Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The history of the fauna of Madagascar in the context of plate tectonics and paleoclimate over the last 200 million years (Aepyornithidae arrived later than is indicated). A good example of Malagasy convergent evolution is the fossa, a Malagasy carnivore that has evolved in appearance and behaviour to be so like a large cat that it was originally classified in Felidae, when it is in fact more ...
It is located in northern Sava Region, bounded on the north by the Loky River, on the south by the Manambato River, and on the east by the Indian Ocean. In its center flows the Manankolana river . The protected area covers 2484.09 km 2 , [ 3 ] and includes a block of dry deciduous forests, mangroves , and a large lake, the Sahaka Lake .
The National Museum of Natural History in Paris has traditionally been one of the centres of research on the flora of Madagascar. It holds a herbarium with roughly 700,000 Malagasy plant specimens and a seed bank and living collection, and continues to edit the Flore de Madagascar et des Comores series begun by Humbert in 1936. [47]
Land cover (left) and topography (right) of Madagascar. The ecoregions of Madagascar, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund, include seven terrestrial, five freshwater, and two marine ecoregions. Madagascar's diverse natural habitats harbour a rich fauna and flora with high levels of endemism, but most ecoregions suffer from habitat loss.
The native fauna of Madagascar are well represented. Ten species of amphibian and 44 reptile species are present. These include the rare Madagascan big-headed turtle (Erymnochelys madagascariensis), the rhinoceros chameleon (Furcifer rhinoceratus) and the dwarf chameleon (Brookesia decaryi). [2]
This category contains the native flora of Madagascar as defined by the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions. Taxa of the lowest rank are always included; taxa of higher ranks (e.g. genus) are only included if monotypic or endemic. Include taxa here that are endemic or have restricted distributions (e.g. only a few ...
Madagascar lost 44% of its original forest between 1953 and 2014. [12] The central highlands are the most densely populated region of Madagascar, and includes the country's capital and largest city, Antananarivo. The highlands' population is growing. Madagascar's high plateau forests have been altered by humans in most places.
Madagascar is currently suffering in some areas from soil erosion as a result of deforestation and overgrazing, desertification, and contamination of surface water with raw sewage and organic waste. Several species of flora and fauna that are unique to the islands are endangered. Regular cyclones cause flooding in low-lying coastal regions.