Harmonious Protected Landscape of the Itremo Massif, Category V
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (RBG-Kew)
24,788 ha
Province of Fianarantsoa; Region of Amoron'i Mania; District of Ambatofinandrahana
Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), Zero Extinction Alliance (ZEA) site, Priority Area for Plant Conservation (PAPC)
The Itremo Massif is made up of rocky substrates, wooded savannas with open canopy tapia forests and gallery forests.
There are currently more than 550 species of plants, 59 species of birds, 17 species of amphibians and 14 species of reptiles.
2 species
1 critically endangered (the “sifaka” or jumping lemur)
59 species
4 endangered (including the Malagasy grebe) and 2 vulnerable
14 species
1 locally endemic gecko species; 2 species endangered and 1 vulnerable
17 species
1 endangered
1 species
2 species
11 species
549 species
419 endemic to Madagascar (78 %) among which 1 critically endangered, 3 endangered and 4 vulnerable 14 local endemics (3%) of which 5 critically endangered, 3 endangered and 1 vulnerable
Sclerophyllous woodland, tapia forest, secondary grasslands, rupicolous vegetation, fragment of medium altitude moist evergreen forest, swamps and bogs, marshes, caves. Particularity: existence of two sites used as "joro" sacred places.
Fires for grazing-renewal and land-clearing for cultivation, charcoal making, collection of wild plants and animals for local and international trade, hunting, pine tree encroachment.
Source of the rivers that irrigate the rice fields in all the lowlands around the Ambatofinandrahana area.
Local communities are represented in the COGE (management committee) and the COE (orientation and evaluation committee) which are decision-making bodies for all activities to be carried out for the conservation of the protected area and local development.
FAPBM support for the management of the Itremo Massif began in 2015. The total amount of grants to date is MGA 886,559,890.It should be noted that RBG Kew has also benefited from Helmsley funds managed by FAPBM in 2 phases (2015 and 2017).The activities implemented through these funds are conservation activities (patrolling and surveillance, ecological monitoring, ecological restoration, conservation infrastructure, ...), development support (wild silk industry, agriculture, support for the development of local tourism ...), IEC and payroll and operating costs.Despite persistent pressures such as fires and mining, the conservation state of the Itremo Massif natural habitats is stable.The economic benefits of development activities are not yet felt at the level of the local populations.
