Bemarivo Special Reserve

Last updated
Bemarivo Special Reserve
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) [1]
Madagascar physical map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Madagascar
Location Melaky, Madagascar
Nearest city Besalampy
Coordinates 16°56′S44°23′E / 16.933°S 44.383°E / -16.933; 44.383
Area120.46 km2 (46.51 sq mi)
Established10 September 1956
Governing body Madagascar National Parks Association (PNM-ANGAP)

Bemarivo Reserve is a wildlife reserve 12 km from Besalampy in the region of Melaky in the north-west of Madagascar. It was created in 1956 and covers an area of 12,080 hectares (29,900 acres). [2] The reserve is known for its fauna especially endemic birds.

Contents

Geography

The reserve is located on a coastal plateau in the region of Melaky, about 12 km (7 mi) from the town and commune of Besalampy, and 5 km (3 mi) from the Mozambique Channel coast. It has a warm climate with an average daily temperature of 25 °C (77 °F) and the rainy season is from November to February with an annual rainfall of approximately 1,000 mm (39 in). The Bemarivo River is a tributary of the Sofia River and flows permanently during the dry season unlike the small tributaries of the Marotondro and Ampandra Rivers which are seasonal. [3] The main vegetation is dense, dry deciduous forest, dominated by trees of Cordyla , Dalbergia , Diospyros , Eugenia , Grewia , Cryptocarya agathophylla and Sideroxylon species. Outside the forest, there is secondary savanna with Bismarckia palms, and Tsimanjonotsy and Ranovoribe lakes and marshes. [4] [5] The Sakalava are the dominant ethnic group. [5]

Flora and fauna

The reserve has an impressive number of endemic birds with over twenty-three recorded. [2] Altogether there are seventy-three species of birds, twenty species of reptiles and fifteen species of mammals (including six species of lemurs) are known in this reserve, as well as twenty-four species of reptiles and 194 species of plants. The wetlands are the biggest attraction for birds which include the Madagascar fish eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides) which is critically endangered and Bernier's teal (Anas bernieri) which is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). [4] Reptiles found in the reserve include the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) and the Madagascar Ground Boa (Acrantophis madagascariensis). [3]

Slash-and-burn agriculture is the main threat in the reserve along with fires. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madagascar lowland forests</span> Ecoregion in Eastern Madagascar

The Madagascar lowland forests or Madagascar humid forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion found on the eastern coast of the island of Madagascar, 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 list of outstanding ecoregions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madagascar subhumid forests</span> Ecoregion in Central Madagascar

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 original habitats have been lost due to human pressure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madagascar dry deciduous forests</span> Tropical dry forest ecoregion in Madagascar

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 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 area is also home to distinctive limestone karst formations known as tsingy, including the World Heritage Site of Bemaraha.

Besalampy is a rural municipality on the west coast of Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Besalampy, which is a part of Melaky Region. The population of the municipality was 11331 in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anjajavy Forest</span>

The Anjajavy's Protected Area is located on a peninsula of the town of Antonibe, in the district of Analalava and in the north-west region of Madagascar. It is part of the Sofia region of the independent province of Mahajanga and its position is between 47°13’ at 44°22’ of longitude east and 14°58 at 15°07’ of latitude south..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montagne d'Ambre National Park</span> National park in Antsiranana Province, Madagascar

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 1,000 km (620 mi) north of the capital, Antananarivo, and is one of the most biologically diverse places in all of Madagascar with seventy-five species of birds, twenty-five species of mammals, and fifty-nine species of reptiles known to inhabit the park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melaky</span> Region in Madagascar

Melaky is a region in northwestern Madagascar. It borders Boeny Region in northeast, Betsiboka in east, Bongolava in southeast and Menabe in south. The capital of the region is Maintirano. The population was estimated to be 309,805 in 2018 within the area of 38,852 km2 (15,001 sq mi). Melaky has the smallest population and the lowest population density of all Malagasy regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Besalampy District</span> District in Melaky, Madagascar

Besalampy is a district in western Madagascar. It is a part of Melaky Region and borders the districts of Soalala in northeast, Kandreho in east, Ambatomainty in southeast, Morafenobe in south and Maintirano in southwest. The area is 11,753 km2 (4,538 sq mi) and the population was estimated to be 62,347 in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsimanampetsotsa National Park</span> National park in Madagascar

Tsimanampetsotsa National Park also spelt Tsimanampetsotse, and known as Tsimanampetsotsa Nature Reserve is a 432 km2 national park on the south-west coast of Madagascar in the region Atsimo-Andrefana. The park is 90 kilometres (56 mi) south of Toliara and 950 kilometres (590 mi) south of the capital, Antananarivo. Route Nationales (RN) 10 to Faux Cap passes the park and the nearest airport is at Toliara. The national park contains and is named after Lake Tsimanampetsotsa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park</span> National Park in Madagascar

Zombitse-Vohibasia is a national park in the Atsimo-Andrefana region of south-west Madagascar. It is 147 kilometres (91 mi) north-east of the town of Toliara on the National road 7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andranomena Special Reserve</span> Nature reserve in Madagascar

Andranomena Special Reserve is a wildlife reserve in Menabe Region, western Madagascar, near the city of Morondava and the rural commune of Bemanonga.

Ambatovaky Special Reserve is a tropical rainforest and wildlife reserve in the north-east of Madagascar. It is designated by Bird Life International as an Important Bird Area for the large number of endemic species of birds.

Ambohijanahary Special Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the regions of Menabe and Melaky in Madagascar. The reserve was created in 1958 to protect the sclerophyllous forest between Tsiroanomandidy and Maintirano, as well as protecting the many endemic species of plants and animals.

Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the north-east of Madagascar. The reserve was designated in 1958 and contains some of the last intact primary rainforest, along with several, rare and endemic animals and plants. The area was nominated to the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in Madagascar in 2008, as an extension of the rainforests of the Atsinanana.

Bora Special Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the Sofia Region of Madagascar, between the villages of Antsohihy and Bealanana. Bora is in a transition zone between eastern humid forests and western dry forests and the reserve and has many endemic species including six lemur species, twenty birds and over 150 species of endemic plants.

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.

Kasijy Special Reserve is a 19,800 hectares wildlife reserve in the Betsiboka region of Madagascar. Nearly half of the species of plants and animals recorded within the reserve are endemic to Madagascar and BirdLife International have listed the reserve as an Important Bird Area.)

Mangerivola Special Reserve is a 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 endemics and many local endemics. There are also seven species of lemur and rare chameleons such as the Lance-nosed chameleon which is registered as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Maningoza Special Reserve is a 9,826 hectares wildlife reserve near Besalampy 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madagascar succulent woodlands</span>

The Madagascar succulent woodlands are a xeric shrublands ecoregion in southwestern and central western Madagascar. Native plants survive in the arid climate and long dry season with adaptations like succulent leaves, water storing trunks, photosynthetic stems, and dropping leaves during the dry season. The ecoregion is threatened by various human activities.

References

  1. UNEP-WCMC (2022). Protected Area Profile for Bemarivo from the World Database on Protected Areas. Accessed 28 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Bemarivo Special Reserve". Birdlife International. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Bemarivo Special Reserve". madagaskar.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Bemarivo Special Reserve". Travel Madagascar. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Bemarivo". Wild Madagascar. Retrieved 23 October 2016.