Friday, October 14, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Dypsis decipiens at Itremo, in Ambatofinandrahana
This palm is endemic to the highlands and the type locality seems to be Ambohitantely it certainly has a measure of protection there. Many thanks to Mijoro Rakotoarinivo for the superb photo.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Fire damage to Ambohitantely
Notice the massive fire damage at the upper left of the image, this is exactly the type of activity that we need to avoid if we are going to save this forest in perpetuity.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Ambohitantely from the air, (thanks to Google Earth).
Note the elongated character of the forest and the areas around it that were clearly forested in the past.
Team from the American school of Antananarivo
This group of students are concerned with the re-building and reforestation of Ambohitantely.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Eriauchenius workmanii, Pelican spider.
one of the worlds weirdest spiders. An Ambohitantely citizen that only eats other spiders.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Ambohitantely location
The special reserve called Ambohitantely is located 140 km northwest of Antananarivo, in the district of Ankazobe, It is about 30 km from Ankazobe. Ambohitantely is currently the only protected area in the Analamanga region.
Ambohitantely
This small reserve has only 56 km² or 1800 ha of indigenous forest and 3800 ha of grassland. It was established in 1982 . The indigenous forest includes lowland riparian forest, lowland forest (canopy to 16 m), and upland forest (canopy 6-8 m).
Tenrec in the forest
A preliminary inventory of Ambohitantely Reserve listed 50 species of birds, 3 species of lemurs (Eulemur fulvus, Microcebus rufus, Avahi laniger), 17 species of reptiles including the smallest Malagasy chameleons (Brookesia spp.), and many species of amphibians, reptiles and rodents.
Biodiversity Plants.
Ambohitantely is known for Dypsis decipiens, an endemic palm tree. The reserve is home to the last remnants of forest on the central plateau. The main part of the Reserve is a degraded grassland dominated by several species of Gramineae (Andropogon sp., Aristida sp., and Loudetia sp.). There is also a botanical garden with plantations of exotic tree species (Eucalyptus spp, Pinus spp., Callitris sp., Cupressus sp.).
Biodiversity Plants.
This forest is characterized by a high degree of diversity and endemism. The vegetation here is dominated by Weinmannia spp. (Cunoniaceae), Gymnosporia sp. (Celastraceae), Uapaca sp. (Uapacaceae), Ravensara sp. (Lauraceae) and Diospyros sp. (Ebenaceae). Along the valleys, palms (Dypsis sp. - Arecaceae) and pandans (Pandanus sp. - Pandanaceae) are abundant. Epiphytes, including Bulbophyllum spp., Angreacum spp. (Orchidaceae) and Polypodium spp. (Polypodiaceae), are common. Erica sp. (Ericaceae) and Nastus sp. (Gramineae) are dominant along the forest border. . Some palms are critically endangered, such as several species belonging to the Manambe Palm group.
Biodiversity
Nearly 70 species of birds have been recorded in Ambohitantely, including the Madagascar Harrier (Circus macroscles), Crested Ibis (Lophotibis cristata),Henst’s Goshawk (Accipiter henstii). Ambohitantely special reserve is the only protected area which has a population of Circus macrosceles.
Biodiversity
The total number of invertebrate species has never to my knowledge been computed for this forest.
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