The Madagascar dry deciduous forests represent a
tropical dry forest
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive ...
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 of ...
situated in the western and northern part 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 Afric ...
. The area has high numbers of
endemic
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 else ...
plant and animal species but has suffered large-scale clearance for agriculture. They are among the world's richest and most distinctive dry forests and included in the
Global 200 ecoregions by the
World Wide Fund
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...
. The area is also home to distinctive limestone
karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, Dolomite (rock), dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathe ...
formations known as
tsingy, including the
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
of
Bemaraha.
Geography
There are two separate areas within the ecoregion: the western side of Madagascar from the Ampasindava peninsula in the north to
Belo-sur-Tsiribihina and
Maromandia in the south (this is most of
Mahajanga Province
Mahajanga was a former province of Madagascar that had an area of 150,023 km². It had a population of 1,896,000 (2004). Its capital was Mahajanga, the second largest city in Madagascar.
Except for Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga Province bordere ...
); and the northern tip of the island (apart from the high areas of
Amber Mountain). Geological substrate is varied and includes the
tsingy limestone massifs.
These dry deciduous forests span the
coastal plain with its
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...
s emanating virtually at sea level to higher altitudes to roughly . The area includes wetlands and grasslands (mostly created by forest clearance for agriculture) as well as dry forests characterized by a
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...
canopy extending to a height of .
Climate is tropical, with summer daytime temperatures commonly exceeding , and a wet season between October and April.
Rainfall
Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...
, ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 mm, is more abundant than in the
spiny thickets and
succulent woodlands, but lower than in the
eastern lowland rainforests.
Flora
While the absolute number of plant species is lower than in the eastern rainforests of the island, the dry deciduous forests of Madagascar have a higher ratio of
endemic
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 else ...
species. Trees have adapted to the dry climate by shedding leaves in the dry winter season to limit
evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration (ET) is the combined processes by which water moves from the earth’s surface into the atmosphere. It covers both water evaporation (movement of water to the air directly from soil, canopies, and water bodies) and transp ...
. Moreover, some species like
baobab
''Adansonia'' is a genus made up of eight species of medium-to-large deciduous trees known as baobabs ( or ). They are placed in the Malvaceae family, subfamily Bombacoideae. They are native to Madagascar, mainland Africa, and Australia.T ...
s and ''
Moringa Moringa may refer to:
* ''Moringa'' (genus), a genus of plants
* ''Moringa oleifera'', or just moringa, a plant species native to the Indian subcontinent
* ''Moringa stenopetala
''Moringa stenopetala'', commonly known as the African Moringa or ...
'' have adapted by evolving the ability to store copious water in their large bulbous trunks. Four species of baobabs, including three endemics (''
Adansonia grandidieri
''Adansonia grandidieri'' is the biggest and most famous of Madagascar's six species of baobabs. It is sometimes known as Grandidier's baobab or giant baobab. In French it is called Baobab malgache. The local name is renala or reniala (from mg, ...
'', ''
A. madagascariensis'' and ''
A. suarezensis'') occur in this ecoregion. Other notable tree species include
flamboyant tree
''Delonix regia'' is a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae native to Madagascar. It is noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of orange-red flowers over summer. In many tropical par ...
(''Delonix regia''), ''
Pachypodium
''Pachypodium'' is a genus of succulent spine-bearing trees and shrubs, native to Madagascar and Africa. It belongs to the family Apocynaceae.
Genus characteristics
All ''Pachypodium'' are succulent plants that exhibit, to varying degrees, ...
'' species, and several
and
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules a ...
. Forest understory plants include ''
Lissochilus'' orchids
such as
Oeceoclades calcarata, a large, cool growing, showy, terrestrial orchid which grows at medium elevation (1000 to 2000 meters) in western Madagascar. Its habitat is semi-arid and it is found growing in sandy or rocky soils in dry moss and lichen forests.
Fauna
One characteristic in common with other
tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive ...
is the presence of relatively high densities of mammalian biomass. Several of Madagascar's characteristic
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 Madagas ...
species are found here including the
fat-tailed dwarf lemur
The fat-tailed dwarf lemur (''Cheirogaleus medius''), also known as the lesser dwarf lemur, western fat-tailed dwarf lemur, or spiny forest dwarf lemur, is endemic to Madagascar.
Hibernation
Recent research has shown that ''C. medius'' hibernat ...
, five subspecies of ''
Propithecus'', three species of ''
Lepilemur
The sportive lemurs are the medium-sized primates that make up the family Lepilemuridae. The family consists of only one extant genus, ''Lepilemur''. They are closely related to the other lemurs and exclusively live on the island of Madagascar. ...
'', and five species of ''
Microcebus''. Endemic mammals include three endangered species,
golden-crowned sifaka (''Propithecus tattersalli'') and
Perrier's sifaka (''Propithecus diadema perrieri'') and western forest rat (''
Nesomys lambertoni'') as well as
mongoose lemur (''Eulemur mongoz''),
golden-brown mouse lemur
The golden-brown mouse lemur (''Microcebus ravelobensis''), also known as the (Lac) Ravelobe mouse lemur, is part of the Cheirogaleidae family, and the smallest species of lemur. It is arboreal, nocturnal and usually social.Myers, P"Cheirogalei ...
(''Microcebus ravelobensis''),
northern rufous mouse lemur
The northern rufous mouse lemur (''Microcebus tavaratra''), northern brown mouse lemur, or Tavaratra mouse lemur is found in northern Madagascar from the Ankarana Special Reserve in the west to the Manambato River in the northeast, and up to th ...
(''M. tavaratra''),
pygmy mouse lemur
The pygmy mouse lemur (''Microcebus myoxinus''), also known as Peters' mouse lemur or dormouse lemur, is a primate weighing only ; it is the second smallest of the mouse lemurs. Its dorsal side is a rufous-brown colour, and creamy-white ventrally ...
(''M. myoxinus''),
Milne-Edwards' sportive lemur
Milne-Edwards' sportive lemur (''Lepilemur edwardsi''), or Milne-Edwards' weasel lemur, is a species of lemur in the family Lepilemuridae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threate ...
(''Lepilemur edwardsi''), and
greater big-footed mouse (''Macrotarsomys ingens''). As well as lemurs the dry forests are home to the island's largest predator, the
fossa (''Cryptoprocta ferox'') and some smaller
carnivorans.
The lakes and rivers of the dry forest region are homes to most of Madagascar's bird species. Among reptiles, many
chameleon
Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...
and
gecko
Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from .
Geckos a ...
species occur here, as well as the
Madagascar sideneck turtle and the critically endangered
ploughshare tortoise
The angonoka tortoise (''Astrochelys yniphora'') is a critically endangered species of tortoise severely threatened by poaching for the illegal pet trade. It is endemic to Madagascar. It is also known as the angonoka, ploughshare tortoise, Madag ...
.
Threats and conservation
Most dry forests have already been destroyed by human action, especially near the
Central Highlands. The remaining forest is severely fragmented. Burning, grazing, and logging are the major threats, and
siltation
Siltation, is water pollution caused by particulate Terrestrial ecoregion, terrestrial Clastic rock, clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the ...
, overfishing and
invasive species
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...
impact the wetlands. Some species such as lemurs suffer from hunting.
5.79% of the ecoregion is in
protected areas.
[ They include:][
*]Ankarafantsika National Park
Ankarafantsika National Park is a national park near Andranofasika in the Boeny Region of Madagascar. The closest city is Majunga north of the park. Ankarafantsika is mostly tropical in climate type. The Sakalava people are the predominant ethn ...
* Baie de Baly National Park
*Bemaraha National Park
The Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park is a national park located in Melaky Region, northwest Madagascar. The national park centers on two geological formations: the ''Great Tsingy'' and the ''Little Tsingy''. Together with the adjacent Tsingy ...
*Montagne d'Ambre National Park
Montagne d'Ambre National Park is a national park in the Diana Region of northern Madagascar. The park is known for its endemic flora and fauna, water falls and crater lakes. It is north of the capital, Antananarivo and is one of the most biolog ...
*Namoroka National Park
Namoroka National Park, formerly known as Tsingy de Namoroka Strict Nature Reserve, is a national park located in the northwestern part of Madagascar in the Mahajanga Province, specifically, the Soalala District.
History
Namoroka Strict Natur ...
* Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve
* Ambohijanahary Reserve
*Analamerana Special Reserve
Analamerana Special Reserve (or Analamera) is a wildlife reserve in the north of Madagascar. The reserve was created in 1956 to protect its endemic plants and animals, such as the critically endangered Perrier's sifaka (''Propithecus perrieri''), ...
*Ankarana Special Reserve
Ankarana Special Reserve in northern Madagascar was created in 1956. It is a small, partially vegetated plateau composed of 150-million-year-old middle Jurassic limestone. With an average annual rainfall of about , the underlying rocks have been e ...
*Bemarivo Reserve
Bemarivo Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the north-west of Madagascar. It was created in 1956 and covers an area of . The reserve is known for its fauna especially endemic birds.
Geography
The reserve is located on a coastal plateau in the r ...
*Bora Reserve
Bora Special Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the Sofia Region of Madagascar, between the villages of Antsohihy and Bealalana. Bora is in a transition zone between eastern humid forests and western dry forests and the reserve and has many endemi ...
* Kasijy Special Reserve
*Maningoza Reserve
Maningoza Special Reserve is a wildlife reserve in Madagascar. It was created in 1956 to protect the many endemic plants and animals, and it also contains some of the last remaining areas of dry deciduous forest on the island.
Geography
The Ma ...
*Manongarivo Reserve
Manongarivo Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the North-West of Madagascar in the region of Diana.
Manongarivo is home to both the Sambirano mouse lemur and the Sambirano woolly lemur.
Geography
The reserve has a surface of 64,356 ha and is si ...
*Tampoketsa Analamaitso Special Reserve
Tampoketsa Analamaitso Reserve is a wildlife reserve of Madagascar located in the Sofia Region.
It covers 17 150 ha in the three districts : Port Bergé, Mandritsara and Mampikony.
This reserve covers humid dense forests of average altitude a ...
Particular localities
Ankarana Special Reserve
The Ankarana Massif
Ankarana Special Reserve in northern Madagascar was created in 1956. It is a small, partially vegetated plateau composed of 150-million-year-old middle Jurassic limestone. With an average annual rainfall of about , the underlying rocks have been ...
consists of a limestone shelf which imposes a picturesque land-form on the few adventurers who find this remote forest. As the limestone has weathered over geologic time, this karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, Dolomite (rock), dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathe ...
formation often exhibits spiry pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural element originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was mainly ...
s, called " tsingy" locally. The name derives from the Malagasy word which means "walk on tiptoe", used by the earliest settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area.
A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer.
Settle ...
s from around 1500 years ago to describe the sharpness of the rugged limestone shelves. There are an abundance of limestone cave
A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
s and virgin forests that shelter the diverse wildlife
Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted ...
of the Ankarana region. In places the cave roofs have collapsed to form isolated forests and the vegetation of the gorges is also protected by the topography. Subterranean rivers provide a natural perennial irrigation system.
The Ankarana Special Reserve is one of the northernmost reaches of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests, and is very hot from December through March with this equatorial proximity. Access to wildlife viewing is through strenuous hiking, given the elevation differences, complex terrain and heat, but four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer ca ...
vehicles can reach most of the actual campsites. Below the massif, and to the west, is a grassy savannah-with-palms that leads to the Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by ...
. Within the massif, Lac Vert is found among tsingy formations.
Mammals found in this forest include the apex predator
An apex predator, also known as a top predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain, without natural predators of its own.
Apex predators are usually defined in terms of trophic dynamics, meaning that they occupy the highest trophic lev ...
fossa (''Cryptoprocta ferox''), the fanaloka
The Malagasy or striped civet (''Fossa fossana''), also known as the fanaloka (Malagasy, ) or jabady, is an euplerid endemic to Madagascar. It is the only species in genus ''Fossa''.
The Malagasy civet is a small mammal, about long excluding ...
(''Fossa fossana''), northern ring-tailed mongoose and numerous bat species. Lemurs occurring here include the crowned lemur, northern sportive lemur
The northern sportive lemur (''Lepilemur septentrionalis''), also known as the Sahafary sportive lemur or northern weasel lemur, is a species of lemur in the family Lepilemuridae. It is endemic to Madagascar. As a result of severe ecological a ...
, gray mouse lemur
The gray mouse lemur (''Microcebus murinus''), grey mouse lemur or lesser mouse lemur, is a small lemur, a type of strepsirrhine primate, found only on the island of Madagascar. Weighing , it is the largest of the mouse lemurs (genus ''Micro ...
, Sanford's brown lemur
Sanford's brown lemur (''Eulemur sanfordi''), or Sanford's lemur, is a species of strepsirrhine primate in the family Lemuridae. Sanford's brown lemur was previously considered a subspecies of the common brown lemur (''Eulemur fulvus'') but was ...
and 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. ...
. Numerous gecko
Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from .
Geckos a ...
s inhabit the reserve including the Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko, big-headed gecko and day gecko. Other local reptile
Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates ( lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalia ...
s are the Madagascar ground boa, the white-lipped chameleon (''Furcifer minor'') and Oustalet's chameleon, the world's largest chameleon, which can attain 68 centimetres in length.
Some bird species commonly seen are the hook-billed vanga, Madagascar pygmy kingfisher, crested coua
The crested coua (''Coua cristata'') is a common medium sized bird member of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. It is endemic to Madagascar, mainly found in the coastal regions of the island. The crested coua is a weak flyer, so it will often be obser ...
, white-breasted mesite
The white-breasted mesite (''Mesitornis variegatus'') is a ground-dwelling bird endemic to Madagascar. One of three species in the mesite family, Mesitornithidae, it is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Natu ...
and Madagascar ibis
The Madagascar ibis (''Lophotibis cristata''), also known as the Madagascar crested ibis, white-winged ibis or crested wood ibis, is a medium-sized (approximately 50 cm long), brown-plumaged ibis. It has bare red orbital skin, yellow bill, ...
. Raptor
Raptor or RAPTOR may refer to:
Animals
The word "raptor" refers to several groups of bird-like dinosaurs which primarily capture and subdue/kill prey with their talons.
* Raptor (bird) or bird of prey, a bird that primarily hunts and feeds on v ...
s sighted in the reserve include the Madagascar harrier-hawk and the Madagascar scops owl
The Madagascar scops owl (''Otus rutilus''), also known as the Malagasy scops owl or Rainforest scops owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found throughout Madagascar, now that is has recently been lumped with the Torotoroka s ...
. Other avafauna occurring here include red-capped coua
The red-capped coua (''Coua ruficeps'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae
Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunn ...
and Coquerel's coua
Coquerel's coua (''Coua coquereli'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae.
It is endemic to Madagascar. Its habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It was named in 1867 by the French naturalist Alfred Grandidier in honor of the ...
, and the vangas Van Dam's vanga
Van Dam's vanga (''Xenopirostris damii'') is a species of bird in the family Vangidae.
It is endemic to Madagascar.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. Males may be identified by their black hood whereas females have onl ...
, 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 ...
and sickle-billed vanga
The sickle-billed vanga (''Falculea palliata'') is a species of bird in the vanga family Vangidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Falculea''. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are tropical dry forests and tropical dry s ...
. Vangas are significant in Madagascar, as 15 of the 16 vanga species are endemic to Madagascar. The greater vasa parrot
The greater vasa parrot (''Coracopsis vasa'') is one of two species of vasa parrot, the other being the lesser vasa parrot ''C. nigra''. The greater vasa parrot can be found throughout Madagascar and the Comoros.
Taxonomy
The bird was describ ...
and Madagascar green pigeon
The Madagascar green pigeon (''Treron australis'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Madagascar, Comoros, and Mayotte. The taxon ''griveaudi'', by most authorities considered a subspecies of the Madagascan green pigeo ...
are also indigenous. An important endangered species, the Madagascar fish eagle
The Madagascar fish eagle (''Haliaeetus vociferoides'') or Madagascar sea-eagle (to distinguish it from the ''Ichthyophaga'' fishing-eagles), is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such ...
, has a number of breeding pairs located in the Ankarana Reserve.
Anjajavy Forest
Anjajavy Forest is an example of a purely lowland dry deciduous forest in northwest Madagascar. It is punctuated with numerous tsingy outcroppings and limestone karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, Dolomite (rock), dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathe ...
caves, and in many locations abuts the Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by ...
, especially where the dramatic tsingy formations jut out into the ocean. The canopy height is typically 15 to 25 meters high, and is at its lowest at the coastal verge, where growth may be impeded by saline rocky soils. The forest resides on a small peninsula
A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on a ...
of land poking into the Indian Ocean, that is bounded on the north and part of its eastern extent by the Bay of Narinda and on the south by the Bay of Majajamba. Access to this forest is difficult since there are no roads connecting this peninsula to the Madagascar highway system; however, arrival by sea and by air are accomplished with some effort.
In many places at the ocean edge as well as forest interior, several tree species are capable of taking root directly in the tsingy rocks. Several species of baobab and tamarind
Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabacea ...
are among the tallest species forming the canopy. Considering the lower precipitation
In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...
rates on the west coast (about 1,300 mm per annum at Anjajavy Forest), the vegetation is surprisingly verdant in the beginning of the dry season, but eventually will become mostly leafless by late winter. The forest understory is moderately dense but not impenetrable. Nor is the understory heavily thorned in most locations.
The Anjajavy Forest is named for a kind of '' Salvadora'' species, the '' jajavy'' tree, which might be endemic only to the forest itself. Abundant diurnal lemurs that are found here include the Coquerel's sifaka and the common brown lemur
The common brown lemur (''Eulemur fulvus'') is a species of lemur in the family Lemuridae. It is found in Madagascar and has been introduced to Mayotte.
Taxonomy
Five additional currently recognized species of lemur were until 2001 considered ...
. Three nocturnal species of mouse lemur are seen, but their precise species are yet to be documented. A large variety of birds are present including the endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...
Madagascar fish eagle
The Madagascar fish eagle (''Haliaeetus vociferoides'') or Madagascar sea-eagle (to distinguish it from the ''Ichthyophaga'' fishing-eagles), is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such ...
, which has four (of the approximately 99 known) breeding pairs resident in Anjajavy Forest. Other birdlife present are the sacred ibis
The African sacred ibis (''Threskiornis aethiopicus'') is a species of ibis, a wading bird of the family Threskiornithidae. It is native to much of Africa, as well as small parts of Iraq, Iran and Kuwait. It is especially known for its role i ...
, crested coua
The crested coua (''Coua cristata'') is a common medium sized bird member of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. It is endemic to Madagascar, mainly found in the coastal regions of the island. The crested coua is a weak flyer, so it will often be obser ...
, kingfisher
Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...
s and Madagascar wagtail. Butterflies include the magpie crow. Numerous lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia altho ...
s, chameleon
Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...
s and snake
Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more ...
s populate the forest and are easily seen from the sparse trail
A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...
network.
The dry forest is invaded by fingers of mangrove swamp
Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangroves cannot withstand fre ...
in the form of riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks a ...
s at several small coastal estuaries
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environme ...
at the western verge of the Anjajavy Forest, where small tidal streams flow into the Indian Ocean. The species of the mangrove swamps are, of course, totally different from the dry forest, and the transition zone supports an interesting ecotone
An ecotone is a transition area between two biological communities, where two communities meet and integrate. It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local (the zone between a field and forest) or regional (the transition between forest and gras ...
, providing unusual niches for several species of animals.
See also
* Ecoregions of Madagascar
References
{{reflist, 30em, refs=
[{{cite book, last1=Crowley , first1=H. , chapter=33 – Madagascar Dry Deciduous Forests , editor-last1=Burgess , editor-first1=N. , editor-last2=D'Amico Hales , editor-first2=J. , editor-last3=Underwood , editor-first3=E. , editor-last4=Dinerstein , editor-first4=E. , editor-last5=Olson , editor-first5=D. , editor-last6=Itoua , editor-first6=Illanga , editor-last7=Schipper , editor-first7=J. , editor-last8=Ricketts , editor-first8=T. , editor-last9=Newman , editor-first9=K. , display-editors=3 , year=2004 , title=Terrestrial Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment , series=World Wildlife Fund Ecoregion Assessments , edition=2nd , publisher=Island Press , location=Washington D.C. , isbn=978-1559633642 , url=http://www.easternarc.or.tz/groups/webcontent/documents/pdf/Ecoregions_Book.pdf , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101165430/http://www.easternarc.or.tz/groups/webcontent/documents/pdf/Ecoregions_Book.pdf , archive-date=2016-11-01 , pages=276–278 , url-status=dead ]
[Nick Garbutt, ''Mammals of Madagascar'', Pica Press (1999)]
[Nick Garbutt, Hilary Bradt and Derek Schuurman, ''Madagascar Wildlife'', Globe Pequot Press (2001)]
[Nick Garbutt, Hilton Hastings, Wendy Pollecutt, C. Michael Hogan, Tahiana Andriaharimalala, ''Anjajavy, the village and the forest''. May, 2006]
[Gemma Pitcher and Patricia C. Wright, ''Madagascar and Comoros'', {{ISBN, 1-74104-100-7]
[{{cite journal , last = Wilson , first = J.M., year = 1989 , title = Ecology and Conservation of the Crowned Lemur at Ankarana, N. Madagascar with notes on Sanford's Lemur, Other Sympatrics and Subfossil Lemurs , journal = Folia Primatologica , volume = 52 , issue = 1–2, pages = 1–26 , doi=10.1159/000156379, display-authors=etal , pmid = 2807091]
[{{cite book , last = Wilson , first = Jane , title = Lemurs of the Lost World: exploring the forests and Crocodile Caves of Madagascar , year = 2013 , publisher = Impact, London , isbn = 978-1-874687-48-1 , pages = 216 ]
External links
Ankarana Reserve, Parcs et reserves de Madagascar, le site officiel
Anjajavy Forest Google satellite map
Ecoregions of Madagascar
Forests of Madagascar
Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
Boeny
Melaky
Menabe
Diana Region
Sofia Region
Betsiboka