Madagascar - The dry forests of Andrefana

This site is composed of 7 protected areas: Ankarana Special Reserve S12 53 22 E49 09 47 (2009) Ankarafantsika National Park S16 12 30 E46 53 10 (2009) Andohahela National Park, Parcel II S24 53 17 E46 35 24 (2009) Tsimanampetsotsa National Park S24 06 06 E43 50 26 (As of 2012) Analamerana Special Reserve S12 46 03 E49 29 46 (As of 2012) NAP Daraina S13 05 45 E49 42 00 (As of 2012) Future NAP Manambolomaty-Tsimembo S19 00 00 E44 23 29 (As of 2012) Protected areas forming all the dry forests of Madagascar are located in the western part and the southern part of the island. In contrast to the Atsinanana Rainforest Ecoregion represented by a set of six protected areas, dry forests are marked by severe historical fragmentation and only a few large isolated blocks still exist. Despite this important challenge, recent biological inventories very clearly indicate that these large blocks are very important for the representation of Madagascar's biodiversity and the maintenance of evolutionary processes within distinct and unique ecological communities. In the same vein, these inventories indicate that biological diversity within dry forests has historically been underestimated. Therefore, it is increasingly evident that the region is characterized by extraordinary biological heterogeneity with a remarkable number of locally endemic species and changes in floristic and faunistic composition even between relatively close sites. This wealth of biodiversity is also accompanied by a level of vulnerability of these habitats and communities which, fortunately, is increasingly controlled by major efforts for the creation and good management of protected areas.