Maromizaha - Fondation pour les Aires Protégées et la Biodiversité de Madagascar

Manager

Groupe d'Étude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar (GERP)

Surface area

1880 ha

Geographic location

Toamasina Province; Alaotra-Mangoro Region; Moramanga District

International label

Key Biodiversity Area, Area of Importance for Bird Conservation (IBA) (with the Mantadia National Park and the Analamazaotra Special Reserve)

Flagship Species

The climax of Maromizaha is the dense rainforest type. The protected area shelters 3 types of natural habitats: the primary forest, the secondary forest and the savoka or forest in regeneration after the slash-and-burn practice.

The vegetation belongs to different phytogeographic types: wind flora, the eastern eco-floristic zone of low and medium altitude, and the rainforest. There are 13 plant families with 26 species, 88% of which are endemic to Madagascar.

Lemurs are represented by 12 species including Indri indri and Propithecus diadema.

Primates

12 species

3 critically endangered (among which Indri indri - babakoto), 2 endangered (among which the nocturnal lemur Aye-aye) and 4 vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List

Birds

93 species

3 vulnerable on the IUCN Red List

Reptiles

30 species

Amphibians

60 species

3 endangered and 1 vulnerable on the IUCN Red List

Carnivores

6 species

3 vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, including the fosa and the Malagasy civet

Bats

7 species

Other mammals

21 species

Plants

26 species

distributed in 13 families including 23 endemic to Madagascar (88%)

Landscapes and habitats

Dense evergreen rainforest at medium altitude, secondary forests and thickets, caves. A granite mining zone has been delineated in the PA zoning, with municipal and environmental authorization and specifications.

Pressures and threats

Slash-and-burn agriculture, logging of precious woods and palm hearts, hunting, making tree fern pots, charcoal making activity.

Economic value

Located on the edge of the RN2, near the parks of Andasibe and Analamazaotra, the Maromizaha Reserve presents the same touristic attractions. However, it remains to promote these attractions and the tourist infrastructures within the Reserve (circuits and camping sites). The Maromizaha Reserve has been the subject of several national and international reports. The beekeeping sector has been starting to take a larger scale since 2017, as well as fish farming whose products are sold on the Moramanga and Antananarivo markets. The collection of medicinal plants also contributes a significant share of household income.

Initiatives of the populations living around the protected area for its conservation

The authors of the patrolling and surveillance actions are from local communities, organized in associations. These are the Polisin'ala. At the same time, these local associations are the beneficiaries of development activities such as beekeeping, fish farming, rice cultivation, ...

A short anecdote about the protected area

Since 2019, the protected area of Maromizaha has not seen any clearing of its forest cover. GERP, the the NAP’s manager, has been congratulated by ONE (Office National pour l’ Environnement) for this achievement despite the numerous pressures on the natural resources of the reserve.

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