of outstanding ecoregions.

Geography

The ecoregion constitutes a narrow strip of lowland forests between Madagascar's east coast and the mountainous central highlands, from sea level to elevation. It covers an area of approximately . The ecoregion is under the direct influence of the oceanic

trade winds The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisp ...

, which maintain a warm, humid climate; rainfall is above 2,000 mm per year and can reach up to 6,000 mm on the

Masoala ''Masoala'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It contains the following species, both endemic to Madagascar:Jumelle, Henri Lucien. 1933. Annales du Musée Colonial de Marseille, sér. 5, 1(1): 8. * '' Masoala kona'' Beent ...

peninsula. The lowland forests extend from

Marojejy Marojejy National Park () is a national park in the Sava region of northeastern Madagascar. It covers and is centered on the Marojejy Massif, a mountain chain that rises to an elevation of . Access to the area around the massif was restricted ...

in the north to the southeast corner of the island. At the northern edge of ecoregion around

Vohemar Vohemar ( mg, Vohimarina or ''Iharan̈a'' ) is a coastal city and commune ( mg, firaisana) in northern Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Iharana, which is a part of Sava Region. The population of the commune was estimated to be approxi ...

, the moist forests transition to the drier

Madagascar dry deciduous forests The Madagascar dry deciduous forests represent a tropical dry forest ecoregion situated in the western and northern part of Madagascar. The area has high numbers of endemic plant and animal species but has suffered large-scale clearance for ag ...

ecoregion. To the east, at approximately elevation, the lowland forests transition gradually to the

Madagascar subhumid forests The Madagascar subhumid forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion that covers most of the Central Highlands of the island of Madagascar. They are included in the WWF's Global 200 list of outstanding ecoregions. Most of the origi ...

ecoregion. The southern end of the ecoregion lies at the crest of the Anosyennes Mountains, where a narrow belt of dry transitional forest marks the transition to the dry spiny forests ecoregion in the mountains'

rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carri ...

Flora

The lowland forests are characterized by dense evergreen forests, 82% of which is endemic species, with a canopy exceeding . Typical canopy species include ''

Dalbergia ''Dalbergia'' is a large genus of small to medium-size trees, shrubs and lianas in the pea family, Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. It was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic ''Dalbergia'' clade (or tribe): the Dalbergieae. Th ...

Diospyros ''Diospyros'' is a genus of over 700 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. Individual species valued for their hard, heavy, dark ...

Ocotea ''Ocotea'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Lauraceae. Many are evergreen trees with lauroid leaves. There are over 520 species currently accepted within the genus, distributed mostly in tropical and subtropical areas of ...

Symphonia Symphonia (Greek ) is a much-discussed word, applied at different times to the bagpipe, the drum, the hurdy-gurdy, and finally a kind of clavichord. The sixth of the musical instruments enumerated in Book of Daniel, (verses 5, 10 and 15), trans ...

'', and ''

Tambourissa ''Tambourissa'' is a genus of plant in family Monimiaceae. Its range includes Madagascar, the Comoro Islands, Réunion, and Mauritius. It contains the following accepted species, according to ThePlantList.org: * ''Tambourissa alaticarpa'' Lo ...

''; emergents of ''

Canarium ''Canarium'' is a genus of about 100 species of tropical and subtropical trees, in the family Burseraceae. They grow naturally across tropical Africa, south and southeast Asia, Indochina, Malesia, Australia and western Pacific Islands; includ ...

Albizia ''Albizia'' is a genus of more than 160 species of mostly fast-growing subtropical and tropical trees and shrubs in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae. The genus is pantropical, occurring in Asia, Africa, Madagascar, America an ...

,'' and ''

Brochoneura ''Brochoneura'' is a genus of plants in family Myristicaceae. Species Species include: * ''Brochoneura acuminata'' (Lam.) Warb. * ''Brochoneura chapelieri'' (Baill.) H.Perrier * ''Brochoneura dardainii'' Heckel * ''Brochoneura humblotii'' H.Pe ...

acuminata'' rise above the canopy. The lowland forests have a rich diversity of ''

Pandanus ''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with some 750 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. The greatest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malaysia. Common names ...

'',

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae ** List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (b ...

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

, and

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

species. At higher elevations the trees become shorter and have a denser undergrowth.

Fauna

The lowland forests represent a great reservoir of diversity and

endemism Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

. Nearly all of Madagascar's endemic mammal genera are represented there, including all five families of

lemur Lemurs ( ) (from Latin ''lemures'' – ghosts or spirits) are wet-nosed primates of the superfamily Lemuroidea (), divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are endemic to the island of Madaga ...

s. Fifteen species and subspecies of lemurs are endemic and near-endemic to the ecoregion, including the

aye-aye The aye-aye (''Daubentonia madagascariensis'') is a long-fingered lemur, a strepsirrhine primate native to Madagascar with rodent-like teeth that perpetually grow and a special thin middle finger. It is the world's largest nocturnal primate. ...

''(Daubentonia madagascariensis)'', the

hairy-eared dwarf lemur The hairy-eared dwarf lemur (''Allocebus trichotis''), or hairy-eared mouse lemur, is one of the most scarcely known lemurs. ''A. trichotis'' is a nocturnal lemur that is endemic to Madagascar. It was originally named by Albert Günther in 1875 a ...

''(Allocebus trichotis)'', both species of

ruffed lemur The ruffed lemurs of the genus ''Varecia'' are strepsirrhine primates and the largest extant lemurs within the family Lemuridae. Like all living lemurs, they are found only on the island of Madagascar. Formerly considered to be a monotypic genu ...

s ''(Varecia variegata, V. rubra)'', the

indri The indri (; ''Indri indri''), also called the babakoto, is one of the largest living lemurs, with a head-body length of about and a weight of between . It has a black and white coat and maintains an upright posture when climbing or clinging. ...

''(Indri indri)'', the eastern woolly lemur ''(Avahi laniger)'', the

diademed sifaka The diademed sifaka (''Propithecus diadema''), or diademed simpona, is an endangered species of sifaka, one of the lemurs endemic to certain rainforests in eastern Madagascar. Along with the indri, this species is one of the two largest living ...

''(Propithecus diadema)'',

Milne-Edwards's sifaka Milne-Edwards's sifaka (''Propithecus edwardsi''), or Milne-Edwards's simpona, is a large arboreal, diurnal lemur endemic to the eastern coastal rainforest of Madagascar. Milne-Edwards's sifaka is characterized by a black body with a light-colo ...

''(P. edwardsi)'', the

golden bamboo lemur The golden bamboo lemur (''Hapalemur aureus''), or in Malagasy, is a medium-sized bamboo lemur endemic to south-eastern Madagascar. Description The golden bamboo lemur is crepuscular i.e. is a most active at dawn and dusk. It is about the siz ...

''(Hapalemur aureus)'', the

greater bamboo lemur The greater bamboo lemur (''Hapalemur simus''), also known as the broad-nosed bamboo lemur and the broad-nosed gentle lemur, is a species of lemur endemic to the island of Madagascar. Taxonomy Originally described as ''Hapalemur (Prolemur) s ...

''(Prolemur simus)'', the

gray-headed lemur The gray-headed lemur (''Eulemur cinereiceps''), or gray-headed brown lemur, is a medium-sized primate, a cathemeral species of lemur in the family Lemuridae. Until a taxonomic revision in 2008, it was known as the white-collared brown lemur or ...

''(Eulemur cinereiceps)'', the

collared brown lemur The collared brown lemur (''Eulemur collaris''), also known as the red-collared brown lemur or red-collared lemur, is a medium-sized strepsirrhine primate and one of twelve species of brown lemur in the family Lemuridae. It is only found in sou ...

''(E. collaris)'', and the

red-bellied lemur The red-bellied lemur (''Eulemur rubriventer'') is a medium-sized strepsirrhine primate with a luxuriant chestnut brown coat. This lemur is endemic to eastern Madagascan rainforests and is distinguished by patches of white skin below the e ...

''(E. rubriventer)''. As well as lemurs, the forest are home to seven endemic genera of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are roden ...

s, six endemic genera of

carnivorans Carnivora is a monophyletic order of placental mammals consisting of the most recent common ancestor of all cat-like and dog-like animals, and all descendants of that ancestor. Members of this group are formally referred to as carnivorans, ...

and several species of bat. Rare animals include the brown-tailed mongoose ('' Salanoia concolor''). Of the 165 bird species found here 42 are endemic to the region, such as the rare

red-tailed newtonia The red-tailed newtonia (''Newtonia fanovanae'') is a species of bird in the family Vangidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. References ...

(''Newtonia fanovanae''). The forests are also home to 50 endemic reptiles and 29 amphibians such as the following chameleons: '' Calumma gallus'', ''

Calumma cucullatum The hooded chameleon (''Calumma cucullatum'') is a Vulnerable species of chameleon endemic to north-east Madagascar; its geological type locality is Madagascar. It can be found in humid forests over an area of between above mean sea level. D ...

'', '' Furcifer balteatus'', '' Furcifer bifidus'', ''

Brookesia superciliaris The brown leaf chameleon or stump-tailed chameleon (''Brookesia superciliaris'') is a small chameleon found along the eastern coast of Madagascar, as well as the island of Nosy Boraha. Its appearance mimics that of a dead leaf. The taxonomy is i ...

'', and ''

Brookesia therezieni ''Brookesia therezieni'', also known as the Perinet leaf chameleon, is a species of lizards in the Family (biology), family Chamaeleonidae. The species is Endemism, endemic to eastern Madagascar. The International Union for Conservation of Natur ...

''. The freshwater fish population, with more than 100 endemic species, is also unique. The lowland forests are home to many of endemic and limited-range species of birds. The

brown mesite The brown mesite (''Mesitornis unicolor'') is a ground-dwelling bird endemic to Madagascar. It is one of three species in the mesite family or the Mesitornithidae, and though classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation o ...

(''Mesitornis unicolor''),

red-breasted coua The red-breasted coua (''Coua serriana'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is Endemism, endemic to Madagascar. References

Coua, red-breasted coua Birds described in 1845, red-breasted coua Taxonomy articles created by ...

(''Coua serriana''),

scaly ground roller The scaly ground roller (''Geobiastes squamiger'') is a species of bird in a monotypic genus in the near-passerine family Brachypteraciidae. It is endemic to eastern Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland f ...

(''Geobiastes squamiger''),

nuthatch vanga The nuthatch vanga (''Hypositta corallirostris''), also known as the coral-billed nuthatch-vanga and formerly as the coral-billed nuthatch, is a species of bird in the family Vangidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtrop ...

(''Hypositta corallirostris''),

helmet vanga The helmet vanga (''Euryceros prevostii'') is a distinctive-looking bird of the vanga family, Vangidae, and is classified in its own genus, ''Euryceros''. It is mainly blue-black, with rufous wings and a huge arched blue bill. It is restricted to ...

(''Euryceros prevostii''),

Bernier's vanga Bernier's vanga (''Oriolia bernieri'') is a bird species in the family Vangidae. It is in the monotypic genus ''Oriolia''. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened ...

(''Oriolia bernieri''), red-tailed newtonia (''Newtonia fanovanae''), and

dusky tetraka The dusky tetraka (''Xanthomixis tenebrosa'') is a species of Old World warbler in the family Bernieridae. It is found only in Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss ...

(''Xanthomixis tenebrosa'') are largely endemic to the lowland forests, ranging occasionally into the lower montane forests. The

Madagascar serpent eagle The Madagascar serpent eagle (''Eutriorchis astur'') is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is placed in the monotypic genus ''Eutriorchis''. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist ...

(''Eutriorchis astur''),

short-legged ground roller The short-legged ground roller (''Brachypteracias leptosomus'') is a species of bird in the ground roller family Brachypteraciidae. It is the only living species in the genus ''Brachypteracias'' and is endemic to Madagascar. It is threatened by h ...

(''Brachypteracias leptosomus''), Madagascar red owl (''Tyto soumagnei''),

Pollen's vanga Pollen's vanga (''Xenopirostris polleni'') is a species of bird in the family Vangidae. It is endemic to eastern Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane f ...

(''Xenopirostris polleni''), and brown emu-tail (''Bradypterus brunneus'') live in both the lowland forests and montane forests. The

rufous vanga The rufous vanga (''Schetba rufa'') is a species of bird in the family Vangidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Schetba''. It is endemic to Madagascar, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or trop ...

(''Schetba rufa'') and Madagascar green pigeon (''Treron australis'') are widespread Madagascar lowland birds who inhabit the humid lowland forests as well as the dry forests on the west of the island.BirdLife International (2022
Endemic Bird Areas factsheet: East Malagasy wet forests
Accessed 3 September 2022.Hawkins, A. F. A. (1999). Altitudinal and Latitudinal Distribution of East Malagasy Forest Bird Communities. Journal of Biogeography, 26(3), 447–458. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2656135 A famous extinct species is Delalande's coua (''Coua delalandei'') which has not been seen since the 19th century.

Threats and preservation

Madagascar's lowland rainforests have been preserved generally better than the high central plateau, but there has still been substantial loss. Widespread

slash-and-burn Slash-and-burn agriculture is a farming method that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody plants in an area. The downed veget ...

activity in the lowland rainforests is one of the major reasons. Slash-and-burn is a method sometimes used by shifting cultivators to create short term yields from marginal soils. When practiced repeatedly, or without intervening fallow periods, the

nutrient A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi, and protists. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for metabolic purposes or excr ...

-poor soils may be exhausted or eroded to an unproductive state. Another threat is the selective exploitation of some species, such as palms and

tree ferns The tree ferns are arborescent (tree-like) ferns that grow with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level, making them trees. Many extant tree ferns are members of the order Cyatheales, to which belong the families Cyatheaceae (scaly tre ...

. 10.79% of the ecoregion is in protected areas, including national parks and reserves. They include: * Ambato Atsinanana * Analamazaotra National Park *

Andasibe-Mantadia National Park Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is a 155 square kilometre protected area, located about 150 km east of Antananarivo, consisting principally of primary growth forest in Alaotra-Mangoro Region in eastern Madagascar. The park's elevation rang ...

Andohahela National Park Andohahela National Park, in south-east Madagascar, is remarkable for the extremes of habitats that are represented within it. The park covers of the Anosy mountain range, the southernmost spur of the Malagasy Highlands and contains the last hum ...

Kalambatritra Reserve Kalambatritra Special Reserve is a wildlife reserve in southern Madagascar. It is to the north of Andohahela National Park, south-west of the Manombo Special Reserve and contains many endemic species, including forty-five endemic bird species. Ge ...

* Manombo Special Reserve *

Marojejy National Park Marojejy National Park () is a national park in the Sava region of northeastern Madagascar. It covers and is centered on the Marojejy Massif, a mountain chain that rises to an elevation of . Access to the area around the massif was restricted ...

Ranomafana National Park Ranomafana National Park is in the southeastern part of Madagascar in Haute Matsiatra and Vatovavy. With more than 41,600 hectares (161 square miles) of tropical rainforest, it is home to several rare species of flora and fauna including th ...

Mangerivola Special Reserve Mangerivola Special Reserve is a nature reserve, wildlife reserve in the east of Madagascar. It was established in 1958 and is a hotspot for bird-watchers due to the one hundred species found there, including 63 Endemism, endemics and many local e ...

Masoala National Park Masoala National Park, in northeast Madagascar, is the largest of the island's protected areas. Most of the park is situated in Sava Region and a part in Analanjirofo. Created in 1997, the park protects 2,300 square kilometres of rainforest an ...

Tsitongambarika Tsitongambarika is a lowland forest in the north of Fort-Dauphin, village Iabakoho, Anosy in southern Madagascar. The area supports many rare species of amphibians, birds, lemurs and reptiles; many of which are endemic. In 2001, the site was ...

Zahamena National Park Zahamena National Park is a national park of Madagascar. Established in 1997, it covers an area of out of a total protected area of . It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Rainforests of the Atsinanana, inscribed in 2007 and consisting of 13 ...

Gallery

Image:Angraecum sesquipedale cultivated.png, alt=Detail of a star-shaped yellow orchid flower with six tepals, ''

Angraecum sesquipedale ''Angraecum sesquipedale'' , also known as Darwin's orchid, Christmas orchid, Star of Bethlehem orchid, and king of the angraecums, is an epiphytic orchid in the genus ''Angraecum'' endemic to Madagascar. The orchid was first discovered by the Fre ...

'', one of over 900 orchids in Madagascar Image:Ravenala_madagascariensis_Maui.jpg, Traveler's tree (''Ravenala madagascariensis''), Madagascar's national emblem Image:Golden Mantelle (Mantella aurantiaca), Torotorofotsy marshes, Madagascar (13795093335).jpg, alt=An orange-red frog,

Golden mantella The golden mantella (''Mantella aurantiaca'') is a small, terrestrial frog endemic to Madagascar. It has an extremely restricted distribution in three distinct areas centered on the town of Moramanga - Beparasy and Ambohibary Communes, Torotoro ...

(''Mantella aurantiaca''), an endangered frog endemic to the eastern rainforests. Image:Indri_indri_001.jpg, alt=A black-white lemur sitting in trees,

Indri The indri (; ''Indri indri''), also called the babakoto, is one of the largest living lemurs, with a head-body length of about and a weight of between . It has a black and white coat and maintains an upright posture when climbing or clinging. ...

(''Indri indri''), the largest living

Image:Brookesia_superciliaris_01.jpg, alt=A small, brown chameleon resembling a leaf, Brown leaf chameleon (''Brookesia superciliaris'')

References

External links

* {{WWF ecoregion, id=at0118, name=Madagascar lowland forests
Rainforests of Madagascar (WildMadagascar.org)
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Forests of Madagascar Ecoregions of Madagascar Sava Region Atsinanana Vatovavy-Fitovinany Atsimo-Atsinanana Anosy